A notary's oath and bond are filed in Fresno County. Where may that notary perform notarial acts?

A California notary is commissioned by the state, not by a county, so the authority to act runs statewide. The county filing serves a different purpose: the oath of office and the bond are filed with the clerk of the county of the notary's principal place of business, which establishes a local record where the bond can be found and a claim made against it. That filing determines where the record lives, not where the notary may work. The distinction is worth holding clearly because it cuts both ways — a notary whose bond is filed in Fresno County may perform acts in San Diego, and equally, moving the principal place of business to another county requires a new oath and bond filed in that county even though the commission and its authority are unchanged. What never matters is where the document will be recorded or used; the notary's location at the time of the act is the relevant fact, and it must be within California.

A California notary is commissioned by the state and may perform notarial acts anywhere within California. The county filing of the oath and bond establishes a local record rather than a territorial limit.

California notaries are commissioned by the Secretary of State with statewide authority. The oath of office and bond are filed with the clerk of the county of the principal place of business, and a change of that county requires a new filing.

Commissioned by the State, filed in a county. The filing is a record, not a fence.

Moving the principal place of business to another county requires a new oath and bond filed there, even though authority does not change.

• •Treating the county of filing as a territorial limit
• •Considering where the document will be recorded
• •Overlooking the new filing required on changing the county of principal place of business