Oklahoma § 49-6 - Authority - Provision of legal advice

§ 49-6. Authority - Provision of legal advice

A. Notaries public shall have authority within any county in

this state to make the proof and acknowledgement of deeds and other

instruments of writing required to be proved or acknowledged; to

administer oaths; to demand acceptance or payment of foreign or

inland bills of exchange and promissory notes, and protest the same

for nonacceptance or nonpayment, as the same may require, and to

exercise such other powers and duties as by law of nations and

commercial usage may be performed by notaries public. A notary may

not notarize his or her own signature.

B. No notary public, except those who are licensed attorneys or

otherwise authorized by law to represent persons on immigration or

citizenship matters, shall hold himself or herself out as having

expertise in providing legal advice on any proceeding, filing or

action affecting the immigration or citizenship status of another

person. For purposes of this section, “legal advice” means any

direct or indirect advice or counsel related to provisions of the

Immigration and Nationality Act including, but not limited to,

assistance in the selection of immigration forms required by the

Immigration and Nationality Act, advice or council related to

responses to information required on forms by the Immigration and

Nationality Act, or acting in a representative capacity in an

attempt to redress wrongs or secure benefits provided by the

Immigration and Nationality Act. Any notary public who provides

nonlegal assistance on any proceeding, filing or action affecting

the immigration or citizenship status of another person shall give

the following notice to that person verbally and in writing: “I am

not a licensed attorney or representative of any government agency

with authority over immigration or citizenship and, therefore,

cannot offer legal advice about immigration or any other legal

matters.”

If the notary public operates a business or advertises

in any language other than English, such notice shall be given in

both English and in the other language or languages. Literal

translation of the phrase “notary public” into Spanish, hereby

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 49. Notaries Public

defined as “notario publico” or “notario”, is prohibited. For

purposes of this section, “literal translation” of a word or phrase

from one language to another means the translation of a word or

phrase without regard to the true meaning of the word or phrase in

the language which is being translated.

R.L.1910, § 4245. Amended by Laws 1971, c. 48, § 1, emerg. eff.

March 30, 1971; Laws 1975, c. 165, § 2, emerg. eff. May 20, 1975;

Laws 2003, c. 191, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.