§36-20-52. Rules of procedure.

The Secretary of State may adopt rules prescribing all of the following:

(1) The form and content of authentic acts, oaths, acknowledgments, and signatures and seals or their legal equivalents.

(2) Procedures for the permanent archiving of authentic acts, maintaining records of acknowledgments and oaths, and procedures for the administration of oaths and taking of acknowledgments.

(3) The charging of reasonable fees to be retained by the Secretary of State for the purpose of administering this article.

(4) Educational requirements and procedures for testing applicants' knowledge of all matters relevant to the appointment, authority, duties, or legal or ethical responsibilities of a civil law notary.

(5) Procedures for the disciplining of civil law notaries, including, but not limited to, the suspension and revocation of appointments for failure to comply with the requirements of this article or the rules of the Secretary of State, or for misrepresentation or fraud regarding the civil law notary's authority, the effect of the civil law notary's authentic acts, or the identities or acts of the parties to a transaction.

(6) Bonding or errors and omissions insurance requirements, or both, for civil law notaries.

(7) Other matters necessary for administering this article.

(Act 99-449, p. 1041, §3; Act 2001-967, 3rd Sp. Sess., p. 861, §1.)