Florida Notario Law Takes Effect

August 2025

Wow.

The notario situation has completely blown up. Why it is so difficult for a notary not to provide legal advice? Easy, it is a great way to get the uninformed in the door and make some money in the process.

We recently brought up the issue of Notarios in California, an issue that is most prominent in Florida, but is gaining traction wherever immigrant populations are prevalent.

Of note, in this circumstance this notary did not call himself a notario. Instead he opened a business that sounds legitimate for the situation. Some may also think the name sounds like a lawyer.

But, it is not.

This goes way back to 2017 when an injunction was placed on the notary for the same behavior. The notary was charging thousands of dollars for illegitimate legal advice.

Again, in 2022, the notary was hit with a court order to emphasize the injunction, as it was ignored the first time.

In the case, the court found, during those four years, the notary filed at least 400 documents to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

But, it appears the notary has not stopped. They do not have a law degree, but offer legal services. They hide all the activity by mainly advertising themselves as a tax preparation service.

It stinks when a notary tries to give everyone else a bad name. Note in this case, the “notario” appeared not to be one, which is why this has been lingering for at least 8 years.

August 2025

A new lawsuit has hit Mobile Notary Zone for a breach of data. Mobile Notary Zone is a mobile notary service based out of Nevada.

In June, Mobile Notary Zone informed at least one client that their data had been breached. The breach was successful, gaining access to valuable client information. It was the full data set.

Things like social security numbers and financial information were breached. Pretty much any information held by Mobile Notary Zone was accessible in the hack.

As of this date, Mobile Notary Zone has not released how many clients were affected, but if you have received a data breach letter in the mail from them, you should assume your personal information was part of the hack.

Mobile Notary Zone uses a third party for data security. New American Funding LLC. They have launched an internal investigation on how the hack happened. So far, they’ve only said an unauthorized user gained access to its systems containing personal data.

If you are a client, you may want to move on and look at us, Sunshine Signing. We provide nationwide services for mobile notaries and remote online notarizations. Our notaries are the best in the business, and our in house online notarizations are done by experts in the field.

For notaries, information about the leak has not been confirmed, but is likely.

Anyone working for or with Mobile Notary Zone may be compensated for not only any fraud, harm or inconvenience committed to them, but also reasonable expenses to protect themselves. Please make note that most people saying you may receive compensation are lawyers trying to drum up business. So please, take it with a grain of salt. But, if one lawsuit is successful, many others will follow.

So, what can you do to protect yourself?

You can sign up for a credit monitoring service. Some are free. Mobile Notary Zone may also be required to pay for one for you for a specified time. This is depending on how the early legal process plays out, or if the company wants to be proactive in protecting clients and notaries that work with them.

You need to monitor all of your accounts closely. Look for anything that does not belong and notify your bank immediately if you find any discrepancies.

Get in contact with the credit bureaus. You can get a free credit report from them once a year, but you can also place a Fraud Alert with them. This informs creditors to take extra steps in verifying if someone is not who they say they are.

You can work with your bank to update card or account numbers. They will know what to do to make things as easy as possible for you. Make sure you have a full conversation with them, as any direct deposits or payments from these accounts may be affected. You may also need new checks or other things. Don’t take our word for it, get it right from the horses mouth if you need to do anything to protect yourself, and by extension, your bank.

Finally, if it comes to it (which we hope not), seek legal help. If Mobile Notary Zone makes a list or notifies you that you are affected, that may be the best route, especially if any fraud was made in your name.

This is one of the worst things that can happen to a notary, or a business that uses a notary service. With financial information being compromised, it is a dangerous situation. Once again, Sunshine Signing welcomes anyone who would like to move to a new (and better) notary signing service.

July 2025

Well, next time South Dakota notaries renew (new ones too) they will no longer have to post a surety bond. Up until July 1st it was necessary, but House Bill 1133 changed that.

If you are currently under commission you must keep your bond until the end of the commission. But, when you renew your commission the surety bond no longer needs to be renewed.

For those out of the loop, a surety bond:

A surety bond is a three-party contract that guarantees a party (the principal) will fulfill their obligations to another party (the obligee), according to the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA). The surety, often an insurance or bonding company, provides a financial guarantee that the obligee will be compensated if the principal fails to perform their obligations.

No other major changes were made. Everything else in the new or renewal for a notary remains untouched.

Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson commented on the new legislation, stating, “This legislation streamlines the notary process and removes a barrier that often caused confusion or delay. We are committed to making public services as accessible and efficient as possible.”

It is always a positive to see new legislation make a notary’s life easier. Saving a little money on a bond is a bonus as well.

Want to know how to become a notary in South Dakota? We’d recommend this page on “How to Become a Notary”.

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