Denial, Revocation, and Suspension

Failure to abide by any of the rules and regulations set forth in HRS 456, HAR Chapter 5-11, the Hawaii Notary Public Manual, and any other rules and regulations enacted by the State of Hawaii, Attorney General’s office can be considered grounds for refusal to renew or reinstate a commission, revoke or suspend a commission, and even impose fines for EACH violation to the notary public.

This means that if you repeatedly make the same error, such as not filling out the address for each line in your notary journal, you can receive a fine for each occurrence.

Below is a list of some of the reasons you can be denied a commission or have your commission revoked or suspended and possibly received fines. Please refer to HAR Chapter 5-11-39 for a more detailed list.

• Not being able to read, write, or speak English with understanding.
• Obtaining a commission through means of fraud.
• Failure to maintain a record journal in accordance with laws.
• Using your commission to commit fraud.
• Using your notary name in a deceptive or misleading way, including in advertisements.
• Failure to complete the processing of your commission by filing your commission with the clerk of the circuit court in the jurisdiction you reside.
• Failure to pass the notary public exam.