We blogged previously that there were changes coming for Commissioner for Oaths stamps. It has been confirmed that the Notaries and Commissioner Act will be proclaimed in force on April 30, 2015.
The Act states, in part:
Name and expiry date
17(1) A commissioner for oaths shall, on each document that the commissioner for oaths signs in that capacity, legibly print, or stamp in legible printing, next to the commissioner for oaths’ signature,
(a) the commissioner for oaths’ name,
(b) the words “A Commissioner for Oaths in and for Alberta”,
(c) if appointed under section 15, the date on which the commissioner for oaths’ appointment expires, and
(d) if the commissioner for oaths is acting by virtue of an office or status referred to in section 16(1) or (2), the office or status that applies to the commissioner for oaths.
17(2) A commissioner for oaths who fails to comply with this section is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $1000.
Based on the new information we contacted Alberta Justice and submitted 2 versions of the text which were approved.
The new approved text for Commissioner for Oaths stamps will be:
John Doe
A Commissioner for Oaths
in and for Alberta
My Commission expires January 1, 2017
You can choose to leave the last 2 digits of the year off and fill it in yourself so your stamp would then look like this:
John Doe
A Commissioner for Oaths
in and for Alberta
My Commission expires April 2, 20__
There are no size or layout requirements so if you prefer the stamp to be all on 1 line you could. Our online store has updated templates to reflect the new wording requirements. These templates will automatically appear when ordering a Trodat 4911, 4912 or 4913 self inking stamp.
The Law Society of Alberta has a more in depth post about the new Act on their website.