A certificate of official character is the document described in Executive Law §132. It is issued by the Secretary of State or by a county clerk in the county where the commission is filed, and it certifies the official status of the notary public. New York notaries sometimes file certificates of official character in additional counties if they expect to sign documents there regularly.
This document is related to, but not the same as, the authentication certificate under Executive Law §133. A certificate of official character speaks more generally to the notary’s status; an authentication certificate is tied to a particular notarial certificate and signature. The fee distinction is another common source of confusion: the issuance fee for a certificate of official character is $1.
Why it matters: It is one of the signature New York clerk-based documents that does not exist in the same form in every state.
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