The New York booklet defines a notary public as a public officer, not a private legal scrivener. The office centers on taking acknowledgments of deeds or writings and administering oaths and affirmations regarding statements in papers or documents that require an oath. The general statutory authority appears in Executive Law §135.
That public-officer character matters because it explains both the dignity of the office and its limits. A New York notary may administer oaths, take affidavits and depositions, receive acknowledgments and proofs, and perform certain protest functions. But a non-attorney notary may not drift into giving legal advice or drafting legal papers as part of the unauthorized practice of law.
Practical note: In New York, the safest mental model is simple: a notary authenticates acts and administers formalities; a notary does not become a lawyer by having a seal or commission.
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