A Notary Is Not A Lawyer
ORS 194.350 — no legal advice, no immigration help, and no "notario"
A commission as an Oregon notary public does not authorize anyone to help draft legal records, give advice on legal matters or otherwise practice law, act as an immigration consultant or expert, represent anyone in an immigration or citizenship proceeding, or be paid for any of those things.
No "notario". A notary public who is not a licensed attorney may not use the term "notario" or "notario publico", and may not advertise or represent that the notary can draft legal records, give legal advice or practice law.
A notary who is not an attorney and advertises notarial services, in any language, includes in the advertisement, prominently and in each language used, a statement that the notary is not an attorney licensed to practice law and is not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities, along with the fees for notarial acts.
A notary may not engage in false or deceptive advertising, in the unauthorized practice of law, or in any act of dishonesty, fraud or deceit for substantial benefit or to substantially injure another, and generally may not withhold an original record someone brought for a notarial act.
Discipline of notaries, the fees they may charge and the separate rules for immigration consultants are in sections not on this page. Whether a particular service crossed into the practice of law is a question for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- ORS 194.350 — Prohibited acts
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.