§ 7-108 — Reprimand, suspension, and revocation of commission

(a) The Secretary of State may revoke the commission of any notary public who, during the current term of appointment: (1) submits an application for commission and appointment as a notary public which contains substantial and material misstatement or omission of fact; (2) is convicted of any felony, misdemeanors, including those defined in Part C, Articles 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21, and Part E, Articles 31, 32, and 33 of the Criminal Code of 2012, or official misconduct under this Act; or (3) is a licensed attorney and has been sanctioned, suspended, or disbarred by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission or the Illinois Supreme Court. (b) Whenever the Secretary of State believes that a violation of this Article has occurred, he or she may investigate any such violation. The Secretary may also investigate possible violations of this Article upon a signed written complaint on a form designated by the Secretary. (c) A notary's failure to cooperate or respond to an investigation by the Secretary of State is a failure by the notary to fully and faithfully discharge the responsibilities and duties of a notary and shall result in suspension or revocation of the notary's commission or the electronic notary's commission. (d) All written complaints which on their face appear to establish facts which, if proven true, would constitute an act of misrepresentation or fraud in notarization or electronic notarization, or misrepresentation or fraud on the part of the notary, may be investigated by the Secretary of State to determine whether cause exists to reprimand, suspend, or revoke the commission of the notary. (e) The Secretary of State may deliver a written official warning and reprimand to a notary, or may revoke or suspend a notary's commission or an electronic notary's commission, for any of the following: (1) a notary's official misconduct, as defined under Section 7-104; (2) any ground for which an application for appointment as a notary may be denied for failure to complete application requirements as provided under Section 2-102; (3) any prohibited act provided under Section 6-104; or (4) a violation of any provision of the general statutes. (f) After investigation and upon a determination by the Secretary of State that one or more prohibited acts have been performed in the notarization or electronic notarization of a document, the Secretary shall, after considering the extent of the prohibited act and the degree of culpability of the notary, order one or more of the following courses of action: (1) issue a letter of warning to the notary, including the Secretary's findings; (2) order suspension of the commission of the notary or electronic commission of the notary for a period of time designated by the Secretary; (3) order revocation of the commission of the notary or electronic commission of the notary; (4) refer the allegations to the appropriate State's Attorney's Office or the Attorney General for criminal investigation; or (5) refer the allegations to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission for disciplinary proceedings. (g) After a notary receives notice from the Secretary of State that his or her commission has been revoked, that notary shall immediately deliver his or her official seal to the Secretary. After an electronic notary public receives notice from the Secretary of State that his or her electronic commission has been revoked, the electronic notary public shall immediately notify the electronic notary's chosen technology provider, and to the extent possible, destroy or remove the software used for electronic notarizations. (h) A notary whose appointment has been revoked due to a violation of this Act shall not be eligible for a new commission as a notary public in this State for a period of at least 5 years from the date of the final revocation. (i) A notary may voluntarily resign from appointment by notifying the Secretary of State in writing of his or her intention to do so, and by physically returning his or her stamp to the Secretary. An electronic notary public may voluntarily resign from appointment by notifying the Secretary of State in writing of his or her intention to do so, and by notifying the electronic notary's chosen technology provider, and to the extent possible, destroy or remove the software used for electronic notarizations. A voluntary resignation shall not stop or preclude any investigation into a notary's conduct, or prevent further suspension or revocation by the Secretary, who may pursue any such investigation to a conclusion and issue any finding. (j) Upon a determination by a sworn law enforcement officer that the allegations raised by the complaint are founded, and the notary has received notice of suspension or revocation from the Secretary of State, the notary is entitled to an administrative hearing. (k) The Secretary of State shall adopt administrative hearing rules applicable to this Section that are consistent with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. (l) Any revocation, resignation, expiration, or suspension of the commission of a notary public terminates or suspends any commission to notarize electronically. (m) A notary public may terminate registration to notarize electronically and maintain his or her underlying notary public commission upon directing a written notification of the change to the Secretary of State within 30 days. (Source: P.A. 102-160, eff. 6-5-23 (See Section 91 of P.A. 103-562 for effective date of P.A. 102-160).)