'From the Vault' video series covers Notary Public and Tornadoes

‘From the Vault’, a new video series by the Kansas Secretary of State to educate the public about what their office does, released episodes 3 and 4 on Friday. 

In episode 3, titled, ‘Notary Public’, host ‘John’ is joined by ‘Whitney’ to talk about responsibilities of a notary, what a notary is, and how to become a notary, as it is considered a key part of the business division services. 

“To become a Kansas notary, you must be at least 18 years old and a Kansas legal resident or a resident of a bordering state who does business in Kansas,” Whitney states.

John goes onto list the duties of the notary public, including: Administering oaths and affirmations, witnessing a signature, and certifying a copy of an official document. 

“Kansas notaries are valid for a period of four years and the dates are set by the Secretary of State’s office,” Whitney says in the video.

John and Whitney then go through the steps of how to become a Kansas notary. This includes navigating the notary portal at sos.ks.gov to complete the online notary public application form. Purchasing a notary stamping device–either an ink stamp or impression seal–will be required with a copy of the stamp or impression submitted with the application. A notary surety bond must also be purchased as Kansas law requires a notary to be bonded for $122,000 and this bond must come from an insurance company licensed in Kansas. Finally, you must take an oath in the application process. From there, you can upload all required forms and images to the online portal. You will then be prompted to pay an application fee of $25 to the Secretary of State’s office. The office will then process the application.

“You may not notarize documents until your appointment status is active online and you have a notary appointment expiration date,” Whitney says. 

In the fourth episode, ‘Tornadoes’, John is joined by ‘Thomas’ and this is more of a PSA about the dangers of tornadoes in Kansas. They encourage viewers to check their preparedness in case such a storm should occur in their area. 

“Make sure you have a sturdy shelter to seek refuge in and have a tornado emergency kit safe at hand,” Thomas said. 

“Having a battery powered radio is essential in case the electricity goes out or cell phone service is interrupted,” John adds. “Be sure to subscribe to weather alerts so you know in advance when the storm is on the way.”