Title XXXVIII, Witnesses, Evidence, Notaries, Commissioners of Foreign Deeds, and Legal Notices

notarial act -- Use of communication technology -- Registration -- Administrative regulations -- Application of state law. (1) An online notary public: (a) Shall be commissioned as a notary public pursuant to KRS 423.300 to 423.455 and has the powers and duties of a traditional n…

(1) A notarial act shall be evidenced by a certificate. The certificate shall: (a) Be executed contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act; (b) Be signed and dated by the notarial officer and, if the notarial officer is a notary public, be signed in the same manner…

The Secretary of State shall promulgate short-form certificates for notarial acts which shall contain space for the information required by KRS 423.360(1) and (2), and include a space to indicate the manner of notarization of the document.

A notary public commissioned pursuant to KRS 423.300 to 423.455 is not required to use a stamp. If a notary public chooses to use a stamp, the notary public shall have an official stamp which shall: (1) Include the notary public’s name, title, jurisdiction, commission number, and…

Lost or stolen device. (1) A notary public is responsible for the security of the notary public’s stamping device and may not allow another individual to use the device to perform a notarial act. On resignation from, or the revocation or expiration of, the notary public’s commiss…

or stolen journal -- Retention and transmission -- Custodian. (1) An online notary public shall maintain a journal in which the online notary public chronicles all electronic notarizations that the online notary public performs. The online notary public shall retain the journal f…

evident technology -- Standards -- Tangible copy of electronic record. (1) A notary public shall register with the Secretary of State pursuant to KRS 423.390 if the notary public intends to perform notarial acts: (a) With respect to electronic records where the individual will ap…

bond -- Change of information -- Renewal of commission -- Administrative regulations -- Registration. (1) An individual qualified under subsection (2) of this section may apply to the Secretary of State for a commission as a notary public. The applicant shall comply with and prov…

(1) The Secretary of State may deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend, or impose a condition on a commission as notary public for any act or omission that demonstrates the individual lacks the honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability to act as a notary public, including: (a…

oath. (1) The Secretary of State shall maintain an electronic database of notaries public: (a) Through which a person may verify the authority of a notary public to perform notarial acts; and (b) Which indicates whether a notary public has registered with the Secretary of State i…

(1) A commission as a notary public does not authorize an individual to engage in the practice of law. (2) A notary public shall not engage in false or deceptive advertising. (3) A notary public, other than an attorney licensed to practice law in this state, shall not advertise o…

Except as otherwise provided in KRS 423.310(4), the failure of a notarial officer to perform a duty or meet a requirement specified in KRS 423.300 to 423.455 does not invalidate a notarial act performed by the notarial officer. The validity of a notarial act does not prevent an a…

The Secretary of State may promulgate administrative regulations to implement KRS 423.300 to 423.455. Promulgated administrative regulations regarding the performance of notarial acts with respect to electronic records or electronic notarizations shall not require, or accord grea…

online notary public. (1) A commission as a notary public in effect on January 1, 2020, shall continue until its date of expiration. A notary public who applies to renew a commission as a notary public on or after January 1, 2020, shall be subject to and comply with KRS 423.300 t…

KRS 423.300 to 423.455 does not affect the validity or effect of a notarial act performed before January 1, 2020.

(1) For a notarial act relating to a tangible or electronic record, or for an electronic notarization, a notary public may charge a fee: (a) In compliance with KRS 64.300; and (b) Which has been clearly disclosed to the person requesting the service in advance. (2) Compensation f…

lawfully recorded or filed. (1) If an electronic record or paper printout of an electronic record relating to real property located in this state contains an acknowledgment performed by electronic means, notwithstanding any omission or error in the certificate of acknowledgment o…

(1) A writing or record that appears on its face to have been properly notarized in accordance with KRS 423.300 to 423.455 shall be presumed to have been notarized properly and may be recorded by the clerk. (2) A writing or record notarized outside this state by a notary public o…

(1) KRS 423.300 to 423.455 are to be construed and applied in a manner consistent with KRS 369.101 to 369.120. In accordance with KRS 369.105, nothing in KRS 423.300 to 423.455 shall affirmatively require any person to create, generate, send, communicate, receive, store, or other…

authority. (1) With respect only to notarial acts performed in relation to tangible records, the county clerk of a county in whose office any notary public has so filed his or her signature and surety bond shall when requested subjoin to any certificate of proof or acknowledgment…

technology -- Certificate -- Retention of audio-visual recording -- Notification of Secretary of State -- Administrative regulations -- Service of process. (1) A remotely located individual may comply with KRS 423.320 by appearing before a notary public by means of communication …

Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. KRS 382.075, 382.076, and 423.300 to 423.455 modify, limit, and supersede the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U.S.C. secs. 7001 et seq., but do not modify, limit, or supersede Section 101(c) of that act…

In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this chapter and any other law in this state, the provisions of this chapter shall control.

As used in KRS 424.110 to 424.370: (1) "Advertisement" means any matter required by law to be published; (2) "Publication area" means the city, county, district, or other local area for which an advertisement is required by law to be made. An advertisement shall be deemed to be f…

(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (4) of this section, if an advertisement for a publication area is required by law to be published in a newspaper, the publication shall be made in a newspaper that meets the following requirements: (a) It shall be published in the pu…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in KRS 424.110 to 424.370 and notwithstanding any provision of existing law providing for different times or periods of publication, the times and periods of publications of advertisements required by law to be made in a newspaper shall be as foll…

(1) Any advertisement of a hearing, meeting or examination shall state the time, place and purpose of the same. (2) Any advertisement of an election shall state the time and purpose of the election, and if the election is upon a public question the advertisement shall state the s…

governments. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Local government" means: 1. Any urban-county government; 2. Any consolidated local government; 3. Any charter county; 4. Any unified local government; and 5. In any county containing a population of eighty thousand (80,000) or more b…

publication or fails to publish. (1) If a newspaper qualified under KRS 424.120 either makes an error or fails in time or substance to make a publication in accordance with KRS 424.130 or 424.140 after receiving the information to be published, a city or county affected thereby m…

When any statute providing for newspaper publication of an advertisement does not designate the person responsible for causing the publication to be made, the responsible person shall be: (1) Where the advertisement is of the filing of a petition or application, the person by who…

(1) For all newspaper advertising required by law, the publisher is entitled to receive payment for each insertion at a rate per column inch. The advertisement shall be set in no larger than seven (7) point type on solid leading. The rate shall not exceed the lowest noncontract c…

(1) The affidavit of the publisher or proprietor of a newspaper, stating that an advertisement has been published in his newspaper and the times it was published, attached to a copy of the advertisement, constitutes prima facie evidence that the publication was made as stated in …

Any advertisement which a state officer, department or agency is required by law to have published shall, if intended to give statewide notice, be published in such newspaper or newspapers, to be designated by the Finance and Administration Cabinet, as will provide reasonable sta…

Information required to be sent to Department for Local Government. (1) If a statute gives discretion to a public officer or agency or governmental body as to the method of making an advertisement required by the statute, and if a statute provides that an advertisement may be mad…

(1) Any official of the Commonwealth of Kentucky or any of its political subdivisions who is required by law to publish any legal notice or notice of event may supplement, not to exceed twelve (12) publications unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction thereof…

No official newspaper shall be designated by any governmental unit for the publication of advertisements for such unit.

Notwithstanding KRS 65.070, 83A.060, 91A.040, 160.463, 424.180, 424.190, 424.220, 424.230, 424.250, 424.260, 424.270, 424.330, any public agency required to advertise or publish notices or documents in a newspaper shall be charged the lowest rate generally charged for advertising…

officers. (Effective July 15, 2026) (1) Excepting officers who are exempted under subsection (8) of this section, every public officer of any city, county, or district less than a county, or of any board, commission, or other authority of a city, county, or district whose duty it…

Any officer who is subject to the provisions of KRS 424.220 may elect to prepare and publish monthly or quarterly statements, in lieu of the annual statements required by KRS 424.220. All of the provisions of KRS 424.220 shall be applicable to such a monthly or quarterly statemen…

Immediately following the adoption of an annual budget by any county or city other than one of the first class or a consolidated local government, the clerk shall cause a summary of the budget or the text of the budget ordinance to be advertised for the county, consolidated local…

At the same time that copies of the budget of a school district are filed with the clerk of the tax levying authority for the district, as provided in KRS 160.461, the board of education of the district shall cause the budget to be advertised for the district by publishing a copy…

(1) Except where a statute specifically fixes a larger sum as the minimum for a requirement of advertisement for bids, a city, county, or district, or board or commission of a city or county, or sheriff or county clerk, shall not make a contract, lease, or other agreement for: (a…

No general regulation of uniform application throughout the publication area promulgated by any officer, board or commission of a city, county, or district, which is intended to impose liabilities or restrictions upon the public shall be valid unless and until it, or a notice of …

Every officer whose duty it is to collect any ad valorem tax for the state or for any political subdivision of the state shall cause notice of the due date of the tax to be advertised by newspaper publication, and shall not be given a quietus for the taxes collected unless he sub…

(1) Not less than three (3) days before any primary or regular election the county clerk shall cause to be published in a newspaper a copy of the ballots or supplementary material on which appear the names of candidates or issues to be voted upon. Where the lists of candidates or…

Notices of hearings by the Public Service Commission upon applications by public utilities for rate increases or reduction or discontinuance of service, except where advertised by mail, shall be advertised by the applicant utility in accordance with such reasonable regulations as…

Cities may publish a list of uncollected delinquent taxes levied under Section 181 of the Kentucky Constitution, showing the name of and the amount due from each delinquent taxpayer, to be advertised by newspaper publication. A fee equal to the prorated cost of publication per ta…

of creditors' claims. The clerk of the probate court shall, at least once each month, cause to be published in the newspaper meeting the requirements of KRS 424.120, a notice setting forth all fiduciary appointments made since the last publication and including at least the follo…

(1) Except in the case of: (a) Bonds issued for the purpose of facilitating the construction, renovation, or purchase of new or existing housing as provided by KRS 58.125; or (b) Bonds issued and sold pursuant to any section of the Constitution or the Kentucky Revised Statutes pr…

Upon request made to the master commissioner by any person who will have a substantial interest in the proceeds of a judicial sale of real estate, the master commissioner shall cause the required advertisement of sale to be published in display form.