Final answer:
Notaries must be licensed and act within the validity of their commission. Unlicensed activity, expired commissions, or notarizing outside of their authorized state can result in invalid notarizations and legal consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it comes to notarization procedures, there are specific legal requirements that must be followed. If the notary public was purporting to be a notary but was not licensed, this is considered a serious violation. Not only can it undermine the validity of the document that was notarized, but it can also lead to legal penalties for the individual wrongfully acting as a notary. Furthermore, notaries must operate within the confines of their commission; if the commission was expired, any notarization they perform is invalid. This can have severe legal consequences for both the notary and the parties involved in the notarized document.
In the United States, notaries are often licensed on a state basis. If a notary who is licensed in one state, such as New York, attempts to notarize a document in another state, they may be exceeding their jurisdiction. If a NY notary notarizes in another state, it may not be considered valid unless they have been granted a commission or are legally allowed to do so in that particular state. Some states may have reciprocity agreements allowing out-of-state notarizations, but without such agreements, the notarization is likely to be challenged.