Which of the following is a prohibited act for a notary public in Ohio?

In Ohio, it is prohibited for a notary public to perform a notarial act on documents that they have personally executed. This is because such an action poses a conflict of interest and undermines the integrity of the notarization process. A notary’s role is to serve as an impartial witness to the signing of documents, and notarizing a document that they have a stake in compromises this impartiality.

The intended purpose of a notary is to ensure that the signers of the document are who they say they are and that they are signing the document willingly and under no duress. If a notary were to notarize their own documents, they could potentially manipulate the process, which could lead to fraudulent activities and undermine public trust in the notarial system.

In contrast, other actions such as notarizing documents after hours, providing legal advice during notarization, and charging a fee for notarial services are subject to different regulations. While notaries in Ohio can charge a fee for their services within certain limitations, the act of notarizing one's own documents is explicitly prohibited due to the inherent conflict of interest.