Every person appointed as a notary public authorized to perform online notarizations shall execute an official bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in lieu of the bond required by Section 8212. The bond shall be in the form of a bond executed by an admitted surety insurer and not a deposit in lieu of bond. For the official misconduct or neglect of a notary public related to this article, the notary public and the sureties on the notary public’s official bond required by this section are liable in a civil action to a person injured thereby provided, however, that the amount of the surety’s liability shall be limited to fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for notarial acts arising under Article 1 (commencing with Section 8200), and twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for online notarial acts arising under this article. Under no circumstances shall the surety’s liability exceed the aggregate amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). The bond shall be filed with the county clerk within which the notary public maintains a principal place of business pursuant to Section 8213.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 291, Sec. 8. (SB 696) Effective January 1, 2024.)