Code of the District of Columbia

§ 1–1231.22. Grounds to deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend, or condition commission of notary public.

(a) The Mayor 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:

(1) Failure to comply with this chapter;

(2) A fraudulent, dishonest, or deceitful misstatement or omission in the application for a commission as a notary public submitted to the Mayor;

(3) A conviction of an applicant or notary public of any felony or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit, including fraud, forgery, deceptive labeling, counterfeiting, false personation, perjury, false statements, tampering with physical evidence, or theft previously known as larceny, larceny by trick, larceny by trust, embezzlement, or false pretenses;

(4) A finding against, or admission of liability by, an applicant or notary public in any legal proceeding or disciplinary action based on an applicant's or notary public's fraud, dishonesty, or deceit;

(5) Failure by the notary public to discharge any duty required of a notary public, whether by this chapter, rules of the Mayor, or any federal or state law;

(6) Use of false or misleading advertising or representation by the notary public representing that the notary has a duty, right, or privilege that the notary does not have;

(7) Violation by the notary public of a rule issued by the Mayor regarding a notary public;

(8) Denial, refusal to renew, revocation, suspension, or conditioning of a notary public commission in another state; or

(9) Failure of the notary public to maintain an assurance as provided in § 1-1231.19(e).

(b) If the Mayor denies, refuses to renew, revokes, suspends, or imposes conditions on a commission as a notary public, the applicant or notary public is entitled to timely notice and hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings pursuant to § 2-1831.03(b-20).

(c) The authority of the Mayor to deny, refuse to renew, suspend, revoke, or impose conditions on a commission as a notary public shall not prevent a person from seeking and obtaining other criminal or civil remedies provided by law.