A Notary Public notes PROTESTS and ____________ ?

• A. takes acknowledgments of documents
• B. administers oaths
• C. witnesses signatures
• D. records protests

Answer: (A)

Notaries Public perform two common, distinct duties: protesting instruments and taking acknowledgments. A protest is a formal notice recorded when a negotiable instrument, like a check or note, is presented and not paid or accepted, preserving the holder’s rights to pursue action. Taking acknowledgments means the signer personally appears before the notary, acknowledges that they signed the document, and the notary certifies that acknowledgment. This pairing—protests and taking acknowledgments—reflects two core, widely used notarial functions. Administering oaths is another notarial act, but it’s a separate duty, while recording protests is the act of protest itself.