If a Notary Public's renewal fails knowingly to occur in time, the commission may be forfeited. Which term describes this consequence?

• A. Suspended
• B. Forfeited
• C. Revoked
• D. Terminated

Answer: (B)

The concept here is the loss of authority due to not meeting a required condition. When a Notary Public doesn’t complete the renewal in time, the commission is forfeited—that is, the right to act as a notary is automatically lost because the renewal requirement wasn’t satisfied. This is different from a temporary suspension (which would lift duties for a period), a revocation (which is a disciplinary action for misconduct), or termination (not the term typically used to describe losing a commission for failing to renew). After forfeiture, you’d need to go through the renewal process again to regain authority to perform notarial acts.