Who determines when a Government Notary may perform notarial services outside the government's business?

• A. The governor
• B. The head of the department
• C. The notary
• D. The legislature

Answer: (B)

In this context, who can authorize a government employee notary to perform notarial acts outside the agency’s official duties is the person in charge of the department. Government Notaries operate under the agency’s policies, and the department head sets the scope and any exceptions for when those notaries may handle matters beyond the government’s business. This keeps the agency’s resources and duties aligned with its mission and avoids conflicts of interest. The governor sets broad executive direction, and the legislature makes laws, but day-to-day departmental policy and exceptions like this are determined by the department head. The notary themselves cannot unilaterally decide to extend their scope.