Carbon County’s prothonotary reminds residents that notary service is still available in her office, however documents relating to a court-related office are the only things she can notarize.

“The prothonotary’s office has not eliminated notary services,” said Kayla Semmel, prothonotary. “There has been some confusion as to the documents that can and cannot be notarized in the prothonotary’s office.”

The solicitor for the State Association of Prothonotary’s and Clerks of Courts outlines documents that can and will be continue to be notarized by the prothonotary.

“These documents are any documents that pertain to another county office, such as Sheriff Deeds, Tax Claim Deeds and Petitions for the Elections Office,” Semmel said in a release. “The reason that certain documents may or may not be notarized by the prothonotary, is that the prothonotary is not licensed through the state, and therefore cannot notarize public documents. The office is commissioned through the courts, which affects the type of documents that can be notarized through the prothonotary versus a state commissioned notary.”

For any documents not related to a court office, people will have to find a state commissioned notary for their services.

Last October, Carbon County Recorder of Deeds Donna Gentile announced that her office would be providing free notary service for county-related business because the prothonotary’s office had stopped the service after being advised by her state attorney.

Semmel said Tuesday that it is her understanding that the recorder of deeds office can notarize other documents than her office since the prothonotary’s office is “only commissioned through the courts.”

“We are able to notarize certain county documents and never stopped providing that aspect of the service,” Semmel said. “We had gained additional clarity as to what documents should and should not be notarized by the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Association solicitor, as to ensure that we are in compliance.”

For more information on these departments and their services, visit the county website at www.carboncountypa.gov.