DOS Update (28 Oct 2024): More Notaries in U.S. Embassies and Consulates Abroad

Effective November 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of State has updated its rules to permit designation of U.S. citizen employees of the Department of State abroad, who are not diplomatic or consular officers, to perform notarial services. It is very common that international family lawyers request that their clients sign legal paperwork before a notary, and U.S. embassies and consulates in other countries are common locations to have that notarial act performed when the client is living in another country. This rule change will purportedly streamline the designation process to allow for more notaries. The Department of State noted a trend for increasing requests for notaries in U.S. embassies and consulates, and this will work towards achieving more streamlined and efficient access to notaries. You can read the Federal Register Notice here.