Each notary public, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take the oath prescribed for civil officers in the District of Columbia, and shall give bond to the District of Columbia in the sum of $2,000, with security, to be approved by the Mayor of the District of Columbia or his designated agent, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. Where any such notary public is an officer or employee of the government of the District of Columbia whose notarial duties are confined solely to government official business, any bond covering such officer or employee for the faithful performance of such notarial duties obtained by the Mayor of the District of Columbia pursuant to the authority conferred on him by law shall be in lieu of the bond required by the 1st sentence of this section.
CREDIT(S)
(Mar. 3, 1901, 31 Stat. 1279, ch. 854, § 561; June 25, 1936, 49 Stat. 1921, ch. 804; Dec. 16, 1944, 58 Stat. 811, ch. 597, § 2; June 25, 1948, 62 Stat. 991, ch. 646, § 32(a), (b); May 24, 1949, 63 Stat. 107, ch. 139, § 127; July 7, 1955, 69 Stat. 281, ch. 280, § 5; July 5, 1966, 80 Stat. 263, Pub. L. 89-493, § 1.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 1-803.
1973 Ed., § 1-504.
Change in Government
This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 (D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act (D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.