Notary Notes Blog

The latest notary news for Pennsylvania notaries

News

Where to Find Motor Vehicle, Driver Licensing Fee Information

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As of July 1, motor vehicle and driver licensing fees have gone up.

Use these resources to keep yourself and your customers up to date on PennDOT’s fee structure:

Form MV-70S – Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees

This form is a comprehensive list of fees including registration fees for trucks and tractors, motor homes, trailers and semi-trailers, buses and limousines, dealer registration plates, specialty plates, and additional fee information.

Driver Licensing Payments and Fees Page

The fee categories on this page are: Driver’s Licenses; Commercial Driver’s Licenses; Motor Vehicles; Registration Plates/Placards; Miscellaneous; Title and Lien Fees; Driver Information (History) Requests; and Acceptable Forms of Payment

Remember: Submitting the wrong amount with your paperwork could cause a rejection due to insufficient fees. Not only will you inconvenience your customer by having to resubmit the paperwork, you may also be sanctioned by the Department for a violation of your agent service contract.

30-day Extension to Record Notary Bond/Oath/Commission and Register Signature Ending September 30, 2021

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The Governor’s 30-day extension of the 45-day period for appointed notaries to get sworn in and record the bond/oath/commission with the Recorder of Deeds and to register the notary signature with the Prothonotary is coming to an end. Notaries appointed up to and including July 16th will receive the full 30-day extension until September 30, 2021. Those appointed between July 17 and August 15 will be the last appointees to get any extra time and the extra time will diminish each day (with no extension surpassing September 30th). Notaries appointed on or after August 16 will no longer receive an extension. Notaries appointed on or after August 16 will have the normal 45-day period to get sworn in and record the bond/oath/commission with the Recorder of Deeds and to register the notary signature with the Prothonotary.

The statement can be found on the Department of State’s website here.

REAL ID Deadline Postponed to 2023

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it was again postponing the enforcement date for REAL ID until May 3, 2023, citing ongoing pandemic restrictions that have impacted states’ ability to process and issue the enhanced driver licenses and identification cards.

REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania.

There is no requirement that any resident obtain a REAL ID.

(A valid U.S. passport/passport card can be used to board a commercial flight.)

PennDOT will continue to offer standard-issue driver’s licenses and photo IDs.

Visit PennDOT’s REAL ID page: https://www.dmv.pa.gov/REALID/Pages/default.aspx

Renew CDL Products by March 31

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Expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will end after the current extension expires for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

The final extension is currently in place for the following products’ expiration dates:

  • The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.
  • The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.

Customers with commercial products that are covered by the extension but have not yet been renewed are encouraged to renew their CDL products as soon as possible by March 31, 2021.

No further extensions will be given on these products.

Access PennDOT’s updates on their Driver and Vehicle Services Update page.

The Dos and Don’ts of Petitions

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As election season approaches, you may be asked to notarize petitions. It is easy to make a mistake when notarizing a petition. We want to help you perform your notary duties with confidence.

Don’t notarize a petition you have signed as an elector or if you are the candidate filing it.

Do read the instructions on the petition and related materials. The Department of State provides information and links to forms and instructions on their website, including deadlines for filing. Be sure to read and follow the instructions so you can avoid problems at the last minute when the petitions must be filed. The circulator(s) and the candidate have responsibilities in this process that must be fulfilled.

Don’t notarize a petition for a family member. If notarization is required, have an impartial third-party act as the notary. If you are related to the candidate you should decline to notarize their petitions, because your relation to the candidate raises the possibility of a direct or pecuniary interest.

Do draw lines through any unused signature lines that are left on the petition. This prevents signatures from being added to the petition after the notarization.

Don’t notarize for an individual you have not properly identified. Make sure the proper notarial wording is on the petition. You must follow the law for every notarization you perform

Do refer questions to your county election officials or to the Department of State. As a notary, you cannot give legal advice.

 

Personal Delivery Devices

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Act 106, signed into law on November 1, 2020, has amended the definition of “Pedestrian” in Title 75, The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. The act takes effect January 30, 2021.

Under Section 1, §102, the definition of a “pedestrian” is as follows:

  1. an individual afoot.
  2. an individual with a mobility-related disability on a self-propelled wheelchair or an electrical mobility device operated by and designated for the exclusive use of an individual with a mobility-related disability.
  3. a personal delivery device.

Act 106 also allows for a “personal delivery device” (PDD) to operate on roadways, shoulder/berms of roadways, and in pedestrian areas. The definition of a personal delivery device is a ground delivery device that:

  1. is manufactured for transporting cargo or goods;
  2. is operated by a driving system that allows remote or autonomous operation, or both; and
  3. weighs 550 pounds or less without cargo or goods.

Since Act 106 places PDDs within the definition of a pedestrian, PDDs are not considered a vehicle and not required to be titled and/or registered as a vehicle under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.