What is the notary's obligation to be impartial?

• A. Be neutral and treat all signers the same, avoiding conflicts of interest or coercion.
• B. Promote the interests of one signer.
• C. Make decisions based on personal relationships.
• D. Ignore conflicts of interest.

Answer: (B)

Impartiality means staying neutral and not favoring any signer. A notary must treat all signers equally, verify identity, and ensure there’s no coercion or pressure in the process. Promoting one signer’s interests would break that neutrality, and decisions shaped by personal relationships or ignoring conflicts of interest would undermine the integrity of the notarization. So the obligation is to be neutral, treat all signers the same, and avoid conflicts of interest or coercion.