1. Foreign state. As used in this section, “foreign state” means a government other than the United States, a state or a federally recognized Indian tribe.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1914

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Notarial act: includes taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, taking a verification on oath or affirmation, witnessing or attesting a signature, certifying or attesting a copy and noting a protest of a negotiable instrument or loss in mercantile usage. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • Notarial officer: means a notary public or other individual authorized to perform a notarial act. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • Official stamp: means a physical image affixed to or embossed on a tangible record or an electronic image attached to or logically associated with an electronic record and includes an official notary seal. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • Signature: means a tangible symbol or an electronic signature that evidences the signing of a record. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 4 Sec. 1902
  • United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
2. Foreign notarial acts recognized. If a notarial act is performed under authority and in the jurisdiction of a foreign state or constituent unit of a foreign state or is performed under the authority of a multinational or international governmental organization, the act has the same effect under the laws of this State as if performed by a notarial officer of this State.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

3. Digest or list conclusive. If the title of office and indication of authority to perform notarial acts in a foreign state appears in a digest of foreign law or in a list customarily used as a source for that information, the authority of an officer with that title to perform notarial acts is conclusively established.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

4. Prima facie evidence. The signature and official stamp of an individual holding an office described in subsection 3 are prima facie evidence that the signature is genuine and the individual holds the designated title.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

5. Hague Convention. An apostille in the form prescribed by the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 and issued by a foreign state party to the Convention conclusively establishes that the signature of the notarial officer is genuine and that the officer holds the indicated office.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

6. Consular authentication. A consular authentication issued by an individual designated by the United States Department of State as a notarizing officer for performing notarial acts overseas and attached to the record with respect to which the notarial act is performed conclusively establishes that the signature of the notarial officer is genuine and that the officer holds the indicated office.

[PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW); PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §4 (NEW). PL 2021, c. 651, Pt. A, §8 (AFF).