Notary Tea With Li — Notary History
Here's the tea... notaries have been around a lot longer than Louisiana has.
The profession traces back to Ancient Rome, where trained scribes called notarii recorded speeches, agreements, and official acts using a fast shorthand system. Their job was to create a trustworthy record — something people could rely on later, even after everyone involved had forgotten the details or passed away.
That core idea never changed. Centuries later, as Roman law spread through Europe, the notary profession evolved into something closer to what Louisiana still uses today: a civil law notary, distinct from the common law "notary public" found in the other 49 states.
When French and Spanish colonists settled Louisiana, they brought their civil law notary tradition with them. Even after Louisiana joined the United States in 1812, it kept that system — which is part of why Louisiana notaries can do things (like prepare certain authentic acts) that notaries in most other states simply can't.
The Tea to Remember
Notaries have protected signatures, agreements, and important records for over 2,000 years. Louisiana's notary system is a living piece of that history — not a modern invention, but a tradition passed down through centuries.
Official Source:
National Notary Association — nationalnotary.org
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