Notaries public; penalty; effective date.

HB 1578 amends Oklahoma's notary public laws to strengthen identity verification requirements for notarial acts. It requires notaries to confirm a person's identity through personal knowledge, a credible witness, or valid ID before performing acknowledgments, verifications, witnessing signatures, or certifying copies. The bill increases penalties for failing to verify identity, making it a felony punishable by fines up to $5,000 or up to 30 days in jail. This directly affects all Oklahoma notaries who perform official notarial acts. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.