In many Latin American countries, a notary public, or notario público, is a highly trained legal professional and, in many cases, an attorney.

With notaries public in the United states, that’s not always the case.

The similarity in terminology can lead to confusion and open the door to fraud, making immigrants in the United States believe they’re dealing with a qualified lawyer.

A new law ( HB 915 ) will prohibit Florida notaries without the appropriate law license from misrepresenting their legal experience when advertising their services, and bars them from using terms such as “immigration specialist”, “notario público” and “immigration consultant.”

The law will take effect July 1 and was sponsored by State Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, and Democratic Reps. Johanna López of O

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