Ex officio notaries for sheriffs

A. Notwithstanding any provisions of the law relative to qualifications for notaries public, each sheriff may designate one deputy per shift for each office location and appoint them as ex officio notaries public. B. (1) The deputy so appointed may exercise, in the parish which the sheriff serves, the functions of a notary public only to administer oaths and execute affidavits, acknowledgments, and other documents, all limited to matters within the official functions of the office of sheriff, for the enforcement of any statute which provides for criminal penalties, any parish ordinance which the sheriff is charged with enforcing, and any affidavit required for the enforcement of R.S. 32:661 through 669, and to execute property bonds. For each such action the notary shall use the official seal of that respective sheriff's office. (2) He shall fulfill the same bond requirements as provided by law for notaries in the parish which the sheriff serves. (3) The sheriff shall pay as an expense of his office the costs of the notarial seal, the notarial bond, and any fees required for filing the bond. C. All acts performed by such an ex officio notary public authorized by this Section shall be performed without charge or other compensation. D. The sheriff may suspend or terminate an appointment made pursuant to this Section at any time, and separation from the employ of the sheriff shall automatically terminate the powers of such an ex officio notary public.