To become a notary public, you apply through your state’s commissioning authority (usually the secretary of state), meet its eligibility rules, submit any required surety bond and background check, and then complete post-approval steps like taking an oath of office and buying an official seal before you can perform your first notarization. The exact requirements vary a lot from state to state, but the sequence is the same almost everywhere.
Who Qualifies
Nearly every state sets a minimum age of 18 and requires you to be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. You also need to read and write English, because notarial certificates and journal entries must be completed in English regardless of the language of the underlying document. A handful of states set the minimum age at 19, so check your state’s notary statute before you apply.
Residency is the next threshold. Most states require you to be a legal resident of the state where you seek your commission, though many also allow non-residents who work within the state to apply. Some border-state arrangements go further. Illinois grants one-year commissions to residents of neighboring states who maintain a workplace within Illinois, provided the neighboring state extends the same courtesy to Illinois residents. If you live in one state and work in another, you may be eligible in both, but each commission operates independently under its issuing state’s laws.
A clean record matters. States screen for felony convictions and crimes involving dishonesty, fraud, or perjury, any of which can disqualify you outright. Some states permanently bar applicants with certain felony convictions unless civil rights have been restored; others evaluate applications case by case. Even misdemeanor convictions tied to dishonesty can trigger extra scrutiny or a denial. If you have a record, your state may allow a written explanation or petition, but approval is not guaranteed.
Education and Exam Requirements Depend on Your State
You don’t necessarily need coursework or a test. Roughly a dozen states mandate a pre-commission education course, and about fourteen require a written exam. Many states require neither.
Where an education course is required, it typically runs three to six hours and covers signer identification, the different types of notarial acts (acknowledgments, jurats), journal-keeping, and the legal boundaries of the role. Where an exam is required, it’s usually proctored and tests your knowledge of your state’s notary laws: when to refuse a notarization, how to handle incomplete documents, and the proper format for certificates. Registration typically goes through a state-contracted testing vendor, with fees running roughly $20 to $100.
Even if your state skips both education and testing, spending a few hours with your state’s notary handbook is worth the time. Mistakes in this role can expose you to personal financial liability, and “I didn’t know” is not a defense that holds up well.
The Application Package
The application itself is straightforward. You provide your full legal name, residential address, business address if different, and in most states a Social Security number for background verification. The name on your application must exactly match the name on your ID and on every other document in your package. A mismatch between your application name and your bond, for example, can delay your commission by weeks.
Surety Bond
Around 31 states and the District of Columbia require a surety bond before your commission can be issued. Bond amounts range from $500 in states like Wisconsin and Wyoming to $50,000 in Alabama, with most falling between $5,000 and $15,000. The premium you actually pay out of pocket is a fraction of the face value, often under $100 for a standard four-year term.
A surety bond is not insurance that protects you. It protects the public. If someone files a successful claim against your bond because of a negligent or dishonest mistake, the bonding company pays the claimant and then comes after you for reimbursement. You are personally on the hook for every dollar, plus any costs that exceed the bond amount.
Errors and Omissions Insurance
Errors and omissions insurance, by contrast, does protect you. If you make an honest mistake during a notarization and someone sues, E&O coverage pays for your legal defense and any damages up to the policy limit, and you do not have to repay the insurer. E&O is optional in most states, but anyone who notarizes regularly or handles high-value transactions should seriously consider it. Typical annual premiums run a few hundred dollars.
Background Check
Only about a dozen states require fingerprint-based background checks. In those states you submit prints through a service like Live Scan, which transmits them to state and federal law enforcement databases; results go directly to the commissioning authority. Other states run name-based checks or rely on the applicant’s sworn disclosure of criminal history on the application form. Either way, lying on the application is a separate offense that can disqualify you even if the underlying record would not have.
Filing Your Application and Processing Times
Most states accept applications online, though some still require paper submissions by mail. Filing fees usually run between $20 and $60. Processing takes four to eight weeks in many states, though some move faster, and a required background check often adds a week or two.
Once your application is approved, you receive a commission certificate showing your unique commission number, effective date, and expiration date. Keep it somewhere safe. You will reference the commission number constantly, because it must appear on your official seal.
Oath of Office, Bond Filing, and Your Notary Tools
In most states, receiving your commission certificate does not mean you can start notarizing immediately. You first need to take an oath of office, typically administered by a county clerk, and file your surety bond with the same office. Some states charge a small recording fee for this step.
Watch the deadline. Many states give you only 30 calendar days from the commission’s start date to complete the oath and bond filing. Miss that window and your commission is voided, no extensions. You would need to start the entire application process over.
After the oath is on file, you buy your notary tools. Every state requires an official seal or stamp, and most dictate exactly what it must include: your name as it appears on your commission, the words “Notary Public,” your state name, your commission number, and your commission expiration date. Some states also specify dimensions, ink colors, and whether you must use a rubber stamp or an embosser. Order from a vendor that understands your state’s specifications, because a non-compliant seal makes every notarization you perform with it questionable.
Journal requirements are another area where states diverge. Roughly 18 states require a chronological record book documenting every notarial act. Even in states where a journal is not mandatory, keeping one is smart practice. If your notarization is ever challenged in court, a contemporaneous journal entry is your best evidence that you followed proper procedure.
What You Can Charge
Most states cap the fee a notary can charge for each notarial act, and the limits are lower than many people expect. Maximum fees for a standard acknowledgment or jurat typically range from $2 to $25 per signature, with $5 to $10 being the most common cap. About a dozen states set no statutory maximum. Remote online notarizations often carry a higher cap or allow a technology surcharge on top of the standard fee.
Mobile notary services, where you travel to the signer, are a different story. Most states do not cap travel fees, so mobile notaries typically negotiate those separately. The notarization fee itself still cannot exceed your state’s maximum.
Term Length and Renewal
Notary commissions are not permanent. Four-year terms are common, though some states issue commissions lasting anywhere from two to ten years. Your commission certificate shows your exact expiration date.
Renewal is not automatic. Most states require a new application, a fresh surety bond, and another filing fee before your current commission expires. States that require education or testing for initial applicants may require a refresher course or re-examination for renewals, though the requirements are sometimes less rigorous. California, for example, requires renewal applicants to take a three-hour course instead of the six hours required for first-time applicants. Start your renewal at least two to three months before expiration to avoid a gap.
Notarizing anything after your commission expires is a violation that can result in fines and disqualification from future commissions.
Remote Online Notarization Is a Separate Track
Remote online notarization (RON) lets you notarize documents for signers who appear before you via live audio-video technology rather than in person. As of 2026, 47 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws authorizing some form of RON.
Performing RON is not as simple as turning on a webcam. Most states require you to hold a standard notary commission first, then apply separately for RON authorization. You will typically need to complete additional training specific to remote notarization, register with a state-approved technology platform, and obtain a digital certificate: a piece of cryptographic code installed on your computer that verifies your identity and makes the notarized document tamper-evident.
When choosing a platform, pay attention to who controls the session recordings and journal entries, how long the provider retains records, and what anti-fraud measures are in place. Some platforms charge per-transaction fees while others use monthly subscriptions. The platform should also understand your state’s specific requirements, since RON rules differ from state to state just like traditional notarization rules do.
What Will Cost You Your Commission
The authority that comes with a notary commission has firm boundaries.
Never notarize a document in which you have a personal financial interest or in which you are named as a party. Family is another area that trips people up. Some states outright prohibit notarizing for a spouse, parent, or child; others allow it technically but strongly discourage it. The safest policy is to decline anytime your impartiality could reasonably be questioned and refer the signer to another notary.
Unless you are also a licensed attorney, you cannot give legal advice, explain the legal effect of a document, or help someone choose which documents to sign. This restriction catches non-attorney notaries who serve immigrant communities especially hard, because in many Latin American countries a “notario público” is a highly trained legal professional. Several states require non-attorney notaries who advertise in languages other than English to include a prominent disclaimer stating they are not authorized to practice law.
Consequences scale with the violation. Minor procedural errors might bring a warning or mandatory retraining. Serious violations, such as notarizing without the signer personally appearing, failing to verify identity, or making false statements on your commission application, can lead to suspension or permanent revocation. Civil fines often run $500 to $1,000 per violation for offenses like failing to report a lost or stolen seal. Knowingly notarizing a fraudulent document or executing a false certificate can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor on first offense in many states, escalating to a felony for repeat violations. Anyone harmed by your mistake, whether intentional or careless, can also sue you in civil court for their financial losses.