To get a copy of your notary commission certificate, contact the state agency that originally commissioned you — in most states the Secretary of State’s office — and submit a duplicate request with your identifying information and a small fee. Costs typically run between $10 and $25, and turnaround ranges from minutes for a downloadable digital copy to a few weeks by mail.
Who Issues the Duplicate
Notary commissions are granted at the state level, and only the office that originally issued yours can produce a duplicate. In most states that’s the Secretary of State. A handful of states assign the job elsewhere: a Department of Licensing, the Governor’s office, or a county-level clerk of court. Search your state government’s website for “notary public” or “notary commission” to find the correct agency.
If you were commissioned years ago and can’t remember which office handled it, check your original oath filing. Many states require notaries to file the oath of office with a county clerk or recorder, and that office can point you to the state-level authority. Your surety bond paperwork may also name the commissioning agency.
Information to Have Ready
Before you contact the agency, gather the details most states ask for:
- Your full legal name exactly as it appears on the commission, including middle names and suffixes.
- Your commission number, the unique identifier on your original certificate, your seal or stamp, and sometimes your oath filing.
- The start and expiration dates of your commission term.
- The county where your oath of office was filed.
- Current mailing address, email, and phone number.
Lost your commission number? Many states maintain searchable online databases of commissioned notaries. You can usually look yourself up by name and county to retrieve the number before you submit the request.
How to Submit the Request
Most commissioning authorities take requests through more than one channel. Online portals are becoming the standard: log in, complete a request form, pay electronically, and either download a digital copy immediately or have a paper copy mailed. If your state doesn’t offer an online option, you can typically submit a written request by mail or visit the office in person during business hours.
Some states publish a dedicated duplicate certificate form. Others accept a plain written letter that includes your identifying information and the reason for the request. When mailing, send the letter to the specific address on the agency’s notary page rather than a general mailing address, and include any required payment. For in-person visits, bring identification and your commission details so staff can pull your record quickly.
Fees and Processing Times
Duplicate certificates generally cost $10 to $25, depending on the state. Online portals normally accept credit or debit cards. Mailed requests usually require a check or money order made payable to the commissioning authority.
Turnaround depends on the channel. Some state online systems generate a downloadable digital copy within minutes. Mailed requests usually take one to three weeks, depending on the agency’s backlog and postal processing. A few states offer expedited or in-person special handling for an additional fee, which can cut the wait to same-day or next-business-day. If you need the certificate urgently, check your state’s fee schedule for rush options before submitting a standard request.
Check the Online Lookup First
Depending on why you need proof of your commission, a state’s online notary lookup tool may save you from ordering a duplicate at all. Many states maintain free, publicly searchable databases that display a notary’s name, commission number, commission dates, status, and county. If an employer or a remote online notarization platform just needs to confirm you hold an active commission, a printout or screenshot from the official state database sometimes satisfies the requirement.
This won’t work for every situation. Some employers, bonding companies, and government agencies specifically want the physical certificate rather than a database printout. And if you need an authenticated or apostilled copy for international use, only the formal certificate will do. For routine verification, though, the online lookup is instant and free, so it’s worth trying before you pay for a duplicate.
If Your Certificate Was Lost or Stolen
If your certificate was lost, damaged, or stolen, the replacement process is the same as a standard duplicate request. But losing the certificate often means your notary seal or journal may also be missing, and that triggers additional obligations in many states.
Several states require notaries to notify the commissioning authority when a seal or journal is lost or stolen — sometimes immediately, sometimes within 10 to 30 days. Some states also require a police report if theft is involved and want a copy submitted with your notification. Failing to report a missing seal can expose you to disciplinary action. When you request the replacement certificate, ask the agency whether you need to file a separate lost-seal notification and whether your commission number or seal design needs to change.
If Your Name Has Changed
A legal name change through marriage, divorce, or court order means your certificate no longer matches your legal identity, and most states require you to update your records. The typical process is to submit a name change application to your commissioning authority along with proof of the change: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. Some states charge a fee; others process name changes at no cost.
Reporting deadlines vary. Some states give you 30 days from the date of the name change, others allow 60, and a few have no specific deadline but expect you to update before your next renewal. Once approved, the agency issues an amended certificate with your new name. You’ll also need to order a new seal or stamp reflecting the updated name. Until the new seal arrives, most states allow you to continue notarizing under your former commissioned name, but check your state’s specific rule, since using an unauthorized name on notarizations can invalidate them.
If Your Commission Has Already Expired
If you need proof that you were once a commissioned notary — for a legal proceeding, an audit, or to validate a past notarization — the process is slightly different. State agencies generally retain records of former notaries, and some issue a “certificate of notarial capacity” or similar verification document showing your commissioned name, term dates, and commission number. Contact your former commissioning authority and ask specifically about historical commission records, since the standard duplicate form may only apply to active commissions. Expect a small fee, and bring as much identifying information as you can, especially if the commission expired years ago.
If You Need the Certificate Apostilled for Use Abroad
Occasionally a commission certificate needs to be authenticated or apostilled for use in a foreign country, for instance when the receiving party in an international transaction wants proof of your authority. The path depends on whether the destination country belongs to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
For Hague Convention countries, your certificate needs an apostille from the state that issued it, typically the Secretary of State. Most Secretary of State offices have a dedicated apostille processing division with its own fee schedule. For countries outside the Convention, the document goes through a fuller authentication process: the state authenticates it first, then you submit it to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications with Form DS-4194 and the required federal fees.1Travel.State.Gov. Preparing a Document for an Apostille Certificate Contact your Secretary of State’s office first to confirm the process and fees for your state, since apostille procedures and costs vary.