Direct answer
Notary commissioning is state-specific. This directory maps all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to the responsible public authority and records the exact fee basis, term, bond, training, and major exception verified for current notary data.
Verified directory
Notary application fees and commission requirements by state
| State | Commissioning authority | Fee basis | Term | Bond | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlabamaAL | Applicant's county probate judge; Alabama Secretary of State publishes statewide standards | $10$10 application fee | 4 years | $50,000 surety bond | View guide |
| AlaskaAK | Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor — Notaries Public | $40$40 application fee | 4 years | $2,500 surety bond | View guide |
| ArizonaAZ | Arizona Secretary of State — Notary Public | $43$43 state filing fee; the required exam provider currently charges $46.75 | 4 years | $5,000 surety bond | View guide |
| ArkansasAR | Arkansas Secretary of State — Business and Commercial Services | $20$20 application fee | 10 years | $7,500 surety bond | View guide |
| CaliforniaCA | California Secretary of State — Notary Public Section | $40$40 state application fee; examination and fingerprinting costs are separate | 4 years | $15,000 surety bond | View guide |
| ColoradoCO | Colorado Secretary of State — Notary Program | $10$10 online application fee | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| ConnecticutCT | Connecticut Secretary of the State — Notary Public Licensing | $120$120 new appointment fee; $60 renewal fee | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| DelawareDE | Delaware Secretary of State — Notary Public Section | $60$60 for a new traditional two-year commission; renewal options include $60 for two years or $90 for four years | 2 years initially; qualifying renewals may select 2 or 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| District of ColumbiaDC | District of Columbia Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications | $75$75 application fee | 5 years | $2,000 surety bond for commissions subject to the bond requirement | View guide |
| FloridaFL | Florida Department of State — Notary Commissions and Certifications | $39$39 statutory state charges ($25 application, $10 commission, and $4 surcharge); bonding-agency charges are separate | 4 years | $7,500 surety bond | View guide |
| GeorgiaGA | Clerk of Superior Court in the applicant’s county; statewide information from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority | $40–$55$40 to $55, depending on the commissioning county | 4 years | No statewide surety-bond requirement is listed for the traditional commission | View guide |
| HawaiiHI | Hawaii Department of the Attorney General — Notaries Public | $130$20 application, $10 examination, and $100 commission fee | 4 years | $1,000 surety bond | View guide |
| IdahoID | Idaho Secretary of State — Notary Public | $30$30 filing fee | 6 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| IllinoisIL | Illinois Secretary of State — Index Department, Notary Services | $15$15 state application fee | 4 years for Illinois residents; 1 year for qualifying nonresidents | $5,000 surety bond | View guide |
| IndianaIN | Indiana Secretary of State — INBiz Notary | $75$75 application fee; criminal-history and continuing-education charges are separate | 8 years | $25,000 surety bond | View guide |
| IowaIA | Iowa Secretary of State — Notary Division | $30$30 application or renewal fee | 3 years for Iowa residents; 1 year for qualifying bordering-state residents | No surety bond required | View guide |
| KansasKS | Kansas Secretary of State — Notary Public | $25$25 application fee | 4 years | $12,000 surety bond | View guide |
| KentuckyKY | Kentucky Secretary of State and the applicant’s county clerk | $10+$10 Secretary of State application fee; county-clerk bond, oath, and recording charges are separate | 4 years | A bond is executed and recorded with the county clerk; check the county for the current amount and procedure | View guide |
| LouisianaLA | Louisiana Secretary of State — Notary Division | $185+$35 qualifying application, $30 pre-assessment, $100 examination, and $20 commission filing fee | No fixed short term while statutory qualifications and security remain in force | $50,000 surety bond renewed every 5 years, or an accepted personal surety option | View guide |
| MaineME | Maine Secretary of State — Notary Public | $50$50 application fee | 7 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| MarylandMD | Maryland Secretary of State and the circuit court clerk | $20+$9 state application fee plus $11 circuit-court commission fee; training, exam, and supplies are separate | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| MassachusettsMA | Massachusetts Governor’s Council / Secretary of the Commonwealth — Public Records Division | $60$60 commission fee after approval | 7 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| MichiganMI | Michigan Department of State — Office of the Great Seal | $10+$10 state processing fee plus county filing and oath charges, generally $10 to $20 | Approximately 6 to 7 years, expiring on the notary’s birthday | $10,000 surety bond; qualifying licensed attorneys are exempt | View guide |
| MinnesotaMN | Minnesota Secretary of State — Notary and Apostille | $140+$120 state commission fee plus $20 county registration fee | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| MississippiMS | Mississippi Secretary of State — Business Services, Notary | $25$25 application fee | Up to 4 years, ending with the appointing governor’s term | $5,000 surety bond | View guide |
| MissouriMO | Missouri Secretary of State — Commissions Division | $25$25 application fee | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| MontanaMT | Montana Secretary of State — Notary and Certification Division | $25$25 application fee | 4 years | $25,000 surety bond | View guide |
| NebraskaNE | Nebraska Secretary of State — Notary Public Division | $30$30 application fee | 4 years | $15,000 surety bond | View guide |
| NevadaNV | Nevada Secretary of State — Notary Division | $80+$35 application fee plus $45 traditional-notary training fee | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| New HampshireNH | New Hampshire Secretary of State — Notary Public | $75$75 application fee | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| New JerseyNJ | New Jersey Department of the Treasury — Notary Public Unit | $25$25 state application fee | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| New MexicoNM | New Mexico Secretary of State — Notary Commissions | $30$30 application fee | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| New YorkNY | New York Department of State — Division of Licensing Services | $60$60 application fee; the written examination fee is $15 | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| North CarolinaNC | North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Division | $50$50 state commissioning fee; course, exam, and county oath charges are separate | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| North DakotaND | North Dakota Secretary of State — Notary Public | $36$36 application fee | 4 years | $7,500 surety bond | View guide |
| OhioOH | Ohio Secretary of State — Notary Commission System | $15+$15 Secretary of State application fee; education, testing, background-check, and provider charges are separate | 5 years for nonattorneys; qualifying Ohio attorneys remain commissioned while in good standing | No surety bond required | View guide |
| OklahomaOK | Oklahoma Secretary of State — Notary Public | $25$25 application fee | 4 years | $1,000 surety bond | View guide |
| OregonOR | Oregon Secretary of State — Corporation Division, Notary Public | $40$40 application fee | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| PennsylvaniaPA | Pennsylvania Department of State — Notaries | $42$42 application fee | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| Rhode IslandRI | Rhode Island Department of State — Notary Public | $80$80 application or renewal fee | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| South CarolinaSC | South Carolina Secretary of State — Notaries | $25$25 application fee | 10 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| South DakotaSD | South Dakota Secretary of State — Notary Public | $30$30 application fee | 6 years | $5,000 surety bond | View guide |
| TennesseeTN | County legislative body and county clerk, with commission issued through the Tennessee Secretary of State | $12+$12 state commission fee plus county application, bond, and clerk charges | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| TexasTX | Texas Secretary of State — Statutory Documents Section | $21$21 state application fee | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| UtahUT | Utah Lieutenant Governor — Notary Office | $95$95 state fee covering the examination, background check, and commission processing | 4 years | $5,000 surety bond | View guide |
| VermontVT | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation — Notaries Public | $30$30 initial or renewal application fee | 2 years, aligned with the biennial licensing cycle | No surety bond required | View guide |
| VirginiaVA | Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth — Notary Public | $45$45 application fee | 4 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| WashingtonWA | Washington Department of Licensing — Notary Public | $30$30 commission application fee; a separate electronic-records endorsement costs $15 | 4 years | $10,000 surety bond | View guide |
| West VirginiaWV | West Virginia Secretary of State — Notary Public | $52$52 application fee | 5 years | No surety bond required | View guide |
| WisconsinWI | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Notary Records | $20$20 for a four-year commission; $50 for a permanent attorney commission | 4 years; permanent commission available to qualifying Wisconsin attorneys | $500 surety bond for a four-year commission; no bond for a permanent attorney commission | View guide |
| WyomingWY | Wyoming Secretary of State — Notary Public | $60$60 application or renewal fee under the January 2026 form | 6 years | No surety bond required; optional bond or errors-and-omissions insurance may be purchased | View guide |
No matching jurisdiction
Try a state name, abbreviation, authority, fee, term, or bond amount.
The displayed fee is not always the full cost
Bond premiums, education and examination charges, background checks, fingerprints, county recording, oath fees, stamps, journals, technology providers, and shipping can be separate. Each state page distinguishes the captured government fee from common separate requirements.
Why state notary requirements differ
States use different office structures, terms, bonds, courses, exams, background checks, county filing steps, attorney exceptions, and remote-notarization endorsements. A nationwide one-size-fits-all application does not exist.
Source verification
Each row is mapped to a direct public authority or current official form, handbook, or application page.
- 51 state/DC public sourcesAuthority, fee, term, bond, training, conditions, and exception mappingReview directory
- National Association of Secretaries of StateNationwide official notary-services directorynass.org ↗
Frequently asked questions
State notary directory answers
Does every Secretary of State commission notaries?
No. The commissioning authority varies. Some states use a lieutenant governor, attorney general, department, county clerk, probate judge, or court-related process.
Are all notary application fees the same?
No. State and local fees, exam costs, bond premiums, county recording charges, and education-provider charges vary by jurisdiction.
Does every state require a notary bond?
No. Bond requirements and amounts vary; several states do not require a surety bond for a traditional commission.
How long does a notary commission last?
Terms range from short biennial cycles to ten years, with special or permanent attorney commissions in some jurisdictions.
Can I become a notary through this website?
No. SecretaryOfStateUSA.com is a private directory and does not accept applications, issue commissions, sell bonds, or provide legal advice.