How to Become a Notary Public: The Complete State-by-State Overview

Becoming a notary public is one of the most accessible professional credentials in America: no degree required, startup costs usually under $400, and a timeline measured in weeks. But there's a catch — notaries are commissioned by states, not the federal government, which means there are effectively 50+ different processes, each with its own quirks.

This is the master guide. We'll cover the universal steps, then break down how states differ on the three things that matter most: exams, costs, and timelines.

The Universal Requirements (Almost Every State)

Regardless of where you live, you'll generally need to:

1. Be at least 18 years old
2. Be a legal resident of the state (or, in many states, work in the state — New York, for example, commissions non-residents with a New York office or place of business)
3. Have no disqualifying criminal convictions (standards vary; many states review felonies and crimes involving dishonesty case-by-case)
4. Complete the state's application and pay the fee
5. Take an oath of office and, in many states, file it with a county official

From there, states layer on additional requirements: training courses, exams, background checks, surety bonds, and seal/journal rules.

The Big Differentiator: Does Your State Require an Exam?

This is the first question to answer, because it determines your preparation path.

Exam states

A core group of states requires passing a test before you can be commissioned, including California, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio (non-attorneys), Oregon, and Utah. A few others — like Colorado and North Dakota — embed required assessments inside mandatory training. Exam difficulty ranges from "pass the quiz at the end of a course" (Oregon, Montana) to "genuinely hard legal exam" (Louisiana, which tests civil-law concepts and historically has low pass rates).

We rank every exam state's difficulty in The 12 States With Notary Exams (And How Hard Each One Is).

If you're in an exam state: budget study time and get state-specific prep. Looking Glass Runners publishes $3 study guides for every state, each written for that state's specific exam, with practice questions. It's the cheapest insurance policy in the entire process.

Education-only states

States like Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas (for online notaries) require a course but no separate proctored exam, or only a short assessment within the course.

Application-only states

Many states — including New Jersey, Illinois (traditional commissions), Michigan, Georgia, Virginia, and most of New England outside Connecticut/Maine — require little more than an application, a fee, and sometimes a bond. You can often be commissioned in these states in under a month with zero study. (Even in these states, understanding notarial law protects you from liability — more on that below.)

Typical Costs by Category

Here's what the all-in cost usually looks like. Exact numbers vary; confirm with your Secretary of State.

• Application/commission fee: $20 (California) to ~$120 (varies widely; most states fall between $20 and $60)
• Exam fee (exam states): $15 (New York) to $100+ (Louisiana); California's exam is bundled into the ~$40 exam registration
• Mandatory education (where required): $20–$200 depending on provider; Ohio's combined education + testing fee for non-attorneys is $130 by rule
• Surety bond (roughly 30 states require one): usually $38–$100 for a 4-year term covering a $500–$25,000 bond
• Seal/stamp and journal: $30–$75
• Background check/fingerprinting (some states): $30–$80
• Study materials: from $3 with a Looking Glass Runners state-specific guide

Realistic total: $100–$400 in most states. Compare that to almost any other licensed credential and it's remarkable.

Typical Timelines

• Fast states (2–4 weeks): Application-only states where processing is quick — think Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia.
• Moderate states (4–8 weeks): States with education or exam requirements plus normal processing — Florida, Texas, Oregon, North Carolina, Ohio.
• Slower states (6–12+ weeks): California (exam seat availability + Live Scan + commission processing) and New York (exam scheduling, score notification, then application processing).

Full breakdown here: How Long Does It Take to Become a Notary? Timeline for Every Path.

Regional Snapshot: How the Process Looks Around the Country

West

• California: The most involved process in the country — mandatory 6-hour course (3-hour for renewals), a proctored exam administered by CPS HR Consulting (45 questions, scaled score of 70 to pass), Live Scan fingerprinting, $15,000 bond. Four-year commission. See How to Pass the California Notary Exam.
• Oregon: Free state training, pass an open-book-style exam, apply online. No bond required.
• Washington/Nevada/Arizona: Application + bond; no state exam for traditional commissions.
• Utah & Montana: Short online exams; Montana's is open-book.
• Hawaii: Written exam plus a somewhat old-fashioned paper process; plan for extra time.

South

• Texas: Application + $10,000 bond; no exam for traditional notaries. Fast and cheap.
• Florida: 3-hour state-approved course for first-time applicants + bond. No proctored exam.
• Louisiana: The outlier. A civil-law jurisdiction with a famously difficult exam; Louisiana notaries have near-attorney document powers, and preparation often takes months. Historically, pass rates on any given sitting are low. Serious prep is non-negotiable.
• North Carolina: Mandatory 6-hour course through a community college + exam scored within the course framework.
• Georgia: County-based application, $2 fee cap, no exam. One of the simplest processes anywhere.

Northeast

• New York: $15 proctored walk-in exam through the Department of State (1 hour, multiple choice, 70% to pass), then a $60 application. No course requirement, no bond — but the exam has teeth. See How to Pass the New York Notary Exam on Your First Try.
• Connecticut: Application includes a jurisprudence-style exam component based on the Notary Public Manual.
• Maine: Written exam included with the application process.
• New Jersey/Massachusetts/Rhode Island: Application-driven; no exam.

Midwest

• Ohio: Since the 2019 Notary Modernization Act, the process is statewide (it used to vary by county): non-attorneys complete a 3-hour education program and pass a test from an authorized provider ($130 combined fee by rule), plus a BCI background check. Attorneys take the class but skip the exam.
• Nebraska: State-administered exam; study the state manual.
• Illinois/Michigan/Minnesota/Wisconsin/Indiana: Application + bond (where required); no exam for traditional commissions.

DC and Territories

• Washington, DC: Application with a required orientation/assessment component.
• Puerto Rico: Unique civil-law system where notaries must be attorneys — a completely different profession.
• Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, other territories: Application-based processes with local quirks.

Looking Glass Runners' $3 study guides cover all 50 states plus DC and the U.S. territories — so wherever you're commissioning, there's a guide written for your jurisdiction's rules.

Step-by-Step: Your Action Plan

1. Look up your state's requirements on your Secretary of State (or Lt. Governor / DOS) website. Confirm: exam? course? bond? background check?
2. Complete required education if your state mandates it.
3. Prepare for the exam if your state has one. Don't wing it — exam states fail unprepared applicants every single test cycle. A state-specific study guide with practice questions costs $3.
4. Submit your application with fees; complete fingerprinting if required.
5. Buy your bond (if required) before or right after approval, per your state's sequence.
6. Take your oath of office and file it where required.
7. Order your seal and journal. Even where a journal isn't legally required, keep one — it's your best liability protection.
8. Decide how you'll earn. Basic notarizations? Mobile work? Loan signings? RON? Start with our breakdown of how much notaries make.

Why Even "No-Exam" State Notaries Should Study

Here's something most guides won't tell you: notaries get sued and lose commissions over preventable errors — improper ID verification, notarizing for family, incomplete certificates, backdating. In application-only states, nobody checks whether you actually understand the law before handing you a stamp. That's a liability trap.

A state-specific guide teaches you the rules you're legally bound by, for less than a cup of coffee. Browse guides for every state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What disqualifies you from becoming a notary?

Most commonly: being under 18, lacking residency/employment in the state, and certain criminal convictions — especially felonies and crimes involving dishonesty. Many states review convictions individually rather than imposing automatic bars.

Can I be a notary in two states?

Yes, if you meet each state's residency or employment requirements. Many people who live near state lines hold dual commissions (e.g., New York + New Jersey or Kansas + Missouri).

Do I need a lawyer or a degree to become a notary?

No — except in Puerto Rico, where notaries must be attorneys, and Louisiana, where the exam is legally rigorous (but no degree is required).

How much does it cost to become a notary?

Typically $100–$400 all-in, including application, bond, supplies, and prep. The biggest variable is whether your state requires paid education.

Which states have the hardest notary process?

Louisiana (exam difficulty), California (most required steps), and New York (exam with a real failure rate). All three are very passable with targeted prep — see our exam-state difficulty rankings.

Where do I find a study guide for my state's exam?

Looking Glass Runners publishes $3 guides for all 50 states, DC, and U.S. territories — each with state-specific content, practice questions.