About this site

NotaryRequirements.com is an independent publisher. We are not a government agency, not a commissioning authority, and not a training provider. We exist because the answer to "how do I become a notary?" is scattered across fifty-one commissioning authorities' websites, state statutes, and a lot of marketing pages with a financial interest in selling you something before you know what your state actually requires.

What we do

We read the actual statutes, administrative rules, and Secretary of State (or equivalent) pages for every US state plus DC and translate them into plain English: who qualifies, the real application steps, the real fees, whether you need a bond, an exam, or a course, and whether your state lets you notarize online. When something is optional — like paid training in most states — we say so plainly.

How we verify

Every requirements page lists the official sources behind it and shows the date we last verified them. Our sourcing hierarchy and correction process are documented in our editorial policy. Anything we could not confirm from an official source is either omitted or explicitly hedged with "confirm with your state's commissioning authority."

How the site makes money

Some outbound links — to training courses, bond and insurance vendors, and notary supplies — are or may become affiliate links, meaning we can earn a commission if you buy through them. Pages containing affiliate links carry a visible disclosure near those links. This never affects what we say a state requires: requirements come from the law, and we link the official sources so you can check us. We also never call a paid course "required" unless a state's law actually mandates one.

Update cadence

Requirements pages are re-verified on a rolling schedule, and immediately when a reader reports a change we can confirm against an official source. Notary law is moving fast right now — especially remote online notarization — so every page shows its verification date. Spotted something outdated? Contact us.