How to Become a Notary in Arkansas (2026): Requirements, Cost & Steps

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services Division

Arkansas notaries pay a $20 state fee, post a $7,500 surety bond, and pass a short online exam (80% to pass) before the Secretary of State issues a ten-year commission — one of the longest terms in the country. The oath and bond are filed with your county's recorder of deeds.

Arkansas gives you the most commission for your money: a ten-year term for a $20 state fee, a $7,500 bond, and a 30-question online exam you take right inside the application. The process starts digital — bond upload, exam, e-signature at bcs.sos.arkansas.gov — but finishes at the courthouse, because your oath and original bond must be filed with your county's recorder of deeds (usually the circuit clerk) before the commission is valid.

The realistic budget stays under $100: $20 plus a card convenience fee to the state, a small bond premium, a county filing fee, and a blue-or-black-ink seal showing your county and commission number. Watch the name details — your bond, application signature, and seal must all match exactly, and the handbook warns against adding a middle initial you don't actually sign with.

For electronic work, Arkansas splits things other states lump together: an eNotary commission (obtained by amendment, with SOS training and an exam) covers in-person electronic signings, while remote online notarization requires using a solution provider the SOS has approved for RON. The electronic commission expires with your paper one, and every eNotary must take refresher training through the SOS every two years to keep platform access.

Who can become a notary in Arkansas?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You qualify if you're an Arkansas legal resident — or a legal resident of an adjoining state who is employed or operates a business in Arkansas, or a nonresident spouse of a U.S. military service member employed or operating a business in Arkansas. Out-of-state notaries keep their commission only while the Arkansas employment or business continues.
• Background: The application requires you to state that you have not been convicted of a felony and that no prior notary commission of yours has been revoked in the past ten years. A revoked commission also blocks recommissioning for ten years.
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien (permanent residents include a copy of a recorded Declaration of Domicile).
• Able to read and write English.
• You must affirm you've reviewed Arkansas notary law and understand the duties of the office.

How to apply: step by step

1. Buy a $7,500 surety bond from a surety insurer authorized in Arkansas (or a registered Arkansas surety company), listing your name exactly as you want it on your seal.
2. Create a free account in the Secretary of State's online notary system at bcs.sos.arkansas.gov.
3. Take the online notary exam linked inside your application — 30 multiple-choice questions, at least 24 correct (80%) to pass. It applies to new and renewing notaries alike.
4. Complete the online application, e-signing your name exactly as it appears on the bond, and upload your surety bond and exam certificate. Pay the $20 fee by card (a convenience fee applies online).
5. When approved, you receive two Oath of Commission Certificates. Take both, plus your bond, to the recorder of deeds in your county of commission — usually the circuit clerk — sign the oath before the clerk, and file the bond and one certificate there (the county charges its own filing fee).
6. Return one file-marked Oath of Commission Certificate to the Secretary of State's Business and Commercial Services office; your commission isn't valid until both the county and the SOS have their copies.
7. After your Certificate of Commission arrives, buy your seal — blue or black ink, showing your name, county of commission, 'Notary Public', 'Arkansas', commission number, and expiration date.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State doesn't publish a fixed processing time, and the county oath-and-bond filing step adds a round trip most states don't have — allow a few weeks end to end and track status in your online notary account.

What it costs in Arkansas

Exam and training

Exam: Yes — a short online exam built into the application: 30 multiple-choice questions, 24 correct (80%) to pass. Both new and renewing notaries take it. The SOS handbook, FAQs, and free online training are the study materials, and the exam is taken through a link in your online application.

Training is not required for a traditional commission — only the exam is. Free training is available on the SOS website. Mandatory training kicks in only if you add the eNotary/remote authorization, which requires SOS-specific training, an exam, and a refresher every two years.

Can you notarize online in Arkansas? RON allowed

Yes — Arkansas authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Arkansas distinguishes in-person electronic notarization (eNotary) from remote online notarization (RON): both use your electronic commission, but remote work is allowed only through providers approved for RON, with the notary physically in Arkansas. Signers must appear in person unless an approved RON platform is used.

To add RON to your commission: Any Arkansas notary in good standing can apply for an electronic notary commission through an online amendment in the SOS notary system. You must complete eNotary-specific training through the Secretary of State, pass the required exam, upload the training certificate, and then register with an approved solution provider from the SOS list — the provider supplies your electronic signature and seal. The electronic commission runs concurrently with your traditional one and expires with it, and eNotaries must complete refresher training through the SOS every two years or the provider suspends platform access.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Rubber stamp or metal embosser, but always in blue or black ink (embosser impressions must be inked so they photocopy). Required elements: your official name as you sign, your county of commission (where your bond is filed), the words 'Notary Public' and 'Arkansas', your commission expiration date, and your commission number. The seal may NOT contain the Great Seal of Arkansas or an outline of the state. Sign every certificate in blue or black ink and place the seal under or near your signature. Moving counties or changing your name means buying a new seal. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Arkansas stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Arkansas sets no dollar maximum. Under A.C.A. § 21-6-309 a notary who charges must keep the amount reasonable and disclose it to the client — and get agreement — before performing the act. Charging is optional.

E&O insurance: Not required. The $7,500 bond protects the public and the surety can recoup claims from you personally, so optional errors-and-omissions coverage is what protects the notary — worth weighing over a ten-year term.

Earning more with your commission

Most new notaries who turn the commission into real income do it through loan signings — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide

Arkansas notary FAQ