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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Colorado Secretary of State

Colorado has one of the cheapest notary paths in the country: free state-run training and exam, a $10 online application, no bond, and approval typically within three to five business days. The commission lasts four years, and both a stamp and a journal are required.

Colorado made becoming a notary cheap and fast on purpose: the Secretary of State gives away the required training course and exam online, charges just $10 to apply, skips the bond entirely, and usually approves applications in three to five business days. The trade-off is rigor on the front end — training and an 80% exam score are mandatory for every new commission and every four-year renewal, and the eligibility bar is high, excluding anyone with a felony conviction ever or a dishonesty misdemeanor in the past five years.

In practice you'll complete the eLearning course, pass the open-book exam, get your Affirmation form notarized, and upload everything with your ID to the online application. Total out-of-pocket is usually $30–$60 once you buy the required rectangular ink stamp (embossers are banned) and a journal, which Colorado requires for every notarial act. Fees top out at $15 per document, or $25 for electronic and remote work.

Colorado also runs a clean path into remote notarization: a second free training-and-exam round, a $10 application from inside your notary account, and an approved platform provider get you authorized, with electronic journals and ten-year retention of session recordings as the ongoing obligations. Non-residents aren't shut out either — a place of employment or practice in Colorado qualifies you even if you live across the state line.

Who can become a notary in Colorado?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You qualify if you're a Colorado resident — or have a place of employment or practice in Colorado, which lets out-of-state commuters get commissioned. You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or otherwise lawfully present in the United States.
• Background: Colorado is stricter than most on records: you're disqualified under C.R.S. § 24-21-523 if you've ever been convicted of a felony, been convicted of a misdemeanor involving dishonesty in the past five years, or ever had a notary commission revoked.
• Able to read and write English.
• You must pass the Colorado notary exam after completing an approved training course — both are free through the SOS eLearning system.
• Your application needs a notarized Affirmation form plus scans of acceptable ID proving legal name, age, and lawful presence (non-citizens include their permanent resident card or EAD).

How to apply: step by step

1. Take a state-approved notary training course — the Secretary of State's own eLearning course is free, or use an approved vendor.
2. Pass the online notary exam with a score of 80% or higher. It's open book, and you can use your training materials and the RULONA statute (C.R.S. § 24-21-501 et seq.).
3. Print the Affirmation form, sign it before a notary, and gather scans of both sides of your acceptable ID (plus lawful-presence documents if you're not a U.S. citizen).
4. Apply online through the Secretary of State's notary system, attaching the notarized Affirmation, your ID, and your training and exam certificates, and pay the $10 filing fee by card.
5. Watch your email (including junk folders) for your notary ID and temporary password, then for the approval notice — applications are typically processed in three to five business days. If rejected, you have 90 days from payment to fix and resubmit before paying again.
6. Log in to print your Notary Commission Certificate, then order your rectangular ink stamp (matching your certificate exactly) and set up the required journal before your first notarization.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State says applications are processed within three to five business days, with approval delivered by email — one of the fastest turnarounds of any state.

What it costs in Colorado

Exam and training

Exam: Required for new and renewing notaries since July 1, 2018. The exam is online, open book, and free through the SOS; 80% or higher passes, and you may use your training materials and the RULONA statute while testing.

Required course: Required before the exam, for both new commissions and renewals. The Secretary of State's eLearning course is free and satisfies the requirement; approved outside vendors are also accepted. Note the eLearning login is separate from your notary account and is deleted after approval.

Can you notarize online in Colorado? RON allowed

Yes — Colorado authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Colorado's permanent remote notarization law took effect at the end of 2020 after an emergency pandemic authorization. Remote notarization of wills is tightly restricted under the Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act, and records relating to the electoral process can never be notarized remotely.

To add RON to your commission: Hold an active Colorado commission, then complete the separate remote-notary training and exam (free through the SOS; the certificate must be no older than 90 days when you apply), and file the $10 remote notary application from the 'Become a remote notary' link in your notary account. You must use a remote notarization provider approved by the Secretary of State, keep a tamper-evident electronic journal of remote acts, and store the audio-video recording of every session securely for ten years.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. A rectangular ink stamp with a rectangular border — embossers are not allowed. Inside the border, and nothing else: your name exactly as on your certificate, 'NOTARY PUBLIC', 'STATE OF COLORADO', your notary ID number, and your commission expiration date (C.R.S. § 24-21-517). No size or ink color is mandated. A journal is also required for every notarial act (C.R.S. § 24-21-519), with a narrow employer-records exception; keep finished journals ten years, hand them to State Archives, or leave them with your employer — and report a lost or stolen stamp or journal within 30 days. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Colorado stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Colorado caps notary fees at $15 per document. Colorado caps the notarization fee at $15 per document (covering identity verification, any oath, and applying signature, certificate, and stamp) and $25 for an electronic or remote notarization (C.R.S. § 24-21-529). Extras like travel, mileage, or photocopies may be charged separately but must be disclosed up front and documented in writing — a receipt, itemized invoice, or even a business card listing your fees.

E&O insurance: Not required — and since Colorado has no bond either, optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the only financial backstop a Colorado notary carries against claims over a mistake.

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

Colorado notary FAQ