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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, Notary Public Office

Hawaii commissions notaries through the Department of the Attorney General, and it is one of the few states with a real exam: a closed-book written test you must pass with 80%. Expect $130 in state fees ($20 application, $10 exam, $100 commission), a $1,000 surety bond filed with the circuit court, and a four-year term.

Hawaii treats a notary commission like a small public office you have to earn. The Department of the Attorney General — not a Secretary of State — reviews every application, wants a letter justifying why the public needs you commissioned plus a character reference, and then makes you pass a closed-book written exam with a score of 80% or better. It's one of only a handful of states with a genuine notary test.

The money side is straightforward: $20 to apply, $10 to sit the exam, $100 when your commission issues, plus a $1,000 surety bond and supplies. The paperwork side is where Hawaii differs — your bond must be approved by a circuit court judge and filed with the circuit court clerk, along with a copy of your commission, a seal impression, and a sample signature. Commissions run four years, and the state's fee schedule caps most acts at $5.

Notaries who want online work need a second, separate remote online notary commission from the AG ($120 in fees) with its own technology, storage, and digital-certificate requirements — Hawaii authorized RON on January 1, 2021. And don't skip the record book: Hawaii requires a detailed journal of every act, and the book itself gets turned in to the Attorney General when your commission ends.

Who can become a notary in Hawaii?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must be a Hawaii resident — the Attorney General does not commission non-residents. Government employees can be commissioned as 'government notaries' with fees and bond waived, but their notarial work is limited to government business.
• Background: The Attorney General reviews each application and commissions notaries at the AG's discretion under HRS chapter 456. The application asks for a justification letter and a character reference, and the AG can refuse applicants who don't show the public needs their service. If you have a criminal record, ask the Notary Public Office (ATG.Notary@hawaii.gov) how it will affect review before you pay.
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident alien who diligently seeks citizenship upon becoming eligible.
• Your application must include a justification letter explaining why you need a commission, the expected volume and types of documents, and a commitment to serve the general public.
• You also need a character reference letter from a reputable Hawaii resident who is not your employer or a relative.

How to apply: step by step

1. Create an eHawaii.gov account and file the notary public application online at notary.ehawaii.gov with the $20 non-refundable application fee (waived for government notaries), attaching your justification letter and character reference letter.
2. After the Attorney General approves your application, log back into your notary account and book a test date through the Notary Exam Scheduler; the $10 written exam is closed-book, held in your home county (at least monthly on Oahu, periodically on neighbor islands), and requires 80% to pass. Study the AG's Notary Public Manual, HRS chapter 456, and HAR chapter 5-11.
3. Once you pass (results come within 30 days), pay the $100 commission issuance fee to receive your four-year commission.
4. Buy a $1,000 surety bond from a surety company authorized in Hawaii, have it approved by a judge of the circuit court for the circuit where you live, and deposit it with the clerk of that circuit court — the law says to do this before you start performing duties.
5. Order your seal — a circular rubber stamp no more than two inches across with a serrated or milled border showing your name, commission number, 'notary public', and 'State of Hawaii' — plus the required bound record book.
6. File a photocopy of your commission, an impression of your seal, and a specimen signature with the circuit court clerk (a small court filing fee applies) so the clerk can later authenticate your acts.

How long it takes: No fixed timeline is published, but the rules give the Attorney General up to six months to act on a complete application, and applications left incomplete for 90 days are abandoned. Realistically, plan around the exam calendar: approval, a test date in your county, results within 30 days, then bond and court filings.

What it costs in Hawaii

Exam and training

Exam: Yes — a written, closed-book exam on Hawaii notary statutes (HRS ch. 456 and related sections), the administrative rules, and practical duties. Passing score is 80%. It costs $10, is offered in the county where you live (at least monthly on Oahu), and results arrive within 30 days.

No course is required, but the AG strongly recommends studying its free Notary Public Manual before the exam, since the test covers the statutes, HAR chapter 5-11, and day-to-day notarial practice.

Can you notarize online in Hawaii? RON allowed

Yes — Hawaii authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Authorized by Act 54, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020 (SB 2275), effective January 1, 2021, which aligned HRS chapter 456 with the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; details are in the AG's rules (HAR ch. 5-11).

To add RON to your commission: Remote work requires a separate remote online notary (RON) commission from the Attorney General, available only to notaries with an active commission: a $20 RON application plus a $100 RON commission fee. The application must describe your communication technology and vendors, your secure storage for electronic journals and audiovisual recordings, and certify you hold a digital certificate from a qualified certificate authority. The RON commission expires with your underlying commission; renewal is $120.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. A circular rubber stamp seal, no more than two inches in diameter, with a serrated or milled edge border, showing your name, your commission number, and the words 'notary public' and 'State of Hawaii'. You may keep only one seal (stamp or embosser), you must always add your printed name and commission expiration date beside your signature, and the seal must be surrendered to the Attorney General when your commission ends — failing to return it within 90 days can cost up to $200. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Hawaii stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Hawaii caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act (per signing party for acknowledgments). HRS § 456-17 fixes fees: $5 for an acknowledgment (per party signing), $5 for an oath with certificate, $5 per deposition or certificate, $2.50 for extra duplicate-original certificates, and no charge for oaths of loyalty. Acts for remotely located individuals may run up to $25. Overcharging is a violation of law, and notaries who charge must hold a Hawaii general excise tax license.

E&O insurance: Not required. Hawaii's $1,000 bond protects the public and is tiny by mainland standards, so optional E&O insurance is the only meaningful protection for the notary personally.

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

Hawaii notary FAQ