2026 state guide · IL
How to become a notary in Illinois
Quick answer
- Minimum age
- 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
- Required fees
- $15 + variable costs
- Exam / course
- Exam required · Training required
- Bond coverage
- $5,000 (you pay a premium, not this amount)
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Remote status
- Electronic RON available
Illinois rebuilt its notary system in 2022–2024: you now apply online to the Secretary of State, pay $15, post a $5,000 four-year bond, and — if you're a new applicant — complete a state-approved course and pass an exam. Electronic and remote notarization are separate add-ons with a bigger bond.
Illinois went from one of the loosest notary states to one of the most structured in the space of two years. Public Act 102-160 and the 2023 administrative rules created electronic notary commissions, scrapped the old county-clerk recording step, imposed a journal requirement on everyone, and — from January 1, 2024 — added a mandatory course of study and exam for new applicants. If you read an older guide that mentions mailing your commission to the county clerk, it's out of date.
What you'll actually do: finish the approved course and exam, buy a $5,000 four-year bond (or a $30,000 combined bond if you want remote and electronic work), and file through the Secretary of State's online application portal with $15 — $40 if you're taking the electronic commission at the same time. Then order the rectangular 'Official Seal' stamp and start a journal before your first act.
The economics are classic capped-fee territory: $5 per paper act, but up to $25 for electronic and remote acts. That gap is why many Illinois notaries add the electronic commission despite the extra course, fee, and bond — the online side is where the state has put both the compliance burden and the earning room.
Who can become a notary in Illinois?
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Residency: You must have been an Illinois resident for 30 days, or be a resident of a bordering state who has worked or kept a business in Illinois for the 30 days before applying (bordering-state notaries get a one-year commission instead of four).
- Background: The application requires that you have not been convicted of a felony and have never had a notary commission revoked; the Secretary of State reviews answers about criminal history and past discipline. If your record is complicated, contact the SOS Notary Division before paying the fee.
- U.S. citizen or alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
- Able to read and write English.
- New applicants must show proof of completing the required course of study on notarization (see training).
Your application checklist
Work through the application in order. Check off completed steps; your progress is saved only in this browser.
How long it takes: The Secretary of State doesn't commit to a turnaround. Online applications through the SOS portal are the fastest path; allow several weeks and confirm current processing times with the Notary Division, especially if a signing-agent job is waiting on the commission.
What it costs in Illinois
First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.
Known required fees: $15 + variable costs
This is an itemized starting point. Blank prices are unknown, not free. Add actual quotes below; do not count a bundled fee or supply twice.
$15 · Source
First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.
Get a quote · Source
Price and delivery depend on the approved provider. Obtain a quote before enrolling.
Get a quote · Source
Enter the premium you pay, not the bond coverage amount. Ask whether a vendor package includes the filing fee or supplies.
Get a quote · Source
Follow the guide’s seal and recordkeeping rules; journals are mandatory in some jurisdictions and optional in others. Enter only required supplies here, without double-counting a vendor package.
Quotes stay in this page and are not sent to our analytics. Optional insurance, travel, retakes and remote authorization may add costs.
Exam and training
Exam: Yes, for new applicants since January 1, 2024: a final exam follows the mandatory course of study. Under the Secretary of State's administrative rules the course runs about three hours and the exam requires 85% to pass, with a course retake after three failed attempts — confirm current specifics with the SOS, and note renewal applicants have been exempted from repeating the course under later rule changes.
Required course: Since January 1, 2024, first-time notary applicants must complete a course of study on notarization from an SOS-approved provider (about three hours, online or in person) and pass the exam. Electronic notary applicants take an additional e-notarization course and qualifying exam. Check the SOS site for the approved-provider list and current renewal exemptions.
Remote notarization in Illinois
Electronic RON available
A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.
Permanent electronic/remote rules come from P.A. 102-160, with the SOS administrative rules (14 Ill. Adm. Code 176) effective in 2023 making e-notary commissions available.
Illinois splits online work in two. An electronic notary commission ($25 fee, e-notarization course and exam, platform registered with the SOS, $25,000 electronic bond component) covers notarizing electronic records, including for remotely located signers via audio-video technology. Separately, any notary carrying the $30,000 combined bond may perform remote notarization of paper documents by audio-video communication under 5 ILCS 312/3-102. Remote signers may be outside Illinois, and in limited cases outside the U.S.
Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.
After you're commissioned
Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. A rubber stamp seal in rectangular form, no more than one inch high by 2.5 inches long, with a serrated or milled edge border, showing 'Official Seal', your name as commissioned, 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and your commission expiration date. Electronic notaries also register an electronic seal that must look identical to the physical one. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Illinois stamp requirements before you order.
What you can charge: Illinois caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act. 5 ILCS 312/3-104 caps standard acts at $5, electronic notarial acts at $25, and remote (audio-video) acts at up to $25. Immigration-form assistance fees are capped separately. Every notary must give an itemized receipt and keep records of fees charged.
E&O insurance: Not required. With bond exposure of $5,000–$30,000 that the surety can claw back from you, optional E&O coverage is the standard way Illinois notaries protect themselves.
Earning more with your commission
Loan signings are one possible service after commissioning — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. Availability depends on local demand, hiring requirements and state restrictions. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide
Illinois notary FAQ
Do I have to take a class to become an Illinois notary?
If you're a first-time applicant, yes. Since January 1, 2024, Illinois requires a course of study from a Secretary of State-approved provider — about three hours — followed by an exam with an 85% passing score under the SOS rules. Electronic notary applicants take a second course specific to e-notarization. Later rule changes exempted straightforward renewals, so check the SOS site for your situation.
What bond does an Illinois notary need?
A $5,000 surety bond with a four-year term for a standard commission. If you want to notarize electronically or remotely by audio-video, the requirement rises to $30,000 of combined coverage — the $5,000 notary bond plus a $25,000 electronic component. The bond is submitted with your application to the Secretary of State.
Do Illinois notaries still record their commission with the county clerk?
No. The county-clerk recording requirement (old Section 2-106) was repealed by Public Act 102-160, and the Secretary of State now handles the whole process through its online application system. You're commissioned when the SOS approves you — then you just need your seal and journal before notarizing.
Can an Indiana, Missouri, or Wisconsin resident become an Illinois notary?
Residents of states bordering Illinois can qualify if they've worked or maintained a business in Illinois for the 30 days before applying and their home state offers Illinois residents the same courtesy. The trade-off is a one-year commission instead of four, so bordering-state notaries reapply annually.
How much can an Illinois notary charge per signature?
$5 for a standard paper notarization, up to $25 for an electronic notarial act, and up to $25 for a remote audio-video act. Illinois also requires itemized receipts and fee records — a 2023 addition many notaries miss. Travel or signing-agent package fees are separate from the notarial fee but should be disclosed clearly.
Is a journal required in Illinois?
Yes. Under the rules that accompanied the 2023 overhaul, every Illinois notary — traditional and electronic — must record each notarial act in a journal at the time of notarization. One journal can be paper or electronic, and electronic notaries' platforms typically keep the electronic version automatically.
Official sources
Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.
- Notary Services — Illinois Secretary of State
- Online Notary Commission Application — Illinois Secretary of State
- Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312) — Illinois General Assembly
- Notary FAQ — Illinois Secretary of State
The source review date covers our earlier research. Recent checks above apply only to the named topics. Requirements and charges can change; confirm the current packet with Illinois Secretary of State.