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

Requirements verified July 18, 2026 against Kansas Secretary of State

Kansas notaries apply to the Secretary of State with Form NO, a $25 filing fee, and a $12,000 four-year surety bond. There is no exam or training requirement for a standard commission, and the appointment lasts four years. Remote online notarization has been allowed since January 1, 2022.

Kansas rewrote its notary law in 2021, adopting the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (SB 106) effective January 1, 2022. That one change raised the surety bond from $7,500 to $12,000, made a journal mandatory for every notarial act, moved the certificate wording into regulation, and opened the door to remote online notarization. Everything now runs through the Kansas Secretary of State: you file the Notary Public Appointment Form (Form NO) with a $25 fee, and the bond, oath, and stamp impression are all part of that single form.

The practical path: buy your stamp first (the state wants an impression of it on the application), get a $12,000 four-year bond from a Kansas-licensed surety, take the oath in front of an existing notary, and mail everything to Topeka with $25 — or use the online filing option and pay by card. No exam, no class. Once the office approves you and your name shows active in the state's notary search, you can start notarizing. The commission runs four years.

Two Kansas quirks worth knowing. First, there's no cap on notary fees — unlike states that limit you to a few dollars per act, Kansas lets you set your own price as long as you disclose it up front and log it in your journal. Second, adding remote online notarization is cheap and self-serve: free state training, a free test, a $20 registration, and a technology provider of your choice. You just have to be physically inside Kansas when you notarize remotely.

Who can become a notary in Kansas?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must be a Kansas resident, or a resident of a state that borders Kansas (Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Colorado) with a regular place of employment or practice in Kansas. Your mailing address must be in Kansas or a bordering state.
• Background: Kansas asks on the application whether you have been convicted of any felony or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit — including a diversion agreement for such a crime. A 'yes' answer does not auto-reject you; you must attach court documents and the Secretary of State's legal division reviews them under K.S.A. 53-5a24. The same review applies if a professional license or another state's notary commission was revoked or denied for dishonesty-related reasons.
• U.S. citizen (required by K.S.A. 53-5a22).
• Able to read and write English.
• Must swear or affirm an oath on the application, signed in front of a current notary.
• Must already own a notary stamp when applying — an impression of it goes on the application.

How to apply: step by step

1. Buy your notary stamp first. Kansas requires an impression of the actual stamp on the application, so order it before you file. It must show your name exactly as written on the form, plus 'Notary Public' and 'State of Kansas' — and it must NOT include a county.
2. Complete the Notary Public Appointment Form (Form NO) from the Kansas Secretary of State, or use the online filing option (which uses the NO-S bond form and NO-O oath form as uploads).
3. Take the oath in Section B of Form NO and sign it in front of a commissioned notary, who notarizes your signature. A wet-ink signature sample is required.
4. Buy a $12,000 surety bond written for the four-year commission term from a surety or insurance company licensed in Kansas. The surety company's attorney-in-fact must complete and sign Section C of the form.
5. Mail the completed Form NO with a check or money order for the $25 filing fee to the Kansas Secretary of State (Memorial Hall address on the form), or submit online and pay by credit card.
6. Wait for approval. The Secretary of State mails a Notary Commission Certificate, and you cannot notarize anything until your status shows active in the state's online notary search.
7. Optional: to add in-person electronic (IPEN) or remote online (RON) notarization, complete the state's free online training and test, then file Form NC with your certificate and a $20 fee for each registration.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State does not publish a set processing time. The office reviews the application and mails a Notary Commission Certificate; you are not a notary until your status shows active in the state's online notary search, so verify there before notarizing.

What it costs in Kansas

Exam and training

Kansas does not require an exam or a mandatory course. Not required for a standard commission. Notaries adding IPEN or RON must complete the Secretary of State's free online training and pass its test; anyone may take the course voluntarily. The Kansas Notary Handbook is the state's official study resource.

Can you notarize online in Kansas? RON allowed

Yes — Kansas authorizes remote online notarization (RON). RON has been legal since January 1, 2022, when 2021 SB 106 (the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, K.S.A. 53-5a01 et seq.) took effect. Kansas also allows in-person electronic notarization (IPEN) under the same register-with-Form-NC process. RON sessions must be recorded, and the electronic journal and recordings kept for 10 years.

To add RON to your commission: You must already hold a Kansas commission, then: (1) pick a RON technology provider from the list on file with the Secretary of State, and get your electronic signature, electronic stamp, and digital certificate; (2) complete the free training and pass the test on the Secretary of State's website; (3) file Form NC with the test certificate, an image of your electronic stamp, and a $20 fee. The RON registration runs with your existing four-year commission. You must be physically in Kansas when performing a RON; the signer can be anywhere.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Required on every notarial certificate. Either a rubber ink stamp with permanent ink or an impression seal (embosser, inked or used with foil seals) is acceptable. It must show your name exactly as it appears on your application — matching punctuation and all — plus the words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Kansas'. It may include 'My Commission Expires (date)' but must NOT include a county. No shape or size is mandated. You need the stamp before applying, since an impression goes on Form NO. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Kansas stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Kansas sets no dollar limit on what a notary may charge. But K.A.R. 7-43-16 requires that any fee be disclosed to and agreed by the signer before the act, collected at the time of the act, and recorded in your journal — and you must tell the signer that a fee is permitted but not required by law. The no-cap rule makes Kansas friendlier than most states for charging market rates.

E&O insurance: Not required — the Form NO instructions specifically say not to send E&O policy documents with the application. The $12,000 bond protects the public, not you; optional E&O insurance covers your own liability for mistakes.

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

Kansas notary FAQ