2026 state guide · KS

How to become a notary in Kansas

By NotaryRequirements.com · Source review July 18, 2026
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Official application ↗Your application checklist

Quick answer

Minimum age: 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
Required fees: $25 + variable costs
Exam / course: No exam required · No mandatory course
Bond coverage: $12,000 (you pay a premium, not this amount)
Commission term: 4 years
Remote status: Electronic RON available

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.

Your application checklist

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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.
Step 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).
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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

First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.

Known required fees: $25 + 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.

Application / commission fee (required)

$25 · Source

First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.

Your actual charge (USD)

Surety bond premium (required)

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Required seal and supplies (required)

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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.

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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.

Remote notarization in Kansas

Electronic RON available

A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.

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.

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

Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. 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

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

Kansas notary FAQ

How much does it cost to become a notary in Kansas?

The state filing fee is $25. On top of that you need a $12,000 four-year surety bond from a Kansas-licensed company, a stamp, and a journal. Most people spend well under $150 total. Adding remote online notarization later costs another $20 plus your technology platform's charges.

Why do I need my Kansas notary stamp before I apply?

Form NO requires an inked impression of your actual stamp in Section A, so the stamp comes first. Make sure the vendor prints your name exactly as you'll write it on the application — the two must match identically, including punctuation — and leave the county off, since Kansas prohibits it on the stamp.

Does Kansas require a notary exam or class?

Not for a regular commission — no exam, no course. Training and a test are only required if you register to perform electronic (IPEN) or remote online (RON) notarizations, and the state provides both free on the Secretary of State's website. You can retake the test as many times as needed.

How much can a Kansas notary charge per signature?

Kansas has no cap — state law doesn't set a maximum fee for a notarial act. You must disclose the fee and get the signer's agreement before you notarize, collect it at the time of the act, record it in your journal, and tell the signer a fee is allowed but not required by law.

Can I be a Kansas notary if I live in Missouri or another neighboring state?

Yes. Residents of states bordering Kansas — Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado — qualify if they have a regular place of employment or practice in Kansas. You apply with the same Form NO, and your mailing address must be in Kansas or the bordering state.

Is a journal required for Kansas notaries?

Yes. Since January 1, 2022, every Kansas notary must keep a journal of all notarial acts — one bound paper register, or one or more electronic journals for electronic acts. Each entry records the date and time, the type of act and record, the signer's name and address, how you identified them, and any fee charged. Keep it 10 years after the last entry.

Official sources

Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.

Notary (Become a Kansas Notary / RON steps) — Kansas Secretary of State
Kansas Notary Public Handbook — Kansas Secretary of State
Form NO — Notary Public Appointment Form and Instructions — Kansas Secretary of State
K.S.A. 53-5a22 (commission, bond, qualifications, four-year term) — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes

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 Kansas Secretary of State.