2026 state guide · KY
How to become a notary in Kentucky
Quick answer
- Minimum age
- 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
- Required fees
- $10 + variable costs
- Exam / course
- No exam required · No mandatory course
- Bond coverage
- $1,000 (you pay a premium, not this amount)
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Remote status
- Electronic RON available
Kentucky charges just $10 to apply for a four-year notary commission through the Secretary of State, with no exam and no training. The catch is a second stop: within 30 days of approval you must visit your county clerk to post a $1,000 surety bond, take the oath, and file your commission.
Kentucky splits notary commissioning between two offices, and knowing that up front saves confusion. The Secretary of State reviews your $10 application and approves you — but you're not a notary yet. The commission only takes effect after you walk into your county clerk's office within 30 days, post a $1,000 surety bond, take the oath, and file the paperwork. Miss the window and you're starting over.
The practical cost is hard to beat: $10 to the state, county clerk fees set locally (call ahead — many clerks will also sell you the bond on the spot), and that's essentially it, because Kentucky requires no exam, no training, and — genuinely unusual — no notary stamp. A signed, dated certificate is legally sufficient, though most working notaries buy a stamp anyway so their documents don't get questioned elsewhere.
Two more things set Kentucky apart. There's no cap on notary fees — the law only demands you disclose your price before the service — which matters for anyone building a mobile or signing-agent business. And since January 1, 2020, Kentucky notaries can register with the Secretary of State as online notaries for remote audio-video notarizations, with a digital certificate and session recordings as the main added requirements.
Who can become a notary in Kentucky?
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Residency: You must live in Kentucky or have a place of employment or practice there, and your county of commission must match either your residential or business address. If you neither live nor work in Kentucky, you are not eligible.
- Background: Kentucky's Constitution bars convicted felons from holding public office — which a notary commission is — unless the Governor has restored their civil rights; felony applicants must attach the restoration order. The application also asks about crimes involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit and about past license or commission discipline, and the Secretary of State may deny anyone whose record shows a lack of honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability (KRS 423.395).
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Able to read and write English.
- A hand-written signature is required on the application, matching how you'll sign notarial certificates — electronic or stylus signatures are rejected on the paper form.
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: Approval notifications are emailed after review — the SOS tells applicants to follow up if nothing arrives within 10 business days. Add your county clerk visit (within the 30-day window) and the whole process commonly wraps up inside a few weeks; applications flagged for background documentation take longer and must be mailed.
What it costs in Kentucky
First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.
Known required fees: $10 + 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.
$10 · Source
First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.
Get a quote · Source
Obtain the actual charge from your county, authority, or provider; do not assume it is included in the application fee.
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.
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These supplies are optional for a traditional commission. Include them only if you plan to buy them.
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
Kentucky does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No training requirement. The Secretary of State publishes the statutes and guidance online, and private courses exist, but none are mandated for a standard or online commission.
Remote notarization in Kentucky
Electronic RON available
A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.
Kentucky authorized online notarization in SB 114 (2019), effective January 1, 2020 — KRS 423.355 (online notary registration) and KRS 423.455 (notarial acts for remotely located individuals).
A commissioned Kentucky notary can become an 'online notary public' by registering with the Secretary of State (the Electronic Registration form), identifying the communication technology used, and obtaining a digital certificate meeting the SOS's published standards. Online notaries must keep a journal and an audio-video recording of each remote act; the SOS approves compliant registrations within 30 days. Confirm current registration mechanics with the SOS notary office before buying technology.
Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.
After you're commissioned
Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. Kentucky is unusual: no stamp or seal is required for paper notarizations. A signed, dated notarial certificate with your name and commission details is legally sufficient, signed the same way as the signature on file with the Secretary of State. If you choose to use a stamp (most notaries do, since out-of-state document recipients expect one), KRS 423.370 and 30 KAR 8:005 govern it — it must show your full legal name as commissioned and be capable of photocopying with the record. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Kentucky stamp requirements before you order.
What you can charge: Kentucky sets no statutory dollar cap on notary fees. KRS 423.430 instead requires that any fee comply with KRS 64.300 and be clearly disclosed to the customer in advance — so publish your rates before you stamp. Fees for non-notarial services (like travel) are separate but should also be agreed up front.
E&O insurance: Not required. Kentucky's bond is only $1,000 and it protects the public, so notaries who want protection for themselves carry optional errors-and-omissions insurance.
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
Kentucky notary FAQ
Do Kentucky notaries need a stamp?
Legally, no — Kentucky is one of the few states where a seal is optional for paper documents. Your signed and dated certificate is enough, as long as you sign the way you signed your application. Practically, most Kentucky notaries buy a stamp anyway because recorders and out-of-state recipients expect one; if you use it, it must carry your full legal name as commissioned.
What happens at the county clerk's office?
That's where your commission actually becomes real. Within 30 days of the Secretary of State's approval email, you appear before the clerk of your county of commission to post the $1,000 surety bond, swear the oath of office, and file the commission. You pay the clerk's local fees and leave with your commission certificate.
How much can a notary charge in Kentucky?
There's no statutory maximum. KRS 423.430 lets a notary charge a fee as long as it complies with KRS 64.300 and is clearly disclosed to the customer before the service. That gives Kentucky notaries more pricing freedom than notaries in $5-cap states — just put your rates in writing up front.
Can I become a Kentucky notary if I live in Ohio, Indiana, or Tennessee?
Yes, if you have a place of employment or practice in Kentucky. Your county of commission must match your Kentucky business address, and one of your two listed addresses must be in the state. People who neither live nor work in Kentucky can't be commissioned — though the separate Special Commission exists for notarizing Kentucky-bound documents from out of state.
How do I become an online notary in Kentucky?
Get a regular commission first, then register as an online notary with the Secretary of State, naming your audio-video technology and providing a digital certificate that meets the SOS's published standards. Online acts require a journal and a recording of each session. Kentucky has allowed this since January 1, 2020 under SB 114.
Official sources
Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.
- Notary Public Application for Appointment or Reappointment (State at Large) — Kentucky Secretary of State
- KRS 423.390 — Commission as notary public; requirements; oath and filing; surety bond — Kentucky General Assembly (Legislative Research Commission)
- KRS 423.430 — Fees — Kentucky General Assembly (Legislative Research Commission)
- Standards for Use of Digital Certificates by Notaries Public — Kentucky 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 Kentucky Secretary of State.