2026 state guide · LA
How to become a notary in Louisiana
Quick answer
- Minimum age
- 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
- Required fees
- $200 + variable costs
- Exam / course
- Exam required · No mandatory course
- Bond coverage
- $50,000 (you pay a premium, not this amount)
- Commission term
- No fixed term
- Remote status
- Electronic RON available
Louisiana commissions notaries for life. A first-time non-attorney applicant pays for qualification, a pre-assessment, a state examination, and commission filing after passing. Budget separately for the bond premium, study materials and any preparation course.
Louisiana is the one state where 'notary' means something close to what it means in France: a civil-law officer who can draft and execute authentic acts, not just witness signatures. The state guards that power with the toughest notary exam in the country — the Secretary of State's own statistics show most sittings pass fewer than one candidate in four — and rewards those who clear it with a lifetime commission that never needs renewing.
The mechanics: file a $35 Application to Qualify for your parish (you must live there, be a registered voter there, and hold a high school diploma or GED), take a $30 online pre-assessment, then register for the $100 state exam given through LSU's testing office. Pass, and you file a $50,000 bond, two oaths, your official signature, and a $35 commission fee. These four required charges total $200 before the bond premium and other expenses. The $100 official study guide is a separate study purchase, not an application fee.
Two recent changes are worth knowing. Since February 1, 2026, the bond requirement is $50,000 — five times the old amount — and an E&O policy no longer counts in its place. And since February 2022, commissioned Louisiana notaries can register for remote online notarization with a one-time $100 fee after completing the state's short online course. The lifetime commission still comes with homework: an annual report to the Secretary of State and a bond renewal every five years, or you're suspended.
Who can become a notary in Louisiana?
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Residency: You must be a resident citizen or resident alien of Louisiana and you apply for the parish where you live — you must be registered to vote in that parish. Non-residents generally cannot become Louisiana notaries, though out-of-state attorneys can apply for a limited non-resident ex officio status ($35).
- Background: The Secretary of State requires that you have not been convicted of a felony, unless you have been pardoned. Disclose any history on the Application to Qualify and contact the Notary Division before paying fees if you are unsure.
- Hold a high school diploma, an approved home-study diploma, or a high school equivalency diploma (GED).
- Be able to read, write, speak, and be sufficiently knowledgeable in English.
- Pass the state notary exam unless you are licensed to practice law in Louisiana — attorneys are exempt from the exam.
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 does not publish a standard turnaround for qualifying or commissioning. The fixed deadlines are on the front end: your Application to Qualify and pre-assessment must be done at least 37 days before the exam, and exam registration closes 30 days out. Confirm current timing with the SOS Notary Division.
What it costs in Louisiana
First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.
Known required fees: $200 + 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.
$35 · Source
First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.
$30 · Source
Confirm the current charge and any applicant exemptions with the linked authority.
$100 · Source
Confirm the current charge and any applicant exemptions with the linked authority.
$35 · Source
Confirm the current charge and any applicant exemptions with the linked authority.
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
These supplies are optional for a traditional commission. Include them only if you plan to buy them.
$100 · Source
Recommended study material; listed separately from mandatory application and examination fees.
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: Required for everyone except Louisiana-licensed attorneys, and it is genuinely hard. The Secretary of State's own published statistics show pass rates that usually land between about 10% and 25% per sitting — most test dates in 2024–2026 came in under 25%. The five-hour exam tests real civil-law drafting and doctrine, not just procedure, and is administered through LSU's testing office.
No class or course is required by law. In practice, most successful candidates use a prep course or study group; the SOS keeps an Education Provider Registry of course providers, and the official $100 study guide is the source material for the exam.
Remote notarization in Louisiana
Electronic RON available
A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.
Authorized by Louisiana's Remote Online Notarization Act, R.S. 35:621 et seq.; the Secretary of State began accepting RON registrations February 1, 2022.
You must be a commissioned Louisiana notary who resides in Louisiana. Then: complete the SOS online RON instruction course and pass its quiz (you get a PDF certificate), pick one or more technology providers from the state's approved list, and submit the RON registration through your online notary account with the certificate attached, paying a one-time $100 filing fee. Provider platform costs are separate.
Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.
After you're commissioned
Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. Louisiana does not require a seal or stamp — the SOS states that 'a Louisiana notary's signature is his seal.' You must sign exactly as shown on the Official Notarial Signature form filed with the state, and you should include your name, notary/bar ID number, and parish. Many notaries still buy a stamp with this information for convenience, and receiving parties sometimes expect one. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Louisiana stamp requirements before you order.
What you can charge: Louisiana sets no statutory fee schedule for notaries — the SOS says plainly that no law determines or limits what a notary may charge. Given how much a Louisiana commission can do (drafting and executing authentic acts), fees here are set by the market.
E&O insurance: E&O insurance is optional and protects you rather than the public. Note the 2026 change: an E&O policy can no longer substitute for the bond — since February 1, 2026 the $50,000 bond or personal surety is mandatory, with E&O purely supplemental.
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
Louisiana notary FAQ
How hard is the Louisiana notary exam, really?
Hard. The Secretary of State publishes results for every sitting, and pass rates typically run between roughly 10% and 25% — for example, 16–21% across the large 2024 sittings. It's a five-hour test built on the official civil-law study guide, and most people who pass studied for months or took a prep course. Louisiana-licensed attorneys are exempt.
Is a Louisiana notary commission really for life?
Yes — there's no expiration date and no renewal application, a setup unique among the states. The catch is maintenance: you must renew your $50,000 bond every five years and file an annual report with the Secretary of State. Miss either and your commission goes to suspended status until you fix it.
What changed with the Louisiana notary bond in 2026?
Two things, effective February 1, 2026: the required bond or personal surety jumped from $10,000 to $50,000, and errors-and-omissions insurance is no longer accepted as a substitute for the bond. Existing notaries meet the new amount as their five-year renewals come due; new applicants must file a $50,000 bond from the start.
What can a Louisiana notary do that notaries in other states can't?
Louisiana runs on civil law, so its notaries are closer to the European notarial tradition: a commissioned notary can prepare and execute authentic acts — sales, mortgages, powers of attorney, and similar documents — work that common-law states reserve for attorneys. That's exactly why the state demands a serious exam before handing over the commission.
How much does it cost to become a notary in Louisiana?
For a first-time non-attorney applicant, the listed required application, pre-assessment, first exam and commission filing charges add to $200. The $100 study guide, bond premium, any preparation course and exam retakes add to that amount. Attorney applicants follow a different route.
Can I use my Louisiana commission anywhere in the state?
If you qualified by passing the uniform statewide exam, yes — R.S. 35:191 gives statewide jurisdiction to notaries who passed the written exam, and attorneys have it automatically. You're still commissioned in your parish of residence, and older notaries who never took the statewide exam remain limited to their parish plus any reciprocal parishes set by the legislature.
Official sources
Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.
- Notary — Become a Louisiana Notary — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Notary Frequently Asked Questions — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Ways to File (forms, fees, 2026 bond change) — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Forms & Fee Schedule — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Remote Online Notarization Requirements — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Notary Exam Statistics (official pass rates) — Louisiana Secretary of State
- Notary Exam Information (test administration) — LSU Office of Testing & Evaluation Services
Recent source checks
- October 2, 2026 · Commission filing fee: Confirmed the $35 commission filing fee. The budget separates the study guide from required application and exam charges. Read the source.
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 Louisiana Secretary of State.