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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — Commissions Section

Massachusetts notaries are appointed by the Governor with the Governor's Council's consent: you mail a four-page paper application with a resume and four reference signatures (one from an attorney), then pay a $60 commission fee to the Secretary of the Commonwealth when you're sworn in. No bond, no exam, no course — and the commission lasts seven years.

Becoming a Massachusetts notary still works the way it did when the State House was new: you petition the Governor on paper, four respected people — one of them a lawyer — vouch for you in writing, and the Governor's Council consents to your appointment. There's no exam, no course, no bond, and nothing to pay until you're approved, when a $60 fee to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and an oath at the State House (or the Fall River or Springfield office) make it official for seven years.

Budget-wise it's one of the cheaper commissions in the country — about $60 plus a seal and journal — but read the fine print on what the commission earns. Massachusetts is an attorney-closing state: the courts treat real estate closings as the practice of law, so the loan-signing-agent path that drives notary income elsewhere is mostly closed. Standard notarizations, on the other hand, have no statutory fee cap outside a few antique protest fees.

The rulebook is G.L. chapter 222, rewritten effective January 2017 (goodbye Executive Order 455): a seal with the state's coat of arms is mandatory, and so is a journal unless you're an attorney or work for one. Remote online notarization is the awkward part — a 2023 law authorized it as of January 1, 2024, but the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office was still building the registration form, training, and vendor rules as of mid-2026, so Massachusetts notaries remain in-person-only for now.

Who can become a notary in Massachusetts?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must live in Massachusetts or have a place of work or business in the Commonwealth — the state's own application form is 'valid for out-of-state applicants' who work in-state.
• Background: There is no fixed conviction bar in the statute; instead the application makes you disclose any criminal convictions, professional license discipline, and dismissals for misconduct, and the Governor's office weighs suitability case by case. False statements on the application are prosecutable and grounds for revocation.
• Four references must sign your application certifying your character, and one of them must be a Massachusetts bar member in good standing.
• Your signed applicant statement must itself be notarized by a current Massachusetts notary.
• You must certify that you have read G.L. chapter 222 as amended by chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016 and agree to comply with it.

How to apply: step by step

1. Get the Notary Public application (a four-page PDF from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website, or by mail from the Notary Public Office). It is a petition to the Governor — Massachusetts has no online application for new notaries.
2. Fill it out completely: personal history, ten years of addresses, occupation, and an explanation of why you want the commission. Attach an up-to-date resume (required) and a business card if you have one.
3. Sign the sworn statement in front of a current Massachusetts notary — the form includes the notarial certificate — and collect signatures from four references who know you, one of whom must be an attorney in good standing with the Massachusetts bar.
4. Mail the stapled application and resume to the Notary Public Office, Room 184, State House, Boston, MA 02133. Do not send any money with it.
5. Wait for appointment. Your petition goes through the Governor's office and requires the advice and consent of the Governor's Council, which is why the state says allow up to about 18 days for the approval notice.
6. When approved, follow the instructions in your notice: pay the $60 commission fee to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and take the oath of office at one of the Secretary's offices (Boston, Fall River, or Springfield).
7. Buy your official notarial seal or stamp and a journal (unless you're an attorney or attorney employee, the journal is required by G.L. c. 222 § 22), then start notarizing.

How long it takes: The state says allow up to about 18 days from mailing your application to receiving the approval notice, because of the Governor's Council schedule. Add time for the swearing-in trip and fee payment before you can act — plan on several weeks end to end.

What it costs in Massachusetts

Exam and training

Massachusetts does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No course is required. You must certify that you have read the notary law (G.L. c. 222, as rewritten by chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016), which took effect January 4, 2017 and replaced the old Executive Order 455 standards.

Can you notarize online in Massachusetts? RON not authorized

No — Massachusetts has not authorized its notaries to perform remote online notarization. Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023 added a remote online notarization framework effective January 1, 2024, replacing the pandemic-era video notarization law — but the program is not operational yet. As of mid-2026 the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office says the required training and the online notification form are still not available, so Massachusetts notaries cannot legally perform remote online notarizations today. Implementation is pending while the Secretary, the Governor's office, and the Governor's Council finish rules and vendor review. Check the Secretary's Remote Online Notarization page before relying on it.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Required. Under G.L. c. 222 § 8 the official seal or stamp must show your name exactly as commissioned, 'notary public', 'Commonwealth of Massachusetts' (or 'Massachusetts'), 'My commission expires [date]', and a facsimile of the state seal. Ink stamp or embosser both work; the seal is your exclusive property. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Massachusetts stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Massachusetts has no general fee cap for standard notarizations — the only statutory fee schedule (G.L. c. 262 § 41) covers protests of bills and notes at amounts fixed generations ago (in the $1–$2 range). The application does warn notaries to charge only statutory amounts where they exist, so keep protest work at the listed figures and set reasonable, disclosed fees for everything else.

E&O insurance: Not required. With no bond in Massachusetts, optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the only financial protection a notary carries here.

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. That path is limited in Massachusetts (see the callout above), so weigh it before investing in training. Loan signing agent guide

Massachusetts notary FAQ