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

Requirements verified July 18, 2026 against Montana Secretary of State — Notary & Certifications Division

Montana notaries apply online with the Secretary of State, pay a $25 fee, file a $25,000 four-year surety bond, and — unlike most states — must finish at least four hours of approved training AND pass the Montana Notary Exam with 80% before applying. The commission lasts four years.

Montana makes you earn the stamp. It is one of the few states that requires both a training course and an exam — at least 4 hours of approved education, then the Montana Notary Exam with an 80% passing score — and renewing notaries have to test again every four years too. The whole application is filed online with the Secretary of State in Helena; mail a paper form and it comes straight back unprocessed.

Here is the practical path: take an approved 4-hour course ($25–$65), pass the online exam within 6 months of applying, buy a $25,000 four-year surety bond on Montana's standardized form (it has the oath built in — you swear it in front of another notary), then upload everything with the $25 fee. Once the approval email lands, you download your certificate and order the rectangular blue-or-black-ink stamp the state prescribes. Total cost usually lands between $100 and $200.

Two things stand out about Montana. First, it was one of the earliest states to allow remote notarization (back in 2015), and today commissioned notaries can add remote online notarization with a short extra course and a one-page update form — as long as they are standing on Montana soil when they do it. Second, the door is open to non-residents: if you work at a Montana business, own one, or hold a Montana professional license, you can hold a Montana commission without living there.

Who can become a notary in Montana?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You qualify if you live in Montana. Non-residents can also apply if they are a military spouse or dependent assigned to active duty in Montana, keep a registered Montana business, work regularly at a Montana office or business, or hold a current Montana professional license. So a Wyoming or Idaho resident with a Montana job can be a Montana notary.
• Background: There is no automatic felony bar. Under MCA 1-5-621 the Secretary of State may deny a commission for conduct showing a lack of honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability — including convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit — but a conviction is not a complete bar if your rights have been restored. Commissioned notaries must report a felony fraud or dishonesty conviction to the Secretary of State within 30 days.
• U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
• Able to read and write English.
• You may hold only one Montana notary commission at a time.

How to apply: step by step

1. Complete at least 4 hours of notary training from a provider approved by the Secretary of State within the 12 months before you apply. Course lists are on the SOS Notary Academy page; most run $25–$65.
2. Take and pass the Montana Notary Exam (online, 80% to pass) no more than 6 months before you submit your application. If you fail three times, you wait three months before trying again.
3. Buy a $25,000 four-year surety bond from a licensed surety. Montana requires the standardized bond form that includes the Statement of Qualifications and Oath of Office — you sign once as principal and a second time in front of another notary while taking the oath.
4. File the online application on the Secretary of State's website (paper applications are returned unprocessed). Your name must match the bond exactly. Upload your training certificate, exam certificate, and executed bond/oath form.
5. Pay the non-refundable $25 filing fee by credit/debit card or eCheck. Everything must be submitted within 30 days before or after the bond's effective date (or your prior commission's expiration, for renewals).
6. Watch for the approval email, then download your commission certificate from the SOS system.
7. Order your official rectangular stamp (about 1" x 2.5", blue or black ink) matching Montana's prescribed format, and set up a journal — every Montana notarial act must be journalized.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State does not publish a fixed processing time but warns applicants that a commission cannot be obtained in just a few days — the training, exam, and bond steps come first, so plan a few weeks ahead. Approval arrives by email and you download your certificate online.

What it costs in Montana

Exam and training

Exam: Required for both new and renewing notaries. The Montana Notary Exam is taken online through the Secretary of State's testing link; 80% is passing, the passing result must be no more than 6 months old when you apply, and after three failed attempts you must wait three months to retest (MCA 1-5-620).

Required course: Mandatory. New applicants need at least 4 hours from an SOS-approved provider within the 12 months before applying. Renewing notaries need either 4 hours in the previous 12 months or 2 hours in each of the previous 3 years. The SOS Notary Academy page lists approved providers (roughly $25–$65 for the fundamental course).

Can you notarize online in Montana? RON allowed

Yes — Montana authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Montana was one of the first states to allow remote notarization (SB 306, 2015 — second after Virginia per the National Association of Secretaries of State) and now runs under RULONA-based rules in MCA Title 1, chapter 5, part 6. Montana recognizes three flavors: RON (electronic document, live audio-video), 'remote' notarization (paper document acknowledgments over audio-video), and IPEN (in-person electronic).

To add RON to your commission: Before your first technology-based act you must: pick an electronic notarization system or communication technology from the SOS-approved provider list, complete an approved course on remote/electronic notarization (2 credit hours per the SOS Notary Academy) and pass its exam, then file the Notary Public Information Update form with proof of completion to the Secretary of State (MCA 1-5-615). You must be physically inside Montana when you notarize; the signer can be anywhere. Sessions must be recorded and the audio-video recording retained, with the platform and recording location noted in your journal.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Rectangular ink stamp, about 1" x 2.5", in blue or black ink only, with a plain narrow border that is a required part of the impression. It must show a seal image, your printed name, the title 'Notary Public for the State of Montana', 'Residing at' with your city/town and state, and your commission expiration date (month/day/four-digit year). No commission number is used on the stamp. An electronic stamp must match the ink version in format, color, content, and approximate size (MCA 1-5-616; SOS handbook). See the new-notary supplies checklist and Montana stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Montana caps notary fees at $10 per notarial act. MCA 1-5-626 caps standard acts — acknowledgments, witnessing signatures, verifications on oath, certifying transcripts or copies — at $10 each. Travel can be billed up to the IRS standard mileage rate. For remote or electronic notarizations you may charge an additional technology fee if you disclose it and the signer agrees in advance; the SOS describes it as a 'reasonable' agreed fee. You must post your fee list in English if you charge at all.

E&O insurance: Optional. The SOS notes the bond protects the public, not you — errors-and-omissions insurance is what covers the notary for honest mistakes, so many Montana notaries add it.

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

Montana notary FAQ