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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against North Dakota Secretary of State

North Dakota commissions notaries for four years through a $36 application in the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal, backed by a $7,500 surety bond filed with the state. There is no exam and no training requirement, but you can't notarize until your stamp impression is verified and your commission's start date arrives.

North Dakota runs a lean commissioning process with one distinctive control: the stamp itself is part of the approval loop. You apply through the FirstStop portal with $36, a $7,500 surety bond, and a notarized oath — no exam, no course — but you can't just start work when approved. The state first sends a Certificate of Authorization letting you buy a stamp, then you mail back an impression for verification, and only after your commission certificate's commencement date can you notarize anything.

In dollars: about $100–$150 covers the state fee, a four-year bond premium, and the stamping device, and each four-year renewal repeats the whole kit — new bond, new oath, and a newly purchased stamp with the updated expiration date. The bond is filed with the Secretary of State directly; counties play no role here.

Two rules define daily practice. Fees are capped at a flat $5 per act — overcharging is an infraction, not just a rule violation — with travel and technology fees allowed only when agreed and explained up front. And remote notarization is refreshingly cheap to add: no second commission and no listed state fee, just an amendment in FirstStop naming your technology provider, plus the recording and journal duties that come with notarizing someone over video.

Who can become a notary in North Dakota?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You qualify if you're a North Dakota resident or have a place of employment or practice in the state. There's also a reciprocity option: residents of a county that borders North Dakota, in a state that extends the same courtesy to North Dakotans, may be commissioned — those applicants appoint the Secretary of State as their agent for service of process.
• Background: N.D.C.C. § 44-06.1-21 gives the Secretary of State discretion to deny a commission for anything showing a lack of honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability — including relevant convictions or false statements on the application. There is no automatic lifetime bar written into the qualification list; contact the SOS if your record raises questions.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
• You must be able to read and write English.
• The name on your application must exactly match the name you'll sign when notarizing.

How to apply: step by step

1. Buy a $7,500 surety bond (the state calls it an 'assurance') from a company licensed in North Dakota, using the state's bond form SFN 19355, and sign it in the presence of a notary.
2. Execute your oath of office — it's also signed before an existing notary and submitted with the application.
3. Complete the Notary Public Application in the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal, upload the bond and oath, and pay the $36 application fee.
4. Receive your Certificate of Authorization from the Secretary of State, then take it to a stamp vendor to buy your official stamping device.
5. Place an impression of the new stamp on the verification form and return it to the Secretary of State by the stated deadline.
6. Receive your commission certificate — and note the commencement date on it, because you may only begin performing notarial acts on or after that date.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State doesn't publish a standard processing time. Watch FirstStop for your Certificate of Authorization and remember the commission certificate's commencement date controls when you may start notarizing.

What it costs in North Dakota

Exam and training

North Dakota does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No required training either. Optional courses from notary associations exist, but North Dakota's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts imposes no education requirement for a commission.

Can you notarize online in North Dakota? RON allowed

Yes — North Dakota authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Remote notarization operates under N.D.C.C. § 44-06.1-13.1, part of the state's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts chapter. The same amendment process covers in-person electronic notarization.

To add RON to your commission: No separate commission or state fee: before your first remote act you must notify the Secretary of State that you'll be performing notarial acts for remotely located individuals and identify the technology you'll use — filed as a Notary Public Amendment in the FirstStop portal naming your software provider. Remote acts require identity proofing, an audio-visual recording retained for at least ten years, and a journal chronicling every remote act.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. The official stamp must include your name, the jurisdiction ('Notary Public' and 'State of North Dakota'), and your commission expiration date, and it must photocopy with the document. Size limits: circular stamps up to 1-5/8 inches in diameter, rectangular up to 7/8 by 2-5/8 inches. Two timing quirks: you buy the stamp only after the state sends your Certificate of Authorization, and you must return an impression for verification before your commission is finalized. Destroy or deface the device when your term ends or the stamp is replaced. See the new-notary supplies checklist and North Dakota stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: North Dakota caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act. N.D.C.C. § 44-06.1-28 caps the charge at $5 per notarial act, and exceeding it is an infraction — as is any third party tacking on its own notarization charge. Travel fees are allowed if agreed in advance and explained as separate and non-mandated; a technology fee for electronic or remote acts is allowed on the same agree-and-disclose terms.

E&O insurance: Optional. The $7,500 assurance protects people harmed by notarial misconduct — errors-and-omissions coverage is the separate, voluntary policy that protects you.

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

North Dakota notary FAQ