Notary classes: required or upsell? (2026)
"Notary classes near me" is a search full of people about to pay for something their state gives away or doesn't require. Here's the honest map: where courses are the law, where they're smart, and where they're just a product.
Quick answer
- Required?
- Only in 21 of 51 jurisdictions — everywhere else classes are optional
- Where required
- Usually a few hours, state-approved or state-run, sometimes free from the state itself
- Exams are separate
- 26 jurisdictions require an exam — some with no course requirement at all
- Buying tip
- Check your state's page before paying: vendors sell courses in states that require none
States where a course is required
| State | What's required |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Since September 1, 2023, every new applicant must complete a pre-commission training program prepared by the Alabama Probate Judges Association and the Alabama Law Institute — and finish it within 30 days of applying. Attorneys are exempt, and notaries commissioned before the law took effect complete it when they renew. Ask your probate judge how to access the course and whether it carries a charge. |
| California | A six-hour Secretary of State-approved course is mandatory before appointment — for everyone, no matter how many terms they've held. Renewing notaries who apply and pass the exam before their commission expires may qualify with an approved three-hour refresher instead; if the commission lapses first, it's back to the six-hour course. |
| Colorado | Required before the exam, for both new commissions and renewals. The Secretary of State's eLearning course is free and satisfies the requirement; approved outside vendors are also accepted. Note the eLearning login is separate from your notary account and is deleted after approval. |
| District of Columbia | The DC New Notary Public Orientation is mandatory for new applicants (and for anyone whose commission lapsed more than 12 months). ONCA schedules it after approval. Renewing notaries are invited to a DC Notary Open House for law updates instead. |
| Florida | First-time applicants must complete at least three hours of interactive or classroom notary instruction within the year before applying (s. 117.01(1), F.S.). The Department of State's online course is free; other approved providers exist. Renewing notaries are exempt. |
| Georgia | Required since January 1, 2025. You must finish an approved notary training class before your first appointment, and again within 30 days before each renewal. The GSCCCA's online course is free. |
| Illinois | Since January 1, 2024, first-time notary applicants must complete a course of study on notarization from an SOS-approved provider (about three hours, online or in person) and pass the exam. Electronic notary applicants take an additional e-notarization course and qualifying exam. Check the SOS site for the approved-provider list and current renewal exemptions. |
| Indiana | Required twice over. First, an initial education course (included in the $75 application fee) before the exam. Then continuing education: a $50 online course and exam through INBiz every two years — three times during the 8-year term. Only courses administered through the Secretary of State count. Missing a CE deadline permanently expires your commission. |
| Maryland | A course of study from an SOS-authorized provider is mandatory — for new applicants (with exam) and again at each renewal (course only). The SOS publishes the current provider list; prices vary by provider. |
| Missouri | Required. Every applicant must attest to having read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook or completed training prescribed by the Secretary of State — in practice, the SOS's free online course or its written course (Comm. 59) — before the exam and application. |
| Montana | 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). |
| Nevada | Mandatory for everyone, new and renewing. The course is offered online through the Secretary of State's own training site for $45, with the exam built in at the end. Third-party prep courses exist but don't replace the state's course. |
| New Jersey | The 2021 law requires new non-attorney applicants to complete a six-hour course of study approved by the State Treasurer plus the exam; in practice the portal directs applicants through the official manual and training-video series. Renewals call for a three-hour continuing education course. Confirm the currently approved study format with DORES before relying on a third-party class. |
| New Mexico | Required. The qualification course and exam come as one package from the Secretary of State's approved vendor, with the fee paid directly to the vendor. Renewing notaries who passed after January 1, 2022 don't retake it, as long as the commission hasn't been expired more than one year. Adding RON requires a separate RON course and exam. |
| North Carolina | Mandatory: a Secretary-approved course of at least six hours of classroom instruction, delivered through North Carolina community colleges. Licensed members of the N.C. State Bar are exempt from the course but not from buying the manual. |
| Ohio | A three-hour education program from an SOS-authorized provider is mandatory for all new applicants, including attorneys. The curriculum is set by state rule (OAC 111:6-1-02). Renewal requires a one-hour refresher course ($45) taken within twelve months before your commission expires. |
| Oregon | Mandatory for every applicant, every time: since January 1, 2025, Oregon statute requires the full Notary Basics course before each new commission, including renewals — the shorter refresher course no longer qualifies. The SOS course is free; approved providers charge. Training must be completed within six months before applying. |
| Pennsylvania | A 3-hour course from a Department-preapproved provider, taken within the 6 months before you apply. There is no exemption — it applies to new applicants and every reappointment, including notaries who were once grandfathered under older law. |
| Texas | New as of January 1, 2026: SB 693 (2025) requires every new and renewing applicant to complete an education course offered only by the Secretary of State (capped at two hours, $20). Private vendor courses no longer satisfy the requirement. Notaries first commissioned before September 1, 2025 complete it when they renew. |
| Wisconsin | The DFI's free online Notary Public Tutorial is effectively mandatory because the required exam sits at the end of it. There is no paid course requirement and no approved-provider list for standard commissions. |
| Wyoming | Every applicant must certify completion of the Secretary of State's free online Notary Education Presentation (or an approved vendor course) for each term — education repeats at every six-year renewal. |
Every other jurisdiction: no course mandate. Your state's handbook or statute — linked from its page here — is the free, authoritative study source.
Exam states are a different list
26 jurisdictions require passing an exam: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Some pair the exam with mandatory training; others (like New York) test without requiring a course. Where there's a test and no mandated class, optional prep materials earn their keep.
If you do buy a class
- In mandatory-course states: it must be approved by your state — the approved-provider rule is on your state's page. An unapproved course, however good, won't satisfy the requirement.
- In every other state: you're buying convenience and confidence, not compliance. Priced accordingly — think tens of dollars, not hundreds.
- Career training is separate: if your goal is the loan-signing business, that's a different path with its own (optional) courses.
Notary classes FAQ
Do I have to take a class to become a notary?
Only if your state mandates one — 21 of 51 jurisdictions currently do. In every other state, a "notary class" is optional study material. The table above tells you which side your state is on, and each state page names the approved-course rules where they exist.
How long is a required notary course?
Typically measured in hours, not weeks: California's is six hours, Florida's first-timer course is three, and several states run shorter modules. Some states provide the required course free (Georgia's authority does); others use approved third-party vendors with modest prices.
Are paid notary classes worth it in states that don't require them?
Sometimes. If your state has an exam but no course mandate (New York, for example), structured prep can be worth the modest cost. If your state has neither exam nor course, the state handbook — free — covers what you need for commissioning; a paid class is purely for confidence and job-skill depth.
Is a notary class the same as loan signing agent training?
No. Notary classes cover commissioning and notarial acts for your state. Signing-agent training is business coaching for the mortgage-closing niche, sold separately and never legally required. Different products, frequently bundled by marketing.