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

Requirements verified July 18, 2026 against Oklahoma Secretary of State

Oklahoma notaries apply to the Secretary of State, pay a $50 application fee, pass a fingerprint-based national background check, then file a $10,000 surety bond, oath, and seal impression within 60 days of appointment (plus a $25 filing fee). There is no exam or required training, and the commission lasts four years.

Oklahoma commissions notaries through the Secretary of State in Oklahoma City, and the process changed noticeably on January 1, 2026. Senate Bill 1028 doubled the application fee to $50 ($45 for renewals), raised the surety bond from $1,000 to $10,000, bumped the bond filing fee to $25, and added a fingerprint-based national background check through the OSBI that costs up to $50. Guides quoting the old $25 application and $1,000 bond are now wrong.

The process itself has two stages. First you apply — online, by mail, or in person — and complete the background check when the state emails you instructions; approval takes about 2 to 4 weeks and your four-year commission comes in the mail. Then the clock starts: within 60 days you must buy a seal and a $10,000 bond and file the bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, your signature, and a seal impression with the Secretary of State, plus $25. You cannot notarize a single document until that second filing is approved.

There is no exam and no required class, and you do not have to live in Oklahoma — non-residents who work in the state qualify. Standard notary fees are capped at a modest $5 per act, but Oklahoma was an early adopter of remote online notarization (live since January 2020), and RON acts can be charged up to $25 each with a separate $25 authorization from the Secretary of State.

Who can become a notary in Oklahoma?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must be a legal resident of Oklahoma or a non-resident who is employed in Oklahoma. Non-residents list their Oklahoma work address on the application. 49 O.S. § 1 also says an applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
• Background: You may not have a felony conviction. Under 49 O.S. § 1 (as amended by SB 1028, effective January 1, 2026), a felony conviction is grounds for removal from office and blocks you from applying or renewing. Every new and renewal applicant must now complete a fingerprint-based national criminal history check through the OSBI, which charges up to $50.
• Able to read and write English.
• A valid email address is required by law; background-check instructions are sent to it after you apply.
• Fingerprints are collected electronically by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) as part of the background check.

How to apply: step by step

1. Submit the Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission to the Secretary of State — online at sos.ok.gov/notary, by mail, or in person — with the $50 fee ($45 for a renewal filed no earlier than 6 weeks before your current commission expires).
2. Complete the national criminal history record check. After you apply, the Secretary of State emails you directions; the OSBI takes your fingerprints electronically and charges a search fee of up to $50. Your application is held until the check comes back.
3. Wait for approval — allow 2 to 4 weeks. Your four-year commission is mailed to you. Check that your name is correct and note the commission number and expiration date.
4. Buy a notary seal (embosser or rubber stamp) showing at least your name, 'State of Oklahoma', and 'Notary Public'. Any stamp maker can produce it; the state does not sell seals.
5. Buy a $10,000 surety bond from an insurance agency or bonding company (or use individual sureties who own property in your county of residence, or county of employment for non-residents). The bond must start on its issue date and end on your commission's expiration date.
6. Within 60 days after your commission is issued, file the bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, your official signature, and an impression of your seal with the Secretary of State, with the $25 bond filing fee. You cannot notarize anything until the Secretary of State receives and approves these filings.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State says to allow 2 to 4 weeks after your application and background check are complete. Since January 1, 2026, applications are held until the OSBI criminal history check comes back (the OSBI has up to 14 working days). In-person filers can pay an extra $50 for same-day processing.

What it costs in Oklahoma

Exam and training

Oklahoma does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No training is required. The Secretary of State publishes a free Notary Public Guide, and optional commercial courses exist, but neither is mandatory.

Can you notarize online in Oklahoma? RON allowed

Yes — Oklahoma authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Authorized by SB 915 (2019), effective January 1, 2020. RON acts can be charged up to $25 each — five times the in-person cap.

To add RON to your commission: You must already hold an active Oklahoma commission with an approved bond on file, then submit the separate Remote Online Notarization application ($25 fee, online only) identifying your technology vendor, and wait for written authorization from the Secretary of State before performing any RON act. Authorization ends with your commission term — renewing your commission does not renew it, so you reapply every four years. RON notaries must keep a tamper-evident electronic journal and the audio-visual recording of each session for at least 10 years, use credential analysis and identity proofing per OAC 655:25-11-5, and use an electronic seal showing their name, 'State of Oklahoma', 'Notary Public', commission number, and expiration date. No additional bond is required.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Required. Either a metal embosser or a rubber ink stamp is fine. It must contain at least your name, 'State of Oklahoma', and 'Notary Public'; the commission number and expiration date may be included but are not required on the physical seal. No shape or size is specified. Note that your notarial certificate wording must still show the commission number and expiration date, and the electronic seal used for RON must include both. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Oklahoma stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Oklahoma caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act ($25 for a remote online notarization). The Secretary of State's FAQ caps standard notarial acts at $5 each, and charging anything is optional. Notaries may never charge for notarizing an absentee ballot. Remote online notarizations have a higher cap of $25 per act under 49 O.S. § 209.

E&O insurance: Not required. The $10,000 bond protects the public, not you — the surety can recover payouts from the notary. Optional errors-and-omissions insurance covers your own mistakes.

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

Oklahoma notary FAQ