2026 state guide · PA
How to become a notary in Pennsylvania
Quick answer
- Minimum age
- 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
- Required fees
- $107 + variable costs
- Exam / course
- Exam required · Training required
- Bond coverage
- $25,000 (you pay a premium, not this amount)
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Remote status
- Electronic RON available
Pennsylvania notaries apply to the Department of State with a $42 fee, finish a 3-hour approved course, and — if they don't already hold a current commission — pass a $65 Pearson VUE exam. After appointment you file a $25,000 bond and your oath with the county recorder of deeds within 45 days. The commission lasts four years.
Pennsylvania commissions its notaries through the Department of State under RULONA, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, in force since 2017). Everyone — first-timers and renewals — must finish a 3-hour preapproved education course within six months before applying. If you don't hold a current Pennsylvania commission, you also have to pass a computer-based exam run by Pearson VUE; it costs $65 per try and you get six months to pass once the Department clears you to test.
The practical path: take the course, apply online at notaries.pa.gov with the $42 fee, pass the exam if you're new, then handle the county steps. Within 45 days of appointment you must take your oath, record your $25,000 bond, oath, and commission with the recorder of deeds in the county where your office sits, and register your signature with the prothonotary. Skip any of that and the commission is void. The commission runs four years.
Two 2026 changes are worth knowing. Regulations effective March 28, 2026 raised the bond from $10,000 to $25,000 and added your seven-digit commission number to the required stamp wording. Fees stay modest — most notarial acts cap at $5, though remote and electronic acts can go up to $20 — and since Pennsylvania doesn't require attorneys at real estate closings, loan-signing work is a realistic add-on.
Who can become a notary in Pennsylvania?
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Residency: You must live in Pennsylvania, or work or run a practice in Pennsylvania. Out-of-state residents can qualify through a Pennsylvania place of employment or practice.
- Background: The Department of State reviews each applicant for honesty, integrity, competence, and reliability, and the application asks about criminal history. A conviction does not automatically bar you, but the Department can deny an application over it — if you have a record, contact the Department of State before you pay the fee.
- U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States.
- Able to read and write English.
- Members of the U.S. Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly cannot hold a notary commission.
- No false or fraudulent statements on the application.
Your application checklist
Work through the application in order. Check off completed steps; your progress is saved only in this browser.
How long it takes: The Department of State says application processing generally takes 2 to 4 weeks. New applicants then need time for the exam, and everyone has the 45-day county filing window after appointment.
What it costs in Pennsylvania
First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.
Known required fees: $107 + variable costs
This is an itemized starting point. Blank prices are unknown, not free. Add actual quotes below; do not count a bundled fee or supply twice.
$42 · Source
First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.
$65 · Source
Confirm the current charge and any applicant exemptions with the linked authority.
Get a quote · Source
Obtain the actual charge from your county, authority, or provider; do not assume it is included in the application fee.
Get a quote · Source
Price and delivery depend on the approved provider. Obtain a quote before enrolling.
Get a quote · Source
Enter the premium you pay, not the bond coverage amount. Ask whether a vendor package includes the filing fee or supplies.
Get a quote · Source
Follow the guide’s seal and recordkeeping rules; journals are mandatory in some jurisdictions and optional in others. Enter only required supplies here, without double-counting a vendor package.
Quotes stay in this page and are not sent to our analytics. Optional insurance, travel, retakes and remote authorization may add costs.
Exam and training
Exam: Required for anyone who does not hold a current, unexpired Pennsylvania commission — including former notaries whose commission lapsed, even by a day. It's a computer-based Pearson VUE test on Pennsylvania notary law and procedure, $65 per attempt, with unlimited retakes during the 6-month testing window. Renewing notaries with an active commission are exempt.
Required course: 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.
Remote notarization in Pennsylvania
Electronic RON available
A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.
Act 97 of 2020, effective October 29, 2020, made remote online notarization a permanent part of Pennsylvania law. Electronic notarization (digital documents, signer still in the room) and remote notarization (signer appears by audio-video) are approved separately on the same application.
You must already hold a Pennsylvania commission. Then file the Electronic/Remote Notarization Application through notaries.pa.gov, identify a technology provider from the Department of State's approved vendor list, and wait for Department approval before performing any remote acts. The Department's pages do not list a separate fee for this step — confirm when you apply.
Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.
After you're commissioned
Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. A rubber ink stamp no larger than 1 inch by 3.5 inches. It must show 'Commonwealth of Pennsylvania', the words 'Notary Seal', your name and the title 'Notary Public', your county, and your commission expiration date. Under regulations effective March 28, 2026, the stamp must also carry your seven-digit commission number — if you hold an older stamp, confirm with the Department of State whether you can keep using it until renewal. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Pennsylvania stamp requirements before you order.
What you can charge: Pennsylvania caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act (most acts). The Department of State's fee schedule (4 Pa. Code § 167.3, updated March 28, 2026) caps acknowledgments at $5 for the first person plus $2 for each additional name, and sets $5 per person or signature for oaths, verifications, and witnessing a signature; noting a protest is $3 per page. Electronic and remote notaries may charge up to $20 per notarial act on electronic records. You must post or provide your fees and give an itemized receipt. Reasonable clerical charges like travel and copying are allowed on top if disclosed in advance.
E&O insurance: Not required. The $25,000 bond protects the public, not you — if the surety pays a claim, it can recover the money from you. Optional errors-and-omissions insurance covers your own mistakes.
Earning more with your commission
Loan signings are one possible service after commissioning — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. Availability depends on local demand, hiring requirements and state restrictions. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide
Pennsylvania notary FAQ
How much does it cost to become a notary in Pennsylvania?
The state filing fee is $42, and new applicants pay $65 per attempt for the Pearson VUE exam. On top of that you'll buy a $25,000 surety bond (the premium is set by the insurer), pay county recording fees for the bond and oath, and buy a stamp and journal. The 3-hour course price depends on the provider you pick.
Do I have to take the exam when I renew my Pennsylvania commission?
Not if you apply while your commission is still active. But if your commission expires — even by one day — before the Department receives your application, you're treated like a new applicant and must pass the Pearson VUE exam again. The 3-hour education course, however, is required for every renewal no matter what.
What happens after I'm appointed as a Pennsylvania notary?
You have 45 days to finish the county paperwork: take the oath of office, record your bond, oath, and commission with the recorder of deeds in the county where your office is, and register your signature with the prothonotary. If you miss the 45-day deadline, the commission becomes null and void and you have to reapply.
Did Pennsylvania's notary bond amount change?
Yes. For notaries appointed or reappointed on or after March 28, 2026, the required bond is $25,000, up from $10,000. If you were commissioned before that date, your existing bond stays valid until your current commission expires.
Can Pennsylvania notaries do remote online notarization?
Yes. Act 97 of 2020 made RON permanent. Once commissioned, you file the Electronic/Remote Notarization Application through notaries.pa.gov, pick a technology vendor from the Department of State's approved list, and wait for approval. Remote and electronic notarizations can be charged up to $20 per act instead of the usual $5 cap.
Official sources
Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.
- Application Information — Pennsylvania Department of State
- Examination Requirement — Pennsylvania Department of State
- Notary Public Fees — Pennsylvania Department of State
- Notary Regulations Changes (effective March 28, 2026) — Pennsylvania Department of State
The source review date covers our earlier research. Recent checks above apply only to the named topics. Requirements and charges can change; confirm the current packet with Pennsylvania Department of State.