How to Become a Notary in Pennsylvania (2026): Requirements, Cost & Steps
Quick answer
- Who qualifies
- 18+ · You must live in Pennsylvania, or work or run a practice in Pennsylvania
- Total cost
- About $100–$300 (estimate — breakdown below)
- Exam / course
- Exam and course required
- Bond
- Yes — $25,000 surety bond
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Online notarization
- Allowed (extra registration)
Requirements verified July 18, 2026 against Pennsylvania Department of State
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.
How to apply: step by step
- Take the mandatory 3-hour notary education course from a provider preapproved by the Department of State. It must be completed within the 6 months before you apply, and it is required for every application — first-time and renewal alike.
- Apply online at notaries.pa.gov (the Department of State's notary portal) and pay the $42 filing fee, or mail a paper application to the Department of State's notary office in Harrisburg.
- If you do not hold a current, unexpired Pennsylvania commission, wait for the Department's email authorizing you to test, then pass the Pearson VUE notary exam. It costs $65 per attempt, you get one at-home online attempt (retakes happen at a test center), and you have 6 months from authorization to pass.
- After appointment, watch your email — the Department sends your notice of appointment with the bond and oath forms.
- Buy a $25,000 surety bond from an insurance company authorized to do business in Pennsylvania.
- Within 45 days of appointment: take the oath of office, record the bond, oath, and commission with the recorder of deeds in the county where your office is located, and register your signature with the county prothonotary (in some counties this is handled by the recorder of deeds). Miss the 45-day window and the commission becomes null and void.
- Buy your rubber-stamp seal and a journal before you notarize anything. The stamp must fit the state's required wording and size.
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
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State application fee | $42 | Plan on the $42 state fee plus the $65 exam if you're new, then the bond premium, county recording charges, and your stamp and journal. Renewing notaries who apply before their commission expires skip the exam fee but still pay $42 and must retake the 3-hour course. |
| Surety bond ($25,000 coverage) | Premium varies by vendor | You pay a small one-time premium, not the full bond amount. A $25,000 bond from an insurer authorized in Pennsylvania, executed within 45 days of appointment and recorded with the county recorder of deeds before you start notarizing. The amount rose from $10,000 to $25,000 for notaries appointed or reappointed on or after March 28, 2026; notaries commissioned before that date keep their existing bond until the commission expires. |
| Required course | Varies by provider | 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. |
| Exam | See notes | 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. |
| Pearson VUE exam | $65 per attempt (new applicants and anyone whose commission lapsed). | |
| Surety bond premium | paid to an insurance company; the price is set by the insurer, not the state. | |
| County recording fees for the bond, oath, and commission at the recorder of deeds, plus the prothonotary signature registration — amounts vary by county. | — | |
| Rubber-stamp seal and journal from a stamp vendor. | — | |
| Stamp & journal | $20–$60 (typical retail) | Estimate across major suppliers — see our supplies checklist. |
| Realistic total (estimate) | About $100–$300 |
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.
Can you notarize online in Pennsylvania? RON allowed
Yes — Pennsylvania authorizes remote online notarization (RON). 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.
To add RON to your commission: 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
Get your stamp and journal. 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
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
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
Every requirement on this page traces to one of these official sources.
- 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