2026 state guide · SC

How to become a notary in South Carolina

By NotaryRequirements.com · Source review July 18, 2026
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Official application ↗Your application checklist

Quick answer

Minimum age: 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
Required fees: $25 + variable costs
Exam / course: No exam required · No mandatory course
Bond coverage: Not required
Commission term: 10 years
Remote status: Electronic RON not authorized

South Carolina notaries pay a $25 fee, get their application endorsed by their county's legislative delegation, and receive a ten-year commission from the Secretary of State. No bond, no exam, and no training are required.

South Carolina adds a step you won't see almost anywhere else: politicians sign off on your notary application. After you complete the Secretary of State's form and get your oath notarized, you mail everything — with the $25 fee — to your county's legislative delegation office. State law lets each county decide whether approval takes half of its legislators or just the senator and representative for your district. Only after the delegation endorses it does the application reach the Secretary of State, who issues a commission that lasts a full ten years.

Beyond that quirk, becoming a notary here is cheap and simple: be a registered South Carolina voter, read and write English, pay $25, and buy a stamp. No bond, no exam, no required class. Just budget extra calendar time for the delegation step, since your paperwork moves at the legislators' pace.

Set expectations about the work itself, though. Fees are capped at $5 per signature, South Carolina still has no remote online notarization law as of mid-2026, and court rulings require a licensed attorney to supervise every real estate closing — so the independent signing-agent path that exists in title-company states mostly doesn't exist here.

Who can become a notary in South Carolina?

Age: at least 18 years old.
Residency: You must be a registered voter in South Carolina, which means you must be a South Carolina resident (and at least 18). State law has no path for non-residents who merely work in the state.
Background: The statute does not list an automatic conviction bar for applicants; it requires an application with no significant misstatement or omission of fact. A notary later convicted of certain offenses forfeits the commission and cannot be issued another (S.C. Code § 26-1-160). If you have a record, confirm your eligibility with the Secretary of State before applying.
Able to read and write English.
Your application must be endorsed by your county's legislative delegation (see application steps).

Your application checklist

Work through the application in order. Check off completed steps; your progress is saved only in this browser.

Step 1. Confirm you are a registered South Carolina voter — it's a legal requirement, not just a formality.
Step 2. Download the Notary Public Application from the Secretary of State's website (sos.sc.gov) and complete it, signing in pen and ink exactly as you want your official signature to read.
Step 3. Have your signature acknowledged and the oath of office section notarized before a notary or another officer authorized to administer oaths — a certified copy of your written oath is recorded with the Secretary of State.
Step 4. Mail all pages of the application, with original signatures and the $25 fee payable to the SC Secretary of State, to your county legislative delegation office.
Step 5. Wait for the delegation to endorse your application. By law (S.C. Code § 26-1-20), each county delegation decides whether endorsement takes half of the county's legislators or just the senator and representative for your district. The delegation office then forwards the completed application to the Secretary of State.
Step 6. The Secretary of State issues your ten-year commission and mails your certificate.
Step 7. Buy a seal — ink stamp or embosser — showing your name, 'Notary Public', and 'State of South Carolina'. Your commission expiration date must appear in the seal or be written in each notarial certificate.

How long it takes: The state does not publish a firm timeline, and total time depends on how quickly your county legislative delegation endorses and forwards the application. Plan on several weeks and confirm current turnaround with your delegation office or the Secretary of State.

What it costs in South Carolina

First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.

Known required fees: $25 + 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.

Application / commission fee (required)

$25 · Source

First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.

Your actual charge (USD)

Required seal and supplies (required)

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.

Your quote (USD)

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

South Carolina does not require an exam or a mandatory course. Not required for a standard commission. The Secretary of State publishes a free online Notary Public Reference Manual, and training is only mandatory for the optional electronic notary registration.

Remote notarization in South Carolina

Electronic RON not authorized

Electronic notarization is in person; it does not authorize remote video appearances.

As of July 2026 the legislature has not enacted a remote online notarization law, making South Carolina one of the few remaining states without RON. Don't confuse the state's 'electronic notary' registration with RON — the signer must still be physically present. Check the Secretary of State's notary pages before relying on this.

Not applicable — South Carolina notaries may not notarize for remotely located signers. The state's Electronic Notary Public Act (2021 Act No. 85) covers in-person electronic notarization only: § 26-2-50(A) requires the principal to appear in person before the electronic notary. To do in-person e-notarizations, register with the Secretary of State ($50), complete the required course and exam, and use an approved technology vendor.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. A seal of office is required and must be affixed to your notarial acts (S.C. Code § 26-1-60). Ink stamp or embosser both qualify. Required elements: your name (matching your commission), the words 'Notary Public', and 'State of South Carolina' (§ 26-1-5). No shape or size is specified. Your commission expiration date must appear in the stamp/seal or elsewhere in the notarial certificate (§ 26-1-90(B)). See the new-notary supplies checklist and South Carolina stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: South Carolina caps notary fees at $5 per signature (acknowledgments, jurats, signature witnessings); $5 per person for oaths and affirmations. Set by S.C. Code § 26-1-100. Electronic notarizations by registered electronic notaries are capped higher, at $10 per signature (§ 26-2-70). The caps are firm, so volume — not price — drives any notary income.

E&O insurance: Not required. Optional errors-and-omissions insurance covers you if a notarization mistake causes someone a loss; with no bond requirement in South Carolina, E&O is the only financial backstop available.

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. That path is limited in South Carolina (see the callout above), so weigh it before investing in training. Loan signing agent guide

South Carolina notary FAQ

What is the legislative delegation, and why does it sign my notary application?

It's the group of state senators and representatives who represent your county. South Carolina law makes them the gatekeepers: you mail your application to the delegation office, and it isn't forwarded to the Secretary of State until enough legislators endorse it — either half the delegation or just your own senator and representative, depending on your county's rule.

How long is a South Carolina notary commission good for?

Ten years — among the longest terms in the country. With a $25 fee, no bond, and no course, that works out to a very low cost per year. Renewal repeats the same application and delegation-endorsement process.

Can South Carolina notaries do remote online notarization?

No. As of July 2026 there is no RON law in South Carolina. The state does let you register as an electronic notary ($50 plus a course and exam), but that only lets you notarize electronic documents with the signer standing in front of you — remote signers are not allowed.

Can I make money as a loan signing agent in South Carolina?

It's very limited. The state Supreme Court requires a South Carolina attorney to supervise real estate and mortgage closings, and notary law separately bans non-attorneys from helping signers complete or understand documents. Most signing work here happens inside law firms rather than as a freelance business, and general notary fees are capped at $5 per signature.

I work in South Carolina but live in another state — can I get a commission?

No. The statute requires applicants to be registered South Carolina voters, which means residents. Unlike some neighboring states, there is no commuter or non-resident option.

Official sources

Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.

Notaries — South Carolina Secretary of State
S.C. Code of Laws, Title 26, Chapter 1 (Notaries Public) — South Carolina Legislature
S.C. Code of Laws, Title 26, Chapter 2 (Electronic Notary Public Act) — South Carolina Legislature

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 South Carolina Secretary of State.