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

Requirements verified July 18, 2026 against South Carolina Secretary of State

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).

How to apply: step by step

1. Confirm you are a registered South Carolina voter — it's a legal requirement, not just a formality.
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.
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.
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.
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.
6. The Secretary of State issues your ten-year commission and mails your certificate.
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

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.

Can you notarize online in South Carolina? RON not authorized

No — South Carolina has not authorized its notaries to perform remote online notarization. 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.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. 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

Most new notaries who turn the commission into real income do it through loan signings — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. 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