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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Washington State Department of Licensing

Washington commissions notaries through the Department of Licensing, not the Secretary of State. You pay a $40 application fee, post a $10,000 four-year surety bond, and take no exam or class. The commission lasts up to four years.

Washington puts its notary program in an unexpected place: the Department of Licensing, the agency that handles driver licenses, runs commissioning instead of the Secretary of State. The requirements themselves are middle-of-the-road — a $40 application, a $10,000 surety bond, no exam, no mandatory class — plus one step that trips people up: the oath of office on your application must be notarized by someone who is already a notary before you file.

In practice you buy the four-year bond from any Washington-licensed surety, submit the application online through SecureAccess Washington or by mail, and wait — the DOL asks for at least 30 days and sells no expedited option. Once commissioned, you order a stamp (the vendor checks your commission first) and start a journal, which Washington has required for every notarial act since 2018.

The economics improved recently: in June 2024 the state raised the fee cap from $10 to $15 per in-person act, with remote notarizations capped at $25. Remote work takes two add-ons — a $15 electronic records endorsement plus a remote endorsement you request by email (the DOL lists no separate fee for it) — under a remote notarization law that has been permanent since October 2020.

Who can become a notary in Washington?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must live in Washington, or have a place of employment or practice in Washington. Out-of-state residents who work in Washington can be commissioned.
• Background: The Department of Licensing reviews applications case by case. A felony or gross misdemeanor conviction related to notary practice within the past five years may disqualify you, but there is no automatic lifetime bar. Section B of the application asks about convictions and professional sanctions — answer honestly, since misstatements are themselves grounds for denial.
• You must be able to read and write English.
• You must sign an oath of office (Section D of the application) in front of a currently commissioned notary before you submit.

How to apply: step by step

1. Buy a four-year, $10,000 surety bond in your name from any insurance or bonding company licensed to write surety in Washington. The commission cannot outlast the bond, so match the bond term to the four-year commission.
2. Complete the Notary Public Commission Application: Section A (personal information and the name you will notarize under), Section B (conviction and sanction questions), and Section D (oath of office). Section C is only for the optional electronic records notary endorsement.
3. Have Section D — the oath of office — notarized by a current notary public. You cannot notarize your own oath.
4. Submit the application, proof of your bond, and the $40 fee to the Department of Licensing, either online through SecureAccess Washington (SAW) or by mail to the Notary Public Program in Seattle. Add $15 if you are also applying for the electronic records notary endorsement.
5. Wait for processing — the DOL says to allow at least 30 days and offers no expedited service.
6. Once your commission arrives, order your stamp from a private vendor (the vendor will ask to see your commission) and set up a journal — Washington requires notaries to keep a journal of every notarial act.

How long it takes: The Department of Licensing says to allow at least 30 days and does not offer expedited service. Incomplete applications are the most common cause of delay.

What it costs in Washington

Exam and training

Washington does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No training is required. Optional education classes exist through private providers, and the DOL publishes a detailed Washington State Notary Public Guide that covers the law for free.

Can you notarize online in Washington? RON allowed

Yes — Washington authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Remote notarization was made permanent by SB 5641 (2019), effective October 1, 2020, codified at RCW 42.45.280. Identity is verified by personal knowledge, a credible witness, or two forms of identity proofing, and the audiovisual recording of each session must be kept at least 10 years.

To add RON to your commission: Two add-ons stack on a regular commission. First, get the electronic records notary endorsement ($15) — via Section C of the application, a separate endorsement application, or the DOL online portal — and name your technology provider. Then request the remote endorsement by emailing notaries@dol.wa.gov with the name of the remote notarization software you will use. You must hold both endorsements before performing any remote notarization.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. Under WAC 308-30-070 the stamp must be at least 1-5/8 inches in diameter if circular, or 1 inch by 1-5/8 inches if rectangular, printed in at least 8-point type. It must show the words 'notary public' and 'state of Washington', your commissioned name, your commission number, and your expiration date. It cannot contain the Washington state seal, and it must reproduce when photocopied. Stamp vendors will ask to see your commission before making one. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Washington stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Washington caps notary fees at $15 per notarial act (in person). WAC 308-30-220 (updated effective June 22, 2024) caps in-person acts — acknowledgments, oaths, signature witnessing, copy certifications — at $15 each, and remote notarial acts at $25. You may add actual copying costs and a travel fee, but only if the travel fee is agreed to in advance and you explain it is separate from the notarial fee and not required by law.

E&O insurance: Not required. The $10,000 bond protects the public, and the surety can bill you back for claims it pays, so optional errors-and-omissions insurance is what actually protects the notary.

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

Washington notary FAQ