--- title: "Become a Notary Outside New Jersey: State-by-State Guides" description: "Free state guides to becoming a notary, built from official pages: steps, sourced costs, term, renewal and remote rules. New Jersey has its own guide." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/become-a-notary/other-states" --- Become a notary, by state # Becoming a notary in another state Each state sets its own path to a notary commission. These free guides follow the official commissioning office's pages, cite them under every table, and point out where a state is unusual. ✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials) Pick your state for its fee, exam and forms. The steps most states share are in [how to become a notary public: the general steps](/notary/guides/how-to-become-a-notary-public-general-steps); New Jersey has [its own guide](/notary/become-a-notary/how-to-qualify). **Key facts** - 50 guides: 49 states and the District of Columbia. New Jersey has [its own guide](/notary/become-a-notary). - 47 of the 50 guides link the commissioning office's own notary page, and every table cites the official page it came from. - 21 of the 50 guides list a notary surety bond among their costs, from $500 (Wisconsin) to $50,000 (Alabama and Louisiana). - Example: New York's commission application is $60, per the [New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services](https://dos.ny.gov/notary-public). Checked November 2026. Source: [every state's official source in one file (open dataset, CC BY 4.0)](/data/become-a-notary). ## Choose your state - [How to become a notary in New York](/notary/become-a-notary/new-york) Exam first, then a $60 online application. No seal required; a signature stamp is. - [How to become a notary in Pennsylvania](/notary/become-a-notary/pennsylvania) Course, exam, $25,000 bond, and a hard 45-day deadline to record at the county. - [How to become a notary in Florida](/notary/become-a-notary/florida) Free 3-hour course and a $39 state fee, filed for you by a bonding agency. - [How to become a notary in Texas](/notary/become-a-notary/texas) Portal education, a $10,000 bond, and an oath you take on your own downloaded commission. - [How to become a notary in California](/notary/become-a-notary/california) Six hours of class, an exam, Live Scan fingerprints, a $15,000 bond and 30 days to file. - [How to become a notary in Georgia](/notary/become-a-notary/georgia) Appointed at the county courthouse: free training, two endorsers, no bond. - [How to become a notary in North Carolina](/notary/become-a-notary/north-carolina) Six-hour course, an 80% exam, and an oath at the register of deeds within 45 days. - [How to become a notary in Virginia](/notary/become-a-notary/virginia) Apply for $45, claim it at the circuit court within 60 days. No bond. - [How to become a notary in Illinois](/notary/become-a-notary/illinois) Course and exam, a $5,000 bond, and a bound journal for every act. - [How to become a notary in Ohio](/notary/become-a-notary/ohio) Background check first, a 3-hour course and test, then a $15 filing. - [How to become a notary in Maryland](/notary/become-a-notary/maryland) Handbook, course and exam, a senator's approval, and an $11 oath within 30 days. - [How to become a notary in Arizona](/notary/become-a-notary/arizona) A $35 Pearson exam, a $5,000 bond and a $43 filing, then a journal with thumbprints for real estate. - [How to become a notary in Michigan](/notary/become-a-notary/michigan) A $10,000 bond, the oath at the county clerk, and a commission that ends on a birthday. - [How to become a notary in Washington](/notary/become-a-notary/washington) A $10,000 bond, a notarized oath and $40. No test, but the license ends with your bond. - [How to become a notary in Missouri](/notary/become-a-notary/missouri) Handbook or training, an 80% exam, a $10,000 bond and an oath at the county clerk. - [How to become a notary in Indiana](/notary/become-a-notary/indiana) An eight-year term, with a $50 course every two years to keep it. - [How to become a notary in Wisconsin](/notary/become-a-notary/wisconsin) Commissioned by DFI: a 90% exam, a $500 bond and a $20 filing. - [How to become a notary in South Carolina](/notary/become-a-notary/south-carolina) Registered voters only: no course, exam or bond, and a ten-year commission. - [How to become a notary in Massachusetts](/notary/become-a-notary/massachusetts) Four references, approval by the Governor and Council, then $60 for seven years. - [How to become a notary in Colorado](/notary/become-a-notary/colorado) Free training, an open-book exam and $10: approval in days. - [How to become a notary in Tennessee](/notary/become-a-notary/tennessee) Elected by the county commission: a $12 application and a $10,000 bond. - [How to become a notary in Minnesota](/notary/become-a-notary/minnesota) A $120 application by mail, then a $20 county registration you shouldn't skip. - [How to become a notary in Alabama](/notary/become-a-notary/alabama) Everything runs through your county probate judge; fees vary by county. - [How to become a notary in Louisiana](/notary/become-a-notary/louisiana) A five-hour exam and a $50,000 bond, for a notary with civil-law powers. - [How to become a notary in Oregon](/notary/become-a-notary/oregon) Free Notary Basics training, an exam, and a $40 fee sent with your oath. - [How to become a notary in Connecticut](/notary/become-a-notary/connecticut) Every exam question right, $120, and the oath recorded with your town clerk. - [How to become a notary in Nevada](/notary/become-a-notary/nevada) A 3-hour course and exam every time, a $10,000 bond at the county clerk, and a $35 application. - [How to become a notary in New Hampshire](/notary/become-a-notary/new-hampshire) Three endorsements, $75, and appointment by the Governor and Executive Council. - [How to become a notary in New Mexico](/notary/become-a-notary/new-mexico) A course and exam, a $10,000 bond, $30 online, and a 45-day stamp deadline. - [How to become a notary in North Dakota](/notary/become-a-notary/north-dakota) A $7,500 bond, $36 on FirstStop, and a stamp the state approves before you start. - [How to become a notary in Oklahoma](/notary/become-a-notary/oklahoma) $25, a $1,000 bond and two oaths filed within 60 days. Check sos.ok.gov for any training or exam. - [How to become a notary in Rhode Island](/notary/become-a-notary/rhode-island) Score 80% on the knowledge assessment, then a paper application with $80. - [How to become a notary in South Dakota](/notary/become-a-notary/south-dakota) Seal imprint on the application, $30 by mail, no bond since 2025, six years. - [How to become a notary in Utah](/notary/become-a-notary/utah) A $95 exam, a background check, and since May 2026 a required journal. - [How to become a notary in Vermont](/notary/become-a-notary/vermont) Licensed by OPR: a $30 application, an open-book exam and continuing education. - [How to become a notary in West Virginia](/notary/become-a-notary/west-virginia) $52 online, no bond since 2018, and a rubber stamp ordered from your letter. - [How to become a notary in Wyoming](/notary/become-a-notary/wyoming) An education presentation, a 20-question exam, $60, and six years with no bond. - [How to become a notary in District of Columbia](/notary/become-a-notary/district-of-columbia) $75 online, a $2,000 bond, and ONCA's New Notary Orientation within 60 days. - [How to become a notary in Alaska](/notary/become-a-notary/alaska) A $2,500 bond, a notarized oath and $40 to the Lieutenant Governor. No exam. - [How to become a notary in Arkansas](/notary/become-a-notary/arkansas) A 25-question exam, a $7,500 bond, $20, and an oath at the circuit clerk for ten years. - [How to become a notary in Delaware](/notary/become-a-notary/delaware) $60 online, no bond or exam, and a journal required since 2023. - [How to become a notary in Hawaii](/notary/become-a-notary/hawaii) Two letters, a closed-book exam at 80%, and a commission from the Attorney General. - [How to become a notary in Idaho](/notary/become-a-notary/idaho) No exam, a $10,000 bond and $30 for a six-year commission. - [How to become a notary in Iowa](/notary/become-a-notary/iowa) $30, no bond or exam, and a three-year term with an optional bilingual listing. - [How to become a notary in Kansas](/notary/become-a-notary/kansas) Stamp first, a $12,000 bond and $25, and a journal required since 2022. - [How to become a notary in Kentucky](/notary/become-a-notary/kentucky) $10 to the state, a $1,000 bond, and 30 days to qualify at the county clerk. - [How to become a notary in Maine](/notary/become-a-notary/maine) An exam on the paper application, $50, and an oath before a Dedimus Justice. - [How to become a notary in Mississippi](/notary/become-a-notary/mississippi) $25, a $5,000 bond within 60 days, a required journal and no standing remote option. - [How to become a notary in Montana](/notary/become-a-notary/montana) 4 hours of training, an 80% exam and a $25,000 bond, filed online for $25. - [How to become a notary in Nebraska](/notary/become-a-notary/nebraska) An 85% exam with three tries, a $15,000 bond and $30 in the online portal. In New Jersey? See [how to become a notary and loan signing agent in New Jersey](/notary/become-a-notary). General information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your state's commissioning office. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with any state government. Building a notary business? [The loan signing agent course](/courses/loan-signing-agent). ## Questions **Do notary rules differ much from state to state?** Yes. Some states require an exam, some a course, some fingerprints; bond amounts, fee caps, terms and filing deadlines all differ. Each guide below follows one state's official pages. **Where do I confirm the rules?** With the state's commissioning office, linked at the bottom of each guide. Our guides cite the official page under every table. **I live in New Jersey. Which guide is mine?** The New Jersey guide at /notary/become-a-notary covers the New Jersey commission and loan signing. Do it yourself ### New Jersey Notary Starter Kit The paperwork a new notary has to build from scratch, ready to print or edit: a journal laid out for what New Jersey's manual says to record, checklists, forms and client emails. [See what's inside ($29)](/toolkits/nj-notary-starter-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/nj-notary-starter-kit#free-starter)14-day full refund ## Related - [What we use and recommend: tools for notaries, small businesses and families](/resources/recommended) - [2027 State Notary Fees and Requirements Report](/data/reports/2027-notary-fees-and-requirements) **Download this data:** [CSV](/data/become-a-notary.csv) · [JSON](/data/become-a-notary.json) · [Field guide, license and citation](/data/become-a-notary) 50 jurisdictions, sources checked November 2026. Free under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) with a link back. ## Already commissioned? [Find signing work](/toolkits/notary-marketing-kit)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)