Getting Started

To be appointed as a notary, you must meet the following requirements:

• 18 years of age or older
• Legal resident of Oklahoma or a non-resident employed in the state of Oklahoma
• Never been convicted of a felony
• Able to read and write in English

Following submission of your application, directions for completing the background check will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Applicants cannot complete the background check until the application is submitted. Following receipt of your background check results, your application will be processed. Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for processing time.

• If your application is approved, a notice will be sent to your email address to let you know that your commission and a receipt for the filing fee are ready to be retrieved from your briefcase on our website. Your commission will identify your name, commission number, city and county of residence or employment, commission date, and commission expiration date. Retain this information for your records. A notary commission is valid for four years.
  
  
• If your application is rejected, the application will be returned, along with a letter explaining the reasons for rejection and a receipt for the filing fee. You will be notified by email to retrieve this documentation from your briefcase on our website.

Following issuance of your notary commission, you must obtain a notarial seal containing, at a minimum, the words “State of Oklahoma” and “Notary Public,” as well as your name as it appears on the commission. In addition, the seal may contain your commission number and expiration date. The seal may be either a metal seal which leaves an embossed impression or a rubber stamp used in conjunction with a stamp pad and ink. You will use this seal to authenticate all official acts, attestations, and instruments, and shall add the your official signature, as well as the your commission number and expiration date if not already included on the seal.

Notary seals may be purchased from any stamp or seal business that makes such seals. The Secretary of State does not provide notarial seals, nor do we maintain a list of stamp or seal businesses for public use. We encourage you to proofread your stamp or seal upon receipt to confirm that the information is accurate and exactly the same as printed on your commission.

After purchasing your notarial seal and within sixty (60) days after issuance of your notary commission, you must file a $10,000.00 surety bond with the Secretary of State, along with your oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature, impression of your notarial seal, and a $25.00 filing fee. The bond shall commence on the bond’s effective date and terminate on the expiration date of your notary commission.

A bond may be purchased from any insurance agency or bonding company, or you may choose to use individual sureties who are property owners in your county of residence, or if a nonresident, in the county of your employment.

• To expedite your bond’s processing time, we recommend you submit your notarial bond through our online filing system.
• You may not enter your duties as a notary until your notarial bond has been accepted and filed by the Secretary of State.   
• Bond Filing Instructions