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How to get your notary public license

Requirements

You must be:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Able to read and write English
  • A citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States
  • Live in Washington State, or have a place of employment or practice in Washington

How to apply

Online

  • Prepare your documents for upload:
    • Electronic copy of your notarized Oath of Office form.
    • Electronic copy of your signed $10,000 surety bond.
  • Have your method of payment ready. Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit or debit card, or bank account information to pay the application fee.
Apply online

By mail

  1. Complete a Notary Public Commission Application.
  2. Send us all of the following:
    • Completed, signed application.
    • Copy of your signed $10,000 surety bond. (Don't send us your Errors and Omissions policy).
    • A check or money order payable to 'Department of Licensing' for the application fee.

How to apply for a remote notary endorsement

  • If you already have an electronic records notary endorsement, you can email us to apply to perform remote notary endorsement.
  • If you don't have an electronic records notary endorsement, you can apply below.
  • You will need to include the name of your remote notarization software in your email request to us.
  • You can't notarize signatures remotely until we've issued an approval to you.

How to apply for an electronic notary endorsement

You can add an electronic notary endorsement when you apply for a new commission or when you renew your current commission.

To add an electronic notary endorsement any other time you can log in or sign up to add it online, or mail us the following:

  • Completed Notary Public Electronic Notarization Endorsement Application.
  • Check or money order for $15 non-refundable fee, payable to "Department of Licensing."
  • The name of your electronic notary software.
    • You must give us the name of the software you'll be using within 30 days after we issue the endorsement.
    • You can’t notarize electronic records until we’ve received the name of your software.

After you receive your commission

After you get your commission you'll need to:

Get your stamp or seal

After you get your license, you can order a stamp from your bonding company or any stamp provider, such as an office supply store.

By law, the vendor must see a copy of your notary license before making your stamp or seal. If they don't ask, they're not a reputable vendor and you should go elsewhere.

Your notary stamp must meet Washington State legal requirements for content and size:

Keep a journal of all notarizations

You're required to keep a journal of all your notarial acts.

The journal must be:

  • A permanent, bound book with numbered pages.
    • You may also keep an electronic journal for your own records, but it can't replace the physical book.
  • Kept in a locked and secured area under your exclusive control.
  • Kept for 10 years after the last notarization recorded in the journal.

Journal entries must be made at the time of the notarization and must include:

  • The date and time of the notarization.
  • A description of the document or act being notarized.
  • The full name, address, and signature of each person requesting the notarization.
  • A brief description of the identification method.

If you resign your commission, or if you're suspended or revoked, you must tell us where the journal is located.

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