How to Become a Notary in Colorado — Requirements & Fees

How to become a notary public in Colorado: a required course, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Colorado Secretary of State - Notary Program (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

In order, from the Secretary of State's 'Applying and renewing' FAQ (A2) and C.R.S. 24-21-521 and 24-21-522: (1) meet the qualifications in C.R.S. 24-21-521(3); (2) complete an approved notary training course - free through the Secretary of State's own eLearning course, or through one of the SOS-approved vendors listed by approval number on the Notary Public Training page; (3) pass the Colorado notary examination administered by the Secretary of State or an SOS-approved entity (C.R.S. 24-21-522(1)); the training and exam certificates must have been issued within the last 90 days (SOS 'Notary Public Registration Checklist', PrintableAttachmentInfoApply, revised 02/14/2025); (4) sign the statutory Affirmation for Appointment and Commission (C.R.S. 24-21-521(5)) in front of a current Colorado notary, clerk, deputy clerk or judge; (5) apply online and upload the notarized affirmation, both sides of acceptable identification, the training certificate and the exam certificate (and, for non-U.S. citizens, both sides of the permanent resident card or EAD card); (6) pay the $10.00 online filing fee by credit or debit card; (7) wait for approval - 'Your application should be processed within three to five business days' and 'You can start notarizing documents when you receive an email notifying you that your application has been approved' (FAQ A3, A5); (8) obtain a compliant official stamp and a journal before notarizing (FAQ A5; C.R.S. 24-21-517, 24-21-519). A rejected application must be corrected and approved within 90 days of payment or the applicant must start over and pay again (FAQ A4).

Legal basis

Colorado Secretary of State - Notary Program commissions notaries public in Colorado. Every figure below is verified against the commissioning authority’s own official pages and dated.

What it’s called

The statutory noun is ’notary public’, and what the state issues is a COMMISSION, not a license: C.R.S. 24-21-521 is captioned ‘Commission as notary public - qualifications’ and subsection (6) provides that the Secretary of State ‘shall issue a commission as a notary public to an applicant for a term of four years’. The Secretary of State’s own pages use ’notary commission’ and, for the filing itself, ‘Notary Public Registration’. ‘Notary license’, ’notary certification’ and ‘getting notarized/certified as a notary’ are folk terms - Colorado issues no notary license and no notary certification. ’eNotary’ is the Secretary of State’s own shorthand for a commissioned notary separately approved to notarize electronic records with the signer present; ‘remote notary’ is a different, separate approval and is not a synonym for eNotary (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A21). ‘Notary signing agent’ / ’loan signing agent’ is not a Colorado credential and appears nowhere in C.R.S. Title 24 Article 21 Part 5, the Notary Handbook or the SOS FAQ set read on 2026-08-12. Colorado law separately prohibits the term ’notario’: the Notary Handbook lists among prohibited acts to ‘Use the phrase “notario” or “notario publico” to advertise notary services’, citing C.R.S. 24-21-525(3).

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission (traditional / paper) — Anyone qualified under C.R.S. 24-21-521(3) who wants to perform notarial acts on tangible records in Colorado Issued by the Secretary of State for a four-year term (C.R.S. 24-21-521(6)). Application is filed online; $10.00 online filing fee (SOS notary fee schedule). A compliant rectangular ink stamp and a journal are required before notarizing (SOS ‘Official stamps and journals’ FAQ A1 and A7).
Electronic notary (eNotary) approval — A currently commissioned Colorado notary who wants to notarize electronic records with the signer physically present Separate approval on top of the commission: ‘This option is only available to Colorado notaries who are currently commissioned and have been approved as eNotaries by the Secretary of State’s Office’ (SOS eNotary FAQ A1). Before the first electronic notarial act the notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify the tamper-evident technology used (C.R.S. 24-21-520(2)). Each electronic notarization must carry a document authentication number (DAN) issued by the Secretary of State (C.R.S. 24-21-520(3); SOS eNotary FAQ A7). Applied for by logging in to the notary account (SOS eNotary FAQ A5); the SOS notary fee schedule lists no separate eNotary application fee.
Remote notary (remote online notarization) approval — A commissioned Colorado notary who wants to notarize electronic records for a remotely located individual over real-time audio-video communication Separate application and $10.00 online fee (‘Remote notary application - $10.00’, SOS notary fee schedule). Requires a separate remote-notary training and exam certificate no more than 90 days old and a different affirmation form (‘Attaching wrong affirmation (remote notary affirmation is different)’ is listed as a rejection reason - SOS ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ A13, A15; SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A22). The notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify each remote notarization system before the first remote notarization (C.R.S. 24-21-514.5(3)).

Who can be commissioned

C.R.S. 24-21-521(3): an applicant must (a) be at least eighteen years of age; (b) be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States or otherwise lawfully present in the United States; (c) be a resident of or have a place of employment or practice in this state; (d) be able to read and write English; (e) not be disqualified under C.R.S. 24-21-523; and (f) have passed the examination required under C.R.S. 24-21-522(1). Lawful presence is verified from a listed identity document plus an affidavit (C.R.S. 24-21-521(4)); the Secretary of State’s FAQ notes that documents issued under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42 to individuals not lawfully present or only temporarily present are not acceptable identification on their own. Criminal-history bars run through C.R.S. 24-21-523(1)(c), under which the Secretary of State may deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend or condition a commission for ‘a conviction of the applicant or notary public of any felony or, in the prior five years, a misdemeanor involving dishonesty’; the SOS FAQ states the same test as ‘Have never been convicted of a felony’ and ‘Have not been convicted of a misdemeanor involving dishonesty in the past five years’. A person whose Colorado notary commission has been revoked ‘may not apply for or receive a commission and appointment as a notary’ (C.R.S. 24-21-523(6)). Language: the statute requires the ability to read and write English; it does not require English-only notarizations, and C.R.S. 24-21-514.7 provides for interpreters in notarial acts.

Requirements

In order, from the Secretary of State’s ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ (A2) and C.R.S. 24-21-521 and 24-21-522: (1) meet the qualifications in C.R.S. 24-21-521(3); (2) complete an approved notary training course - free through the Secretary of State’s own eLearning course, or through one of the SOS-approved vendors listed by approval number on the Notary Public Training page; (3) pass the Colorado notary examination administered by the Secretary of State or an SOS-approved entity (C.R.S. 24-21-522(1)); the training and exam certificates must have been issued within the last 90 days (SOS ‘Notary Public Registration Checklist’, PrintableAttachmentInfoApply, revised 02/14/2025); (4) sign the statutory Affirmation for Appointment and Commission (C.R.S. 24-21-521(5)) in front of a current Colorado notary, clerk, deputy clerk or judge; (5) apply online and upload the notarized affirmation, both sides of acceptable identification, the training certificate and the exam certificate (and, for non-U.S. citizens, both sides of the permanent resident card or EAD card); (6) pay the $10.00 online filing fee by credit or debit card; (7) wait for approval - ‘Your application should be processed within three to five business days’ and ‘You can start notarizing documents when you receive an email notifying you that your application has been approved’ (FAQ A3, A5); (8) obtain a compliant official stamp and a journal before notarizing (FAQ A5; C.R.S. 24-21-517, 24-21-519). A rejected application must be corrected and approved within 90 days of payment or the applicant must start over and pay again (FAQ A4).

Training

Colorado requires a training course.

Required for both new applicants and renewing notaries. Secretary of State FAQ A7: ‘Beginning July 1, 2018, both new notaries and notaries renewing their commissions must attend approved training and take an online examination. Our office provides free online training and examination.’ The training certificate must have been ‘Issued within the last 90 days by a state-approved trainer’ (SOS Notary Public Registration Checklist, revised 02/14/2025). Two routes only, per the SOS Notary Public Training page: the Secretary of State’s own free eLearning course, or one of the SOS-approved vendors listed there by approval number - ‘Our office will only accept training certificates from the vendors listed below… We don’t endorse or recommend any approved vendor. “Approved vendor” means that we have verified that the vendor meets the minimum requirements for offering notary training.’ C.R.S. 24-21-522(2) authorizes the Secretary of State to contract with private contractors for notary training programs and permits those contractors to charge a fee. Remote-notary applicants must complete a separate remote-notary training and exam and attach a certificate no older than 90 days (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A22; C.R.S. 24-21-514.5(3)(b) requires ‘proof that the notary public has successfully completed any training and examination required by the secretary of state’). No statutory hour count is published: C.R.S. 24-21-522 sets no hours, and neither the SOS training page nor the ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ states a duration. Course length, if fixed at all, would sit in the notary program rules at 8 CCR 1505-11, which could not be fetched when this page was last verified - so no hour figure is asserted here.

Exam

Colorado requires an exam.

Required. C.R.S. 24-21-522(1): ‘An applicant for a commission as a notary public who does not hold a commission in this state must pass an examination administered by the secretary of state or an entity approved by the secretary of state. The examination must be based on the course of study described in subsection (2) of this section.’ In practice the Secretary of State also requires an exam certificate on renewal - FAQ A7 says renewing notaries must ’take an online examination’, and A8 says an expired notary must file a renewal including ‘a certificate showing successful completion of the online notary exam’. Delivery: online through the Secretary of State’s eLearning system, free of charge - ‘Online training and exam is free through our eLearning notary training course’ (SOS Notary Public Training page). Administration detail from the SOS Notary Public Registration Checklist (revised 02/14/2025): the exam certificate must have been ‘Issued within the last 90 days by our office’, applicants are told ‘Do not attach printouts of the exam questions’, and ‘once your application has been approved, your eLearning account will be removed’ (also FAQ A12). Passing score, question count and time limit are not published in C.R.S. 24-21-522, on the SOS training page, or in the ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ; any such standard would sit in the notary program rules (8 CCR 1505-11), which were not readable when this page was last verified - so no score is stated here. A separate remote-notary examination applies to remote-notary applicants (SOS ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ A15; C.R.S. 24-21-514.5(3)(b)).

Bond & insurance

No surety bond is required to be commissioned as a Colorado notary public, and no errors-and-omissions insurance is required either. C.R.S. 24-21-531(3): ‘Nothing in this part 5 shall be construed to deny a notary public the right to obtain a surety bond or insurance on a voluntary basis to provide coverage for liability’ - the statute treats both as voluntary purchases rather than conditions of commissioning. C.R.S. 24-21-531(2) governs only what happens if a notary does carry one: ‘A notary public and the surety or sureties on his or her bond are liable to the persons involved for all damages proximately caused by the notary’s official misconduct.’ No bond appears in the qualification list at C.R.S. 24-21-521(3), in the Secretary of State’s list of documents that must be uploaded with an application (Notary Public Registration Checklist, revised 02/14/2025), in the ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ answer listing attachments, or as a line item on the SOS notary fee schedule. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the statute (C.R.S. Title 24, Article 21, Part 5, full text as published by the Secretary of State), the SOS Notary Handbook (revised April 24, 2024), the SOS application checklist and affirmation form, the SOS ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ, the SOS ‘Official stamps and journals’ FAQ and the SOS notary fee schedule. The notary program rules at 8 CCR 1505-11 could not be fetched; no bond requirement appears in any tier that was read.

Fees

From the Secretary of State’s official notary fee schedule (https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/info_center/fees/notary.html , page footer ‘Revised January 16, 2021 - subject to change without notice’), with every notary filing shown as online-only (’n/a’ in the paper column): notary public application $10.00; notary public renewal $10.00; remote notary application $10.00; remote notary provider application $250.00; remote notary provider renewal $250.00; notary public change of record free; duplicate notary public certificate free; certificate of fact for a current notary public on file free. Paper-side items on the same schedule: authentication, apostille and magistracy $5.00 per document; notary public list $500.00. Training and examination through the Secretary of State’s eLearning course are free (‘Online training and exam is free through our eLearning notary training course’, SOS Notary Public Training page); SOS-approved private vendors may charge their own price (C.R.S. 24-21-522(2)). No county recording fee applies - the commission is issued centrally by the Secretary of State and no county filing step appears in the statute or the application checklist. The stamp and journal are private purchases at unregulated prices: ‘Our office does not provide notary stamps or journals’ and ‘Prices vary’ (SOS ‘Official stamps and journals’ FAQ A2, A3). SOURCING CAVEAT: Colorado publishes no paper notary application form, so the $10 figures are the agency’s own published online fees rather than figures read off a live application form; the fee schedule’s own revision date is January 16, 2021.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 years, running from the date the Secretary of State approves the commission (not from a county filing) - C.R.S. 24-21-521(6) (’the secretary of state shall issue a commission as a notary public to an applicant for a term of four years, unless revoked’), and SOS FAQ A6: ‘The commission term begins on the date you are approved as a notary. For example, if you are approved on January 1, 2019, your commission will expire on January 1, 2023.’ Every four years. SOS FAQ A6: ‘You must renew your commission every four years… You can renew up to 90 days prior to your commission expiration date.’ Renewal is a fresh online filing with the same attachments as a new application - notarized affirmation, identification, an approved training-course completion certificate and an online-exam certificate (FAQ A7), each certificate no more than 90 days old (SOS renewal checklist, PrintableAttachmentInfoRenew). Colorado treats a lapsed commission as a renewal, not a new appointment: ‘You will have to file a renewal and include a certificate of completion for an approved notary training course and a certificate showing successful completion of the online notary exam. The fee is the same as a new commission… Do not apply as a new notary if you have been a notary in Colorado before’ (FAQ A8). A notary who no longer wants remote authority must resign the remote commission before filing the renewal, or the renewal will demand a fresh remote-notary training and exam certificate less than 90 days old (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A22). Colorado imposes no separate continuing-education hour requirement during a commission term; instead the approved training course and the examination must be repeated at every four-year renewal. SOS ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ A7: ‘Beginning July 1, 2018, both new notaries and notaries renewing their commissions must attend approved training and take an online examination,’ and the renewal filing must include ‘A certificate of completion for an approved notary training course’ and ‘A certificate showing successful completion of the online notary exam.’ Remote notaries must additionally hold a remote-notary training and exam certificate no more than 90 days old at renewal (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A22). Tiers searched on 2026-08-12 for any additional CE obligation: C.R.S. Title 24, Article 21, Part 5 in full as published by the Secretary of State; the SOS Notary Handbook (revised April 24, 2024); the SOS ‘Applying and renewing’ FAQ; the SOS Notary Public Training page; and the SOS renewal checklist PDF. None imposes periodic continuing education apart from the renewal training and exam. The notary program rules at 8 CCR 1505-11 could not be fetched when this page was last verified and were not searched.

Your seal or stamp

A stamp is mandatory and an embosser is prohibited. SOS ‘Official stamps and journals’ FAQ A1: ‘Yes. By law, your official stamp must be clearly applied under or near your official signature on every notary certificate.’ C.R.S. 24-21-517(1) requires the official stamp to ‘(a) Be rectangular and contain only the outline of the seal and the following information printed within the outline of the seal: (I) The notary public’s name, as it appears on the notary’s certificate of commission; (II) The notary’s identification number; (III) The notary’s commission expiration date; (IV) The words “state of Colorado”; and (V) The words “notary public”’ and ‘(b) Be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed or attached or with which it is logically associated.’ C.R.S. 24-21-517(2): ‘A notary public shall not provide, keep, or use a seal embosser.’ The Secretary of State adds that the rectangular border ‘may be plain or decorative’, that ‘No other information can be placed within the border or outline’, and that ‘The law does not specify a particular size or ink color’ (FAQ A4). Expiry / renewal / resignation: the stamping device must be rendered unusable ‘by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing it against use in a manner that renders it unusable’ on resignation, revocation or expiration of the commission or on expiry of the date shown on the device (C.R.S. 24-21-518(1); FAQ A6), and on death or adjudication of incompetency the personal representative, guardian or other possessor must do the same. A lost or stolen stamping device must be reported to the Secretary of State in writing within thirty days of discovery (C.R.S. 24-21-518(2)). Name change: the notary files a name change through the online account, and per the Notary Handbook ‘A notary need not refrain from notarizing while the certificate correction is being processed, as long as the official stamp is correct.’ The Handbook also warns that the Secretary of State ‘cannot authenticate a notarization that shows a wrong or incomplete expiration date’. An eNotary’s electronic signature must carry the notary’s name, ID number, the words ’notary public’ and ‘state of Colorado’, a document authentication number and the words ‘my commission expires’ with the expiration date (C.R.S. 24-21-520(3)); a remote notary’s seal ‘should exactly match your wet stamp’ (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A17).

Keeping a journal

Colorado requires a notary journal.

C.R.S. 24-21-519(1): ‘A notary public shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs. The notary public shall retain the journal for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the journal.’ The duty covers every notarial act, including oral oaths and affirmations - SOS ‘Official stamps and journals’ FAQ A12: ‘Yes. All notarial acts should be recorded in your journal.’ One statutory alternative exists (FAQ A7 calls it the single exception): under C.R.S. 24-21-519(10)(c) a notary may instead keep the original, a copy or an electronic record of the document containing the information otherwise required in the journal, where the notary’s firm or employer retains it in the regular course of business; the Secretary of State still says ‘recording every notarization in a journal is strongly recommended as the best practice.’ Required entries, made contemporaneously with the act (C.R.S. 24-21-519(3)): (a) date and time of the notarial act; (b) a description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act; (c) full name and address of each individual for whom the act is performed; (d) that individual’s signature or electronic signature; (e) a statement if identity was based on personal knowledge; (f) a brief description of the method of identification and type of credential if identity was based on satisfactory evidence; (g) and (h) the full name, address and certification or credential number of any interpreter; and (i) the fee, if any, charged. Format (24-21-519(2)): a tangible journal must be ‘a permanent, bound register with numbered pages’; an electronic journal must be in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format complying with SOS rules; and a notary who performs remote notarizations must maintain an electronic journal for each remote notarization. Security and access: the journal must be kept in a secure area under the notary’s exclusive control and no other notary may use it (24-21-519(4)); the Secretary of State may audit or inspect it without restriction and the notary must surrender it on written request (24-21-519(6)); a certified peace officer acting in an official investigation may inspect it without restriction (24-21-519(7)); loss or theft must be reported in writing within thirty days of discovery (24-21-519(8)). On a written request naming the parties, document type and month and year, the notary may supply a certified copy of that line item, may charge the C.R.S. 24-21-529 fee for it, and must record the transaction in the journal (24-21-519(5)). Disposition when the commission ends (C.R.S. 24-21-519(10); SOS FAQ A9): retain the journal for ten years from the last entry, submit it to the Colorado State Archives, or leave it with the employer - and notify the Secretary of State of the choice by filing the ‘Completed Notary Journals’ form through the online account. On the death or adjudication of incompetency of a current or former notary, the personal representative, guardian or other possessor must transmit the journal to the state archives and notify the Secretary of State in writing (C.R.S. 24-21-519(11)).

Online (remote) notarization

Colorado authorizes remote online notarization, and it requires a registration separate from your commission.

Remote notarization is authorized by C.R.S. 24-21-514.5 (‘Audio-video communication - definitions’), the section the Secretary of State’s own rulemaking notice ties to Senate Bill 20-096: the SOS notary home page carries a 12/01/2020 news item, ‘Notice of Temporary and Permanent Adoption: new and amended rules for uniform and proper administration of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) and to implement Senate Bill 20-096 concerning remote notarization’. Before the permanent scheme, remote acts ran on an emergency rule: C.R.S. 24-21-527(3)(a) defines the ‘interim period’ as ’the period beginning on March 30, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020’ and the ’temporary rule’ as ‘rule 5 of the notary program rules as adopted by the secretary of state effective March 30, 2020, and published at 8 CCR 1505-11’, and 24-21-527(3)(d) validates interim-period acts that complied with it. SEPARATE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED - C.R.S. 24-21-514.5(3): ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarization using a remote notarization system, the notary public shall notify the secretary of state that the notary public will be performing remote notarizations and shall identify each remote notarization system that the notary public intends to use,’ with (a) an affirmation that the notary has read and will comply with the section and the rules and (b) ‘proof that the notary public has successfully completed any training and examination required by the secretary of state.’ Fee: $10.00 online (‘Remote notary application’, SOS notary fee schedule). APPROVED-VENDOR RULE: the system must be one the Secretary of State has approved (C.R.S. 24-21-527(1)(h); eligibility standards for providers and storage systems in 24-21-514.5(11)); providers pay $250.00 to apply and $250.00 to renew; approved providers and approved remote notaries are both published in public lists on the SOS site; the SOS FAQ states that ‘The use of a remote notarization provider’s system (provider) is required’. SCOPE: remote notarization applies only to electronic records (24-21-514.5(2)(a)); the notary must be physically inside Colorado - ‘No, you cannot perform a remote notarization for someone if you (the notary public) are physically located outside the state of Colorado’ (FAQ A18) - while the signer may be in Colorado, elsewhere in the United States, or outside the United States on the conditions in 24-21-514.5(2)(a)(III); records relating to the electoral process may not be remotely notarized, nor may a will or codicil except as provided by the Colorado Uniform Electronic Wills Act (24-21-514.5(2)(b)). RECORDING: an audio-video recording is required in addition to the journal entry, must open with the notary reciting information sufficient to identify the act, the parties and the identification methods, and must capture the signer’s declaration that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made; the journal rules on security, inspection, copying, retention and disposition apply equally to the recordings (24-21-514.5(9)). A remote notary may resign remote authority and keep the underlying commission (FAQ A22). RON is not the same as eNotary: electronic notarization ‘Requires that the Colorado notary public and the person for whom the notarial act is being performed be in the same room’ and ‘Does not use audio-video communication’ (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A21).

What you may charge

C.R.S. 24-21-529(1): ‘Except as specified in subsection (2) of this section, the fees of a notary public may be, but must not exceed, fifteen dollars for each document attested by a person before a notary, except as otherwise provided by law. The fee for each such document must include all duties and functions required to complete the notarial act in accordance with this part 5.’ C.R.S. 24-21-529(2): ‘In lieu of the fee authorized in subsection (1) of this section, a notary public may charge a fee, not to exceed twenty-five dollars, for the notary’s electronic signature.’ The Secretary of State applies the $25 ceiling to remote notarizations because a remote notary necessarily applies an electronic signature: ‘The notary may charge up to twenty-five dollars for a remote notarial act. [section 24-21-529(2), C.R.S]’ (SOS ‘Remote notarization’ FAQ A20; same reasoning in the Notary Handbook’s Fees section). The Handbook lists exceeding the cap among prohibited acts: ‘Charge more than $15 (or $25 for an electronic signature or remote signature) per notarization.’ The same fee cap applies to a certified copy of a journal line item (C.R.S. 24-21-519(5)). OTHER CHARGES: the Handbook says ‘If you charge for other services, you should itemize those separately, and must inform the customer of all charges before performing the notarial act,’ and ‘Notaries must also provide in writing a list of all fees charged to the customer,’ as a closing statement, itemized invoice, receipt, transaction summary, business card with the list of fees, or similar document. NO SEPARATE TRAVEL-FEE PROVISION exists in C.R.S. 24-21-529, in the Notary Handbook (revised April 24, 2024), or in the SOS notary FAQ set read on 2026-08-12 - travel falls under that itemize-and-disclose rule for other services rather than under a published cap.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

Colorado law lets several officials perform notarial acts without holding a notary commission. C.R.S. 24-21-510(1): ‘A notarial act may be performed in this state by: (a) A notary public of this state; (b) A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court of this state; or (c) Any other individual authorized to perform the specific act by the law of this state.’ The Secretary of State’s own affirmation instructions confirm the working list of Colorado notarial officers - the person notarizing an applicant’s affirmation must write a ‘RULONA Title’ that ‘must be one of the following: a. Notary Public b. Clerk c. Deputy Clerk. d. Judge.’ (Notary Public Registration Checklist, revised 02/14/2025). Acts performed under federal authority are recognized in Colorado without a Colorado commission, including by ‘An individual in military service or performing duties under the authority of military service who is authorized to perform notarial acts under federal law’ and by ‘An individual designated a notarizing officer by the United States department of state for performing notarial acts overseas’ (C.R.S. 24-21-513(1)(b), (c)). Acts by a notary public, judge, clerk or deputy clerk of another state (C.R.S. 24-21-511), or of a federally recognized Indian tribe (C.R.S. 24-21-512), have the same effect in Colorado as acts by a Colorado notarial officer. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: C.R.S. Title 24, Article 21, Part 5 in full; the SOS Notary Handbook (revised April 24, 2024); the SOS application checklist and affirmation instructions; and the SOS notary FAQ set. The Colorado sources read when this page was last verified publish no list of documents that need no notarization at all, so no such list is asserted here.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Colorado Secretary of State - Notary Program. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Colorado

Colorado Secretary of State publishes a public license search , searchable by Last name (required), First name, Commission expiration date (mm/dd/yyyy) or Notary ID (via the ‘search by Notary ID’ alternate search on the same page). It covers Notaries public commissioned by the Colorado Secretary of State. C.R.S. 24-21-524(1) requires the Secretary of State to maintain an electronic database ‘Through which a person may verify the authority of a notary public to perform notarial acts’. The office also issues a free ‘Certificate of fact for current notary public on file’ (fee schedule) with an online validator, publishes a bulk text file of every current commissioned notary at https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/notary/downloadFiles/CurrentCommissionedNotaries.txt , and publishes a separate public list of approved remote notaries at https://www.coloradosos.gov/notary/pages/public/remoteNotaryList.xhtml .

Records come from Colorado Secretary of State’s own system. LicensingAtlas does not hold license records and cannot confirm any individual’s status — the date on this page refers to the requirements described above, not to anyone’s credential.

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado require training and an exam to become a notary public?

Yes - both, and for renewals as well as new applicants. C.R.S. 24-21-522(1) requires an applicant who does not already hold a Colorado commission to pass an examination administered by the Secretary of State or an SOS-approved entity, and the Secretary of State’s FAQ states that ‘Beginning July 1, 2018, both new notaries and notaries renewing their commissions must attend approved training and take an online examination.’ The Secretary of State’s own eLearning training and exam are free; SOS-approved private vendors may charge their own fee. Both certificates must be less than 90 days old when the application is filed.

Do Colorado notaries need a surety bond or E&O insurance?

Neither is required. No bond appears among the qualifications in C.R.S. 24-21-521(3) or in the Secretary of State’s list of documents to upload, and C.R.S. 24-21-531(3) says ‘Nothing in this part 5 shall be construed to deny a notary public the right to obtain a surety bond or insurance on a voluntary basis to provide coverage for liability’ - i.e. both are optional purchases in Colorado. If a notary does carry a bond, the notary and the surety are liable for damages proximately caused by the notary’s official misconduct (24-21-531(2)).

What does a Colorado notary commission cost?

$10.00 to apply online and $10.00 to renew, per the Secretary of State’s notary fee schedule; adding remote-notary authority is a further $10.00. Training and the exam are free through the Secretary of State’s eLearning course. The stamp and journal are private purchases - ‘Our office does not provide notary stamps or journals’, and ‘Prices vary’. There is no county recording fee: the commission is issued centrally by the Secretary of State.

How long does a Colorado notary commission last, and when can it be renewed?

Four years. C.R.S. 24-21-521(6) directs the Secretary of State to issue the commission ‘for a term of four years’, and the Secretary of State’s FAQ explains that ‘The commission term begins on the date you are approved as a notary’ - so the term runs from issuance, not from any county filing. Renewal may be filed online up to 90 days before the expiration date, with a fresh training certificate and exam certificate.

Must a Colorado notary keep a journal?

Yes. C.R.S. 24-21-519(1) requires a notary to ‘maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs’ and to keep it for ten years after the last entry - including for oral oaths and affirmations. The only alternative, in C.R.S. 24-21-519(10)(c), is where the notary’s firm or employer keeps, in the regular course of business, a record of the document containing all the information the journal entry would have carried; the Secretary of State still recommends journaling every act.

Can a Colorado notary perform remote online notarizations?

Yes, after a separate registration. C.R.S. 24-21-514.5(3) requires the notary to notify the Secretary of State before the first remote notarization, identify each remote notarization system to be used, affirm compliance, and supply proof of completing the remote-notary training and examination; the filing fee is $10.00 and the system must be one the Secretary of State has approved. The notary must be physically in Colorado at the time, the record must be electronic, and an audio-video recording must be kept in addition to the journal entry.

What is the maximum a Colorado notary may charge per notarization?

$15 per document under C.R.S. 24-21-529(1), and that fee ‘must include all duties and functions required to complete the notarial act’. In lieu of that, a notary may charge up to $25 for the notary’s electronic signature (24-21-529(2)) - which the Secretary of State applies to remote notarizations, since a remote notary signs electronically. Any other charges must be itemized separately, disclosed before the act, and given to the customer in writing.

What must a Colorado notary stamp look like?

A rectangular ink stamp - embossers are prohibited by C.R.S. 24-21-517(2) - containing only the outline plus the notary’s name as it appears on the commission certificate, the notary identification number, the commission expiration date, the words ‘state of Colorado’ and the words ’notary public’. The Secretary of State adds that the border may be plain or decorative, that nothing else may appear inside it, and that ‘The law does not specify a particular size or ink color’.

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Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: August 12, 2026.

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LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.