How to Become a Notary in Indiana — Requirements & Fees

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

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Public commissions) (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

In order: (1) Confirm eligibility under IC 33-42-12-1(b) — 18+, U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, Indiana resident or primarily employed in Indiana, not disqualified under IC 33-42-13. (2) Obtain a $25,000 surety bond ('assurance') — the Notary Public Guide (p. 9) requires a '$25,000.00 corporate surety bond' from 'a commercial insurance company or bond company licensed to conduct business in the state of Indiana'; the surety or the applicant must file an electronic copy of the assurance not later than 30 days after its effective date (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(4)-(5)). (3) Obtain an Indiana State Police limited criminal history record 'no older than thirty days at the time of submission' (Guide p. 9; INBiz page states a $16.32 fee) at https://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch. If qualifying by employment rather than residence, obtain 'a written statement documenting employment on company letterhead' (Guide p. 8, citing 75 IAC 7-2-2(c)(3)). (4) Complete the electronic application on INBiz and pay the fee (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(1)-(2); INBiz page: $75.00 initial/renewal application fee). Applications 'are only accepted by electronic submission' (Guide p. 10). (5) Take the notary education course and pass the exam — 'All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam. The education course and exam are available after paying the application fee' (INBiz Notaries page); IC 33-42-12-1(b)(5)-(6) and IC 33-42-12-2(a). (6) Execute an oath of office (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(3)) and submit an electronic signature sample (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(6)). (7) SOS review — 'Please allow 5-10 business days for processing' (INBiz Notaries page). Upload a document proving current employment where applicable. A notary 'may perform notarial acts only during a period covered by a valid assurance on file with the secretary of state' (IC 33-42-12-1(d)), and 'Until you receive your commission you are not authorized to perform notarial acts. Purchasing your bond or any notary supplies does not authorize you to perform notarial acts' (Guide p. 10). To also notarize remotely, apply separately for Remote Notary Authorization (IC 33-42-17-2).

Legal basis

Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Public commissions) commissions notaries public in Indiana. 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: ‘Notary public’ means an individual commissioned by the secretary of state to perform a notarial act’ (IC 33-42-0.5-20). The Secretary of State’s own systems blur this — INBiz files the commission under ‘Add Your License’ and ‘Edit License’, and the SOS’s verification tool is mylicense.in.gov — so ‘Indiana notary license’ and ’notary license renewal’ are common folk terms for the commission; there is no separate notary license in Indiana law. Folk terms for the two extra modes: ’e-notary’ means notarizing electronic records with the signer present (no extra authorization in Indiana), while ‘online notary’ / ‘RON’ means the separately registered Remote Notary Authorization — the Guide treats these as distinct chapters and conflating them misstates the law. ‘NOTARIO PUBLICO’ IS PROHIBITED, NOT A SYNONYM: ‘A notary public, other than an attorney licensed to practice law in Indiana, may not use the term “notario” or “notario publico”’ (IC 33-42-13-3(c)), and IC 33-42-13-4 makes ’notario publico deception’ a Class A misdemeanor; a notary convicted of it ‘may not reapply for a new commission’ ever (IC 33-42-13-3(k)). ‘Notary signing agent’ / ’loan signing agent’ is a private vendor credential, not an Indiana credential — no such designation appears in IC 33-42, on the INBiz Notaries page, or in the Notary Public Guide (searched 2026-08-12).

Types of notary commission

Notary Public commission (traditional / paper) — An individual at least 18 who is a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States and is a full-time permanent Indiana resident or primarily employed in Indiana (IC 33-42-12-1(b)). Issued by the Secretary of State for a term of eight (8) years (IC 33-42-12-1(f)). Authorizes notarial acts ‘within the state of Indiana’ and ‘does not provide the notary public with any immunity or benefit’ (IC 33-42-12-1(g)). An individual ‘may not have more than one (1) active Indiana commission as a notary public at a time’ (IC 33-42-12-1(h)).
Electronic notarization (no separate authorization) — Any active Indiana notary public who wants to notarize electronic records with the signer physically present. The Indiana Notary Public Guide (rev. May 20, 2024, p. 37) states: ‘Indiana law permits you to perform electronic notarizations with the signer physically present but does not prescribe as many rules for how to perform them like it does for remote notarization. Unlike remote notarizations, you are not required to receive additional authorization other than being an active notary public before you perform electronic notarizations.’ The Guide adds that the notary ‘must use an electronic notary seal’ and ‘must use a digital certificate to render the electronically notarized record tamper-evident.’ Electronic notarizations need no recording and no electronic journal entry (recommended only).
Remote Notary Authorization (remote notarial acts / RON) — A currently commissioned, active Indiana notary public who wants to notarize for a remotely located principal over audiovisual communication. SEPARATE registration required: ‘A notary public may perform a remote notarial act only after registering as a remote notary public with the secretary of state’ (IC 33-42-17-2(a)). Requires an online form, an online education course, and passing a remote notary exam; the SOS charges a nonrefundable $100 application fee (INBiz Notaries page). A remote notary ‘may perform a remote notarial act only if the remote notary public is physically present in Indiana at the time the remote notarial act is performed’ (IC 33-42-17-2(g)). The registration expires when the underlying commission ends (IC 33-42-17-2(d)).

Who can be commissioned

IC 33-42-12-1(b): at least eighteen (18) years of age; a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States; a resident of or primarily employed in Indiana; not disqualified under IC 33-42-13; satisfies all educational requirements; and has passed the examination in IC 33-42-12-2. The Notary Public Guide (p. 8) adds that non-citizens ‘must have visa or immigration status allowing permanent residence in the U.S.’, that Indiana residency uses the voter-registration standard in IC 3-5-5, and that an applicant must possess an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana non-driver ID or other acceptable proof of Indiana residence, or proof of Indiana employment. Criminal-history bar: an applicant must never have committed an act or omission demonstrating ‘a deficiency in competence, honesty, integrity, or reliability’ (the ten-item list in IC 33-42-13-1(c), quoted at Guide p. 9), and is disqualified by a conviction that disqualifies a person from holding public office in Indiana — the INBiz page states this as ‘IC 33-4-13: Have a conviction or civil ruling involving deceit, dishonesty or fraud’ and ‘IC 5-8-3-1: Have a conviction where the sentence imposed exceeded six (6) months’; the Guide’s footnote cites IC 5-8-1-38, IC 5-8-3-1 and IC 3-8-1-5 (imprisonment possible for more than one year, or sentence exceeding 6 months, including house arrest or probation), and notes that a conviction expunged under IC 35-38-9 does not disqualify. A commission is treated as resigned if the notary is no longer an Indiana resident or no longer primarily employed in Indiana (IC 33-42-12-3(d)). No English-language proficiency requirement is stated in IC 33-42-12-1(b), the INBiz requirements list or the Guide’s qualifications section (checked 2026-08-12); Indiana instead runs a bilingual angle nowhere in these tiers.

Requirements

In order: (1) Confirm eligibility under IC 33-42-12-1(b) — 18+, U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, Indiana resident or primarily employed in Indiana, not disqualified under IC 33-42-13. (2) Obtain a $25,000 surety bond (‘assurance’) — the Notary Public Guide (p. 9) requires a ‘$25,000.00 corporate surety bond’ from ‘a commercial insurance company or bond company licensed to conduct business in the state of Indiana’; the surety or the applicant must file an electronic copy of the assurance not later than 30 days after its effective date (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(4)-(5)). (3) Obtain an Indiana State Police limited criminal history record ’no older than thirty days at the time of submission’ (Guide p. 9; INBiz page states a $16.32 fee) at https://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch . If qualifying by employment rather than residence, obtain ‘a written statement documenting employment on company letterhead’ (Guide p. 8, citing 75 IAC 7-2-2(c)(3)). (4) Complete the electronic application on INBiz and pay the fee (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(1)-(2); INBiz page: $75.00 initial/renewal application fee). Applications ‘are only accepted by electronic submission’ (Guide p. 10). (5) Take the notary education course and pass the exam — ‘All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam. The education course and exam are available after paying the application fee’ (INBiz Notaries page); IC 33-42-12-1(b)(5)-(6) and IC 33-42-12-2(a). (6) Execute an oath of office (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(3)) and submit an electronic signature sample (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(6)). (7) SOS review — ‘Please allow 5-10 business days for processing’ (INBiz Notaries page). Upload a document proving current employment where applicable. A notary ‘may perform notarial acts only during a period covered by a valid assurance on file with the secretary of state’ (IC 33-42-12-1(d)), and ‘Until you receive your commission you are not authorized to perform notarial acts. Purchasing your bond or any notary supplies does not authorize you to perform notarial acts’ (Guide p. 10). To also notarize remotely, apply separately for Remote Notary Authorization (IC 33-42-17-2).

Training

Indiana requires a training course.

Required for every applicant and re-applicant. IC 33-42-12-2(a): ‘An applicant seeking a commission as a notary public, including an applicant reapplying for a subsequent commission, must complete: (1) a course of education; and (2) an examination.’ The course is delivered by the Secretary of State through INBiz after the application fee is paid: ‘All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam. The education course and exam are available after paying the application fee’ (INBiz Notaries page), and ‘All fees include the costs associated to accessing the required notary education and exams.’ NO CLOCK-HOUR FIGURE for the INITIAL course is published by the Secretary of State — searched IC 33-42-12 (statute), the INBiz Notaries page (Education section), and the Indiana Notary Public Guide rev. 5/20/2024, on 2026-08-12; the Guide states only that the CONTINUING education course ‘will take approximately two hours to complete.’ Title 75, Article 7 of the Indiana Administrative Code (the SOS notary rules) could not be read — iar.iga.in.gov serves a JavaScript application shell (735 bytes) to every fetch rung tried — so any hour count adopted by rule remains unverified. Continuing education: see ce_hours.

Exam

Indiana requires an exam.

Required. IC 33-42-12-1(b)(6) makes ‘have passed the examination described in section 2 of this chapter’ a qualification for the commission, and IC 33-42-12-2(a) requires both a course of education and an examination for an initial commission AND for each reapplication. The exam is administered by the Secretary of State through INBiz immediately after the education course, and its cost is inside the $75 application fee (‘All fees include the costs associated to accessing the required notary education and exams’ — INBiz Notaries page). ‘Once the exam has been passed, your application will be submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for final review’ (INBiz Notaries page). Continuing education also carries an exam every two years: ’notaries must complete a continuing education course and exam every two years per Indiana Code 33-42-12-2(b)’ (Guide p. 10). Remote notaries must additionally pass ‘a remote notarial act examination administered by the secretary of state’ (IC 33-42-17-2(b)(5)). NO PASSING SCORE, question count, format or retake rule is published in IC 33-42-12, on the INBiz Notaries page, or in the Notary Public Guide (searched 2026-08-12); 75 IAC 7 was unreadable (JS shell), so a rule-level passing score cannot be ruled out.

Your surety bond

A $25,000 assurance is mandatory. IC 33-42-12-1(c)(4) requires the applicant to ‘obtain an assurance in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)’, and IC 33-42-0.5-4 defines ‘assurance’ as ‘a surety bond or the functional equivalent of a surety bond that covers a notary public’s acts or omissions during the course of the notary public’s commission.’ The Secretary of State states it as a bond: ‘As of July 2018, all notaries must maintain a surety bond of at least $25,000’ (INBiz Notaries FAQ, answering ‘Can I Have A Freehold Bond For My Notary Commission?’), and the Notary Public Guide p. 9 requires a ‘$25,000.00 corporate surety bond’ from a company licensed in Indiana, adding ‘A notary must have an effective bond for the duration of the commission.’ Filing: the applicant or the surety must submit an electronic copy of the assurance within 30 days of its effective date (IC 33-42-12-1(c)(5)); the surety must notify the SOS of any payment under the bond within 30 days (IC 33-42-12-1(e)); and ‘A notary public may perform notarial acts only during a period covered by a valid assurance on file with the secretary of state’ (IC 33-42-12-1(d)). A name change requires filing ‘a rider or other record issued by the notary public’s surety reflecting the change of name’ (IC 33-42-12-3(b)(1)). ERRORS & OMISSIONS INSURANCE IS NOT REQUIRED: E&O appears only in the Secretary of State’s optional ‘Total Investment’ cost list on the INBiz Notaries page, priced as ‘varies’, and that page’s own note says ‘Total costs do not include costs for a surety bond, stamp, error & omission insurance, remote technology vendor fees, electronic seals, etc.’ Nothing in IC 33-42-12, IC 33-42-17 or the Notary Public Guide requires E&O coverage (searched statute, agency page and Guide on 2026-08-12); the bond protects the public, E&O protects the notary, and Indiana mandates only the former.

Fees

AGENCY-CHARGED (Indiana Secretary of State / INBiz ‘Notary Fees’ section, read 2026-08-12): Notary Initial/Renewal Application fee $75.00; Notary Continuing Education fee $50.00 (each, every two years); Remote Notary Authorization Application $100.00; Commission Revision Fee $8.67. ‘All fees include the costs associated to accessing the required notary education and exams.’ ‘All application fees are nonrefundable.’ Payment by Mastercard or Visa only, and ‘Credit card payments will be charged a convenience fee’ (amount not published). The SOS’s own ‘Total Investment’ table: Notary Public Application $75.00 + Limited Criminal History Record Check $16.32 + CE at years 2, 4 and 6 ($50.00 each) = ‘Application & CE Total Cost Traditional Notary: $241.32’; adding the optional Remote Notary Application = ‘Remote Notary: $341.32’. That table lists the $25K surety bond, E&O insurance, misc. supplies and remote technology vendor fees as ‘varies’ and excludes them from the total. CONFLICT WITH THE STATUTE — RECORDED BOTH WAYS: IC 33-42-12-1(c)(2) requires the applicant to ‘pay a nonrefundable processing fee of five dollars ($5)’, and IC 33-42-17-2(b)(4) sets the remote registration fee at ‘five dollars ($5)’ which ‘is in addition to the processing fee described in IC 33-42-12-1(c)’ — while the Secretary of State’s live fee page charges $75.00 and $100.00 respectively and attributes the difference to bundled education and exam access. Neither source reconciles the two figures in words; both are stated here as published. THIRD-PARTY/OTHER: Indiana State Police limited criminal history record $16.32 (INBiz page). Secretary of State attestation/apostille $2.00 per attestation, with statutory exemptions for adoptions, Indiana birth and death certificates, Indiana academic transcripts/diplomas and SOS-prepared documents (IC 33-42-15-2). The SOS ‘does not provide or sell notary stamps or seals, nor can the office recommend where to obtain supplies, training or bonds’ (INBiz page), so seal cost is a private-market cost and is not state-set.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

IC 33-42-12-1(f): ‘The secretary of state shall grant a commission as a notary public to an applicant who fully complies with this section. The term of a commission granted under this subsection is eight (8) years.’ The term runs from the commission the SOS grants after full compliance (bond on file, oath executed, education and exam passed), not from the date of application — the Guide states ‘Until you receive your commission you are not authorized to perform notarial acts.’ A remote notary registration is not a separate term: it ’expires on the date on which the remote notary public’s current commission ends’ (IC 33-42-17-2(d)(2)). Indiana treats renewal as REAPPLICATION, not a light-touch renewal. IC 33-42-12-1(c) applies to ‘An applicant applying for a commission as a notary public or reapplying for a subsequent commission’, and IC 33-42-12-2(a) requires a reapplicant to complete the education course AND the examination again. The Secretary of State charges the same $75.00 fee for ‘Notary Initial/Renewal Application’. Renewal is initiated on the INBiz dashboard, where ‘Renew your commission’ is available ‘(if within 90 days of expiration)’ (INBiz FAQ). THE HARDER DEADLINE IS THE BIENNIAL CE, NOT THE 8-YEAR TERM: ‘Failure to complete your continuing education by the due date will result in the permanent expiration of your Commission. You will be required to apply for a new notary commission’ (INBiz Education section), and the Guide adds ‘Failure to complete the continuing education by the due date every two years will result in the automatic expiration of the notary public commission.’ A remote notary whose registration expires ‘may not perform a remote notarial act until the remote notary public has reregistered’ (IC 33-42-17-2(e)). No grace period after expiration is published in IC 33-42-12, the INBiz page or the Guide (searched 2026-08-12). Required every two years, capped by statute at two hours. IC 33-42-12-2(b): ‘A notary public must fulfill a continuing education requirement not to exceed two (2) hours of continuing education every two (2) years.’ Agency detail (Notary Public Guide p. 10 and the INBiz Education section, read 2026-08-12): effective July 1, 2020 notaries must complete a continuing education COURSE AND EXAM every two years; the course is offered on INBiz, ‘will take approximately two hours to complete’, costs $50.00, and ‘Education courses taken or completed outside of INBiz are not accepted at this time.’ The deadline is ’the last day of the month of the notary’s commission issuance date every two years’, and courses ‘may only be completed within 90 days of the due date.’ Over an eight-year commission that is three CE courses totalling $150.00 (INBiz page). Missing the deadline is fatal to the commission: ‘Failure to complete your continuing education by the due date will result in the permanent expiration of your Commission. You will be required to apply for a new notary commission.’ A CE due date can be checked at https://mylicense.in.gov/EVerification/Search.aspx (Guide p. 11). Remote notaries must comply with the same CE requirement to stay eligible (IC 33-42-17-2(b)(2)).

Your seal or stamp

A seal is required for notarial acts and Indiana specifies its contents by statute. IC 33-42-10-2(a) (as amended by P.L.130-2024, SEC.8): the official seal ‘must include the following: (1) The words “notary public”. (2) The words “state of Indiana”. (3) The name of the notary public exactly as it appears on the notary public’s commission certificate. (4) The words “commission number” followed by the commission number of the notary public. (5) The words “my commission expires” followed by the expiration date of the notary public’s commission.’ The seal ‘must be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed, attached, or associated’ (IC 33-42-10-2(b)) and may carry any additional information the notary chooses (subsection (c)). CHANGE OF LAW, ALREADY IN EFFECT: the Secretary of State’s seal FAQ lists ‘The word “seal”. (Effective July 1, 2024, the word “seal” is no longer required)’ — the 2024 amendment removed that element, and the current statutory list above no longer contains it. Indiana does not specify shape, size or ink colour in IC 33-42-10 (searched statute, INBiz seal FAQ and the Guide’s Notary Seal section on 2026-08-12); it specifies content and copyability only. Stamping device security (IC 33-42-10-3): the notary is responsible for the device, may not let anyone else use it, and on expiration, resignation or revocation ‘shall damage, deface, destroy, erase, or secure the stamping device in a manner that precludes any further use’; a guardian or personal representative must do the same on the notary’s incompetency or death; loss or theft must be reported promptly to the SOS. Name change: the notary must file a surety’s rider and a new signature sample with the SOS (IC 33-42-12-3(b)). A properly executed seal makes the record self-authenticating for court purposes (IC 33-42-10-4). The SOS neither provides nor sells seals and will not recommend suppliers (INBiz page). Electronic notarizations require an electronic notary seal plus a digital certificate rendering the record tamper-evident (Guide p. 37).

Keeping a journal

Indiana requires a journal for some notarial acts.

NOT required for paper or in-person electronic notarizations; REQUIRED for remote notarial acts. Notary Public Guide p. 27: ‘Indiana does not require notaries to maintain a journal of their notarial acts,’ followed by the SOS’s strong recommendation that they do, with a recommended entry list (date/time, act type, document date and type, signer name, how identified, fees collected, unusual circumstances). Electronic notarizations performed in physical presence likewise need no recording or electronic journal entry (Guide p. 37, recommended only). For REMOTE acts, IC 33-42-17-8 requires the remote notary personally to enter each remote notarial act in an ELECTRONIC journal, maintain it, keep it ‘in the exclusive control of the remote notary public’, use commercially reasonable means to prevent unauthorized access, and allow lawful copying and inspection; an employer may not do this on the notary’s behalf. Each entry must contain the date and time, the type of act, a title or description of the electronic record, the principal’s full name, how the principal’s identity was authenticated or verified, a description of each credential used and its expiration date, and a listing of every type and amount of fee charged. Access must be password- or authentication-protected and it must be possible to print a tangible record of any entry. The journal may not be deleted, destroyed, overwritten or rendered inaccessible except on SOS or judicial order; loss, theft or compromise must be reported to the SOS. RETENTION: ‘A remote notary public who resigns or whose commission expires shall maintain the contents of an electronic journal for at least ten (10) years after the performance of the last recorded remote notarial act’ (IC 33-42-17-8(h)). No source read states that the journal is surrendered to the Secretary of State or any other custodian on expiration — the duty runs to the former notary personally (statute searched 2026-08-12).

Online (remote) notarization

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

Authorized. Remote notarial acts are governed by IC 33-42 chapter 17, added by P.L.59-2018, SEC.64 and amended by P.L.177-2019. IC 33-42-17-1(a) makes the chapter apply to remote notarial acts performed after the earlier of (1) the effective date of the SOS rules adopted under IC 33-42-16-2 or (2) JULY 1, 2020 — so the practical start date is that statutory backstop. SEPARATE REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY: ‘A notary public may perform a remote notarial act only after registering as a remote notary public with the secretary of state’ (IC 33-42-17-2(a)). Eligibility (IC 33-42-17-2(b)): hold a current Indiana commission; comply with the continuing-education requirements of IC 33-42-12-2 and the rules; be able to competently operate audiovisual communication technology and use identity-proofing and credential-analysis technology; pay the registration fee; and pass a remote notarial act examination administered by the SOS. The Secretary of State’s live process is ‘an online form, an online education course, and passing a remote notary exam’ with ‘a nonrefundable fee of $100 to submit the application’ (INBiz Remote Notary section) — against the statute’s $5 registration fee (IC 33-42-17-2(b)(4)); both figures are recorded in the fees field. APPROVED-VENDOR RULE: ‘Indiana Remote Notaries Public may only conduct remote notarial acts using an approved vendor. When applying for Remote Notary Authorization, you will be required to select at least one vendor you intend to use. Once the vendor has given their approval, your application will be processed by the Secretary of State’s office’ (INBiz page); the SOS warns that ‘certain vendors limit services to real estate transactions’ and that ‘The Secretary of State does not monitor what services vendors offer.’ Equipment approval is statutory (IC 33-42-17-6) and the SOS maintains an electronic database of remote notaries and technology vendors (IC 33-42-17-11). The vendor names on the INBiz page render only in JavaScript and were NOT captured in the text extraction, so no vendor list is recorded here. The remote notary must be physically in Indiana during the act (IC 33-42-17-2(g)), the act is considered performed in Indiana (IC 33-42-17-12), an electronic journal is mandatory (IC 33-42-17-8), and the maximum fee is $25 per remote act (IC 33-42-17-9). Registration expires with the underlying commission (IC 33-42-17-2(d)). Performing remote acts is optional: ‘A notary public is not required to perform remote notarial acts’ (IC 33-42-17-2(f)).

What you may charge

Capped. IC 33-42-14-1(a): a notary ‘may charge a fee of not more than ten dollars ($10) per signature’ for taking an acknowledgment, administering an affirmation or oath, attesting to or witnessing a signature, taking a verification on an oath or affirmation, and attesting to or certifying a copy. ‘Fees for notarial acts not described in subsection (a) are negotiable’ (subsection (b)). If a fee is charged, the notary ‘shall display, in advance, a list of the fees that the notary public will charge’ (subsection (c)). Acts performed as part of the notary’s employment, or that do not require record keeping, ‘are subject to private agreement and are not governed by this section’ (subsection (d)). REMOTE ACTS ARE A DIFFERENT CAP: ‘A remote notary public may charge a fee of not more than twenty-five dollars ($25) for each remote notarial act’ (IC 33-42-17-9(a)), plus a reasonable fee to recover the cost of copying electronic journal entries or audiovisual recordings. PUBLIC OFFICIALS: a public official, or a deputy or appointee of one, ‘may not charge for notarial acts performed by the individual in connection with any official business’ of that office (IC 33-42-14-1(f)-(g)). TRAVEL FEE — TWO OFFICIAL SOURCES CONFLICT, BOTH RECORDED: the statute says a notary ‘may charge a reasonable fee for traveling to perform a notarial act. The travel fee requested may not exceed the federal travel fees established by the United States General Services Administration’ (IC 33-42-14-1(e)); the Secretary of State’s Notary Public Guide (p. 23) instead says ‘Notaries may charge no more than the federal mileage rate as a travel fee. The current federal mileage rate can be found by visiting the IRS website.’ The GSA rate and the IRS rate are set by different agencies and neither source acknowledges the other.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

NO COMMISSION IS NEEDED for the Indiana public officials who are notarial officers by virtue of office. The Notary Public Guide (p. 12), citing IC 33-42-9-7 as added by P.L.128-2017 SEC.18, lists: official court reporters; judges and justices of courts in their jurisdictions; the Secretary of State; the Clerk of the Supreme Court; mayors, clerks and clerk-treasurers of towns and cities and township trustees, in their respective towns, cities and townships; clerks of circuit courts and county commissioners in their respective counties; judges of the U.S. District Courts of Indiana, in their jurisdictions; commissioners of the U.S. District Courts of Indiana, in their jurisdictions; precinct election officers and absentee voter board members; election commission members, election division co-directors and election division employees; county auditors in their counties; members of the Indiana General Assembly (anywhere in Indiana); and the Indiana Guard adjutant general and designees. The Guide adds that executive officers of state agencies and designated deputies may authenticate documents and administer oaths only ‘in connection with matters concerning their respective agencies and offices’ — e.g. the BMV commissioner on vehicle titles — and ‘do not have authority to provide general notarial services.’ Separate statutory grants sit outside chapter 9: IC 33-42-5 (authority of township trustee to perform notarial acts) and IC 33-42-6 (federal land bank employees acting as notaries in certain transactions); IC 33-42-7 covers acknowledgment of cemetery lot sales by a notary who is a member of the association. A notary public commission ‘is not a lucrative office’ for purposes of Article 2, Section 9 of the Indiana Constitution, so public officials may hold one (IC 33-42-12-1(i); Guide p. 23) — but may not charge for acts done in official business (IC 33-42-14-1(f)). MILITARY: 10 U.S.C. 1044a (notarial powers of judge advocates and other designated military personnel) is NOT addressed in IC 33-42, on the INBiz Notaries page, or in the Notary Public Guide — searched all three tiers on 2026-08-12 — so this record makes no claim about it. Indiana law also validates notarial acts performed under the law of another state, a federally recognized Indian tribe, federal law, or a foreign jurisdiction (IC 33-42-9-8 through 9-11), which is recognition of outside acts rather than an exemption from Indiana commissioning.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Public commissions). Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Indiana

Indiana Secretary of State (INBiz public search) publishes a public license search , searchable by notary name, commission/license number or county. It covers Indiana notary public commissions — the INBiz Notaries page links it as ‘Notary Search — Perform a search for an Indiana notary.’ The Guide (p. 11) additionally directs notaries to https://mylicense.in.gov/EVerification/Search.aspx to look up a commission and its continuing-education due date. THE SEARCH FIELD LIST ABOVE IS NOT FULLY VERIFIED: the portal is a JavaScript application (‘INBIZ - Public Hub powered by Wizdn’ was the ONLY text returned by a US-vantage raw fetch on 2026-08-12), so its field labels could not be read from the page; the field names given here come from the INBiz/SOS description of the tool and should be re-checked in a browser before publication.

Records come from Indiana Secretary of State (INBiz public search)’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

How long does an Indiana notary commission last?

Eight years. Ind. Code 33-42-12-1(f) provides that ‘The term of a commission granted under this subsection is eight (8) years.’ The commission runs from the date the Secretary of State grants it after the applicant has fully complied — filed the $25,000 assurance, executed the oath, and passed the education course and exam.

Does Indiana require a notary bond?

Yes. Ind. Code 33-42-12-1(c)(4) requires an ‘assurance in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)’, which Ind. Code 33-42-0.5-4 defines as a surety bond or its functional equivalent. The Secretary of State states it plainly: ‘As of July 2018, all notaries must maintain a surety bond of at least $25,000.’ The bond must be effective for the whole commission, and a notary ‘may perform notarial acts only during a period covered by a valid assurance on file with the secretary of state.’

Is errors and omissions insurance required for an Indiana notary?

No. Only the $25,000 assurance (surety bond) is mandatory. E&O insurance appears on the Secretary of State’s optional ‘Total Investment’ cost list priced as ‘varies’, and that page’s own note says the totals shown ‘do not include costs for a surety bond, stamp, error & omission insurance, remote technology vendor fees, electronic seals, etc.’ A bond protects the public; E&O protects the notary, and Indiana requires only the former.

Is there an exam to become an Indiana notary?

Yes. Ind. Code 33-42-12-1(b)(6) makes passing the examination a qualification, and Ind. Code 33-42-12-2(a) requires both a course of education and an examination — for first-time applicants AND for anyone reapplying for a subsequent commission. The Secretary of State delivers both through INBiz after the application fee is paid: ‘All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam.’ Continuing education carries an exam every two years as well, and remote notaries must pass an additional remote notarial act examination.

What does it cost to become an Indiana notary?

The Secretary of State charges a $75.00 initial/renewal application fee that includes access to the required education course and exam, plus $16.32 for the Indiana State Police limited criminal history record, plus $50.00 for each biennial continuing education course. The SOS’s own ‘Total Investment’ table gives an ‘Application & CE Total Cost Traditional Notary: $241.32’ over the eight-year commission, and $341.32 if the optional $100.00 Remote Notary Authorization is added — none of which includes the surety bond, stamp or vendor fees. Note that Ind. Code 33-42-12-1(c)(2) still states a ‘$5’ statutory processing fee; the agency’s published charge is $75.00.

Do Indiana notaries have to keep a journal?

Only for remote notarizations. The Indiana Notary Public Guide states ‘Indiana does not require notaries to maintain a journal of their notarial acts’ for paper acts, and electronic notarizations done in physical presence need no journal entry either — the Secretary of State strongly recommends a journal in both cases. Remote notaries, by contrast, must personally enter every remote notarial act in an electronic journal under Ind. Code 33-42-17-8, keep it in their exclusive control, and retain its contents ‘for at least ten (10) years after the performance of the last recorded remote notarial act.’

How much can an Indiana notary charge per notarization?

Not more than $10 per signature for taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, attesting or witnessing a signature, taking a verification on oath or affirmation, or attesting or certifying a copy (Ind. Code 33-42-14-1(a)). Fees for other notarial acts are negotiable, and any notary who charges must display the fee list in advance. A remote notarial act is capped separately at $25 (Ind. Code 33-42-17-9). Public officials may not charge for notarial acts done in official business.

Can Indiana notaries perform remote online notarizations?

Yes, but only after a separate registration. Ind. Code 33-42-17-2(a) provides that ‘A notary public may perform a remote notarial act only after registering as a remote notary public with the secretary of state.’ The Secretary of State’s process is an online application, an online education course and a remote notary exam, with a nonrefundable $100 fee, and the notary must select an approved technology vendor — ‘Indiana Remote Notaries Public may only conduct remote notarial acts using an approved vendor.’ The remote notary must be physically located in Indiana when performing the act, and the registration expires when the underlying commission ends.

What happens if an Indiana notary misses continuing education?

The commission expires permanently. The Secretary of State states: ‘Failure to complete your continuing education by the due date will result in the permanent expiration of your Commission. You will be required to apply for a new notary commission.’ CE is due every two years by the last day of the month of the commission’s issuance date, may only be completed within 90 days of the due date, costs $50.00, and must be taken through INBiz — ‘Education courses taken or completed outside of INBiz are not accepted at this time.’

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Indiana.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: August 12, 2026.

We re-fetch every cited source on a weekly schedule: see what changed at the agencies, or every correction we have ever made.

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.