How to Become a Notary in Massachusetts — Requirements & Fees

How to become a notary public in Massachusetts: who may apply, training, exam, bond, fees, your seal, the journal rule, remote online notarization, and what you may charge — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Three offices share the work, which is why Massachusetts applicants are so often sent in circles. THE GOVERNOR APPOINTS, with the advice and consent of the Governor's Council - the Commonwealth's page states that the $60 fee is not paid 'until you receive notification that your application has been approved by the Governor and the Governor's Council', and the application itself is addressed 'To Her Excellency the Governor'. THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL answers status questions: 'If you have questions regarding the status of your notary application, please call the Governor's Council at (617) 725-4016.' THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH (Public Records Division, Commissions Section, State House Room 184, 24 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02133) receives applications, collects the fee, administers the oath and maintains the records - 'The Secretary of the Commonwealth maintains notaries public appointments. This office also administers the oaths of office to notaries public, justices of the peace and other gubernatorial appointments.' NOBODY REGULATES CONDUCT: 'The Secretary of the Commonwealth does not regulate the conduct of Notaries Public. There is no single state-wide office that receives complaints against notaries. Section 18 of Chapter 222 of the General Laws empowers the attorney general and district attorneys to prosecute any notary public violating the provisions of Chapter 222.' (official site) and last verified August 13, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

1) QUALIFY: 18 or older, and either reside or have a regular place of work or business in Massachusetts (M.G.L. c. 222 s. 13(a)). The Commonwealth restates it: 'If you wish to become a notary public, you must be at least 18 years old and live or work in the Commonwealth.' 2) READ THE LAW AND SAY SO: 'Applicants must also read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms.' The application carries seven initialled acknowledgments covering the eight notarial acts a Massachusetts notary may perform, the physical-presence-in-Massachusetts rule, the duty to serve non-customers, the fee ceiling, the identification duty and the statement 'I have read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms.' 3) GET FOUR REFERENCES, ONE OF THEM A LAWYER. The Commonwealth's instruction is 'the application, which requires you to obtain 4 signatures of known and respected members of your community'; the form is stricter - the four must certify 'under the pains and penalties of perjury that the applicant: (1) is known to each of us; (2) is of high standing and character; and (3) is in every way fitted for the position of Notary Public. We are willing that this certification may be made public, if necessary,' and 'This certificate must be signed by four persons, of whom one must be a member of the bar in good standing.' Each reference gives a Massachusetts city or town of residence and a relationship to the applicant. 4) ATTACH A CURRENT RESUME. 'To complete the application you will need to provide a current resume,' and the form repeats it twice: 'Every application must be accompanied by an up-to-date resume that is stapled together with all of the pages of the application.' A business card, if you have one, is stapled to the upper left corner. 5) HAVE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE NOTARIZED by a current Massachusetts notary, in the jurat printed on page 3 of the application. 6) DISCLOSE. The form asks whether you have ever been convicted of a crime, ever had a professional licence suspended or revoked, and ever been dismissed for actual or alleged misconduct or resigned to avoid dismissal, with a catch-all: 'Are there any other issues that, in the interest of full disclosure, should be considered in connection with your application, qualifications, or suitability for appointment?' It also asks for ten years of previous residences, schools attended since age 18, current occupation, employer and supervisor, and 'Please explain the reasons you are seeking a commission as a notary public.' Willfully making a false statement 'is punishable by up to twenty years in state prison pursuant to General Laws Chapter 268, Sections 1, 1A.' 7) MAIL IT - THERE IS NO ONLINE APPLICATION. Staple all four pages plus the resume and mail to Notary Public Office, State House, 24 Beacon St RM 184, Boston MA 02133-1058. 8) SEND NO MONEY WITH THE APPLICATION. The form says so twice - 'Do not send any payment with this application' - and the instructions explain: 'When your application is favorably considered, you will be notified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth who will include with the notification of your appointment the directions for being sworn in. At the same time you will be provided with instructions as to the manner and method for paying the $60 commission fee.' 9) WAIT, THEN BE SWORN IN. 'Because of constitutional time parameters this process may take as many as 18 days between the day on which you mail your application and the day when you receive a notice of approval'; the mass.gov page says 'approximately 2 weeks ... to receive written notification of the appointment, which will include swearing in instructions.' 10) BUY YOUR OWN SEAL OR STAMP. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 8(b) requires one and the Commonwealth points you to the market: 'Many reputable providers can be found online, or you may also purchase a notary stamp from your local office supply store.' 11) GET A JOURNAL. Required by s. 22 for most notaries; the Secretary sells them - a journal 'may be purchased across the street at the State Bookstore in Room 116 of the State House, at various retail office supply stores, or on our website.'

Legal basis

Three offices share the work, which is why Massachusetts applicants are so often sent in circles. THE GOVERNOR APPOINTS, with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council - the Commonwealth’s page states that the $60 fee is not paid ‘until you receive notification that your application has been approved by the Governor and the Governor’s Council’, and the application itself is addressed ‘To Her Excellency the Governor’. THE GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL answers status questions: ‘If you have questions regarding the status of your notary application, please call the Governor’s Council at (617) 725-4016.’ THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH (Public Records Division, Commissions Section, State House Room 184, 24 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02133) receives applications, collects the fee, administers the oath and maintains the records - ‘The Secretary of the Commonwealth maintains notaries public appointments. This office also administers the oaths of office to notaries public, justices of the peace and other gubernatorial appointments.’ NOBODY REGULATES CONDUCT: ‘The Secretary of the Commonwealth does not regulate the conduct of Notaries Public. There is no single state-wide office that receives complaints against notaries. Section 18 of Chapter 222 of the General Laws empowers the attorney general and district attorneys to prosecute any notary public violating the provisions of Chapter 222.’ commissions notaries public in Massachusetts. 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’; what is issued is a COMMISSION, and the appointing authority is the Governor with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council - ‘A person commissioned as a notary public may perform notarial acts in any part of the commonwealth for a term of 7 years’ (M.G.L. c. 222 s. 14). Folk terms that name the same thing: ‘Massachusetts notary license’, ’notary certification’, ‘getting your notary’, ’notary appointment’. There is no separate electronic or remote notary credential in Massachusetts - s. 28 contemplates a REGISTRATION as a remote notary layered on the ordinary commission, and that registration does not yet exist, so anyone offering a ‘Massachusetts electronic notary commission’ is describing something the Commonwealth does not issue. ‘Remote online notarization’ and ‘RON’ are the market’s terms; the statute’s phrase is ‘communication technology for a remotely-located individual’. ‘Virtual notarization’ names the pandemic-era practice under Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2020 and section 12 of Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022, which was REPEALED effective March 31, 2023 - a folk term that now names something not permitted in Massachusetts. ‘Justice of the peace’ is a genuinely different office that shares chapter 222 and shares the oath and acknowledgment powers of s. 1A; ‘commissioner’ in this chapter means an officer appointed to act for Massachusetts in another state or country, or to administer oaths of office - neither is a notary public. ‘Notario’ and ’notario publico’ are prohibited: ‘A notary public shall not use the term “notario” or “notario publico” or any equivalent non-English term in a business card, advertisement, notice or sign’ (s. 16(i)). ‘Notary signing agent’ and ’loan signing agent’ are private vendor designations; Massachusetts issues no such credential and neither chapter 222 nor any Commonwealth notary page read for this record uses the phrase.

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission — A person at least 18 years old who resides, or has a regular place of work or business, in Massachusetts M.G.L. c. 222 s. 13(a): ‘A person qualified for a notary public commission shall be at least 18 years of age and reside or have a regular place of work or business within the commonwealth.’ A single, undifferentiated commission - Massachusetts has no separate electronic or remote notary credential, no limited or governmental class and no non-resident class. Jurisdiction is statewide: ‘Justices of the peace and notaries public shall be appointed and their commissions shall be issued for the commonwealth. Justices of the peace and notaries public shall have jurisdiction throughout the commonwealth’ (s. 1A). The commission runs 7 years (s. 14). THE APPLICATION FORM IS EXPLICIT that out-of-state people may apply on the work-nexus route: ‘This application is valid for out-of-state applicants.’
Registration as a remote notary (authorized by statute, NOT YET AVAILABLE) — A commissioned Massachusetts notary who wants to notarize for a remotely-located individual using communication technology M.G.L. c. 222 s. 28(d) requires a notary, before the first such notarization, to ‘register as a remote notary with the state secretary’, inform the secretary of the intent, and identify the communication technology, with proof of any required training. AS OF 2026-08-13 THAT REGISTRATION DOES NOT EXIST. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Remote Online Notarization page states: ‘The training and notification form aren’t yet available, so notaries shouldn’t use online remote platforms at this time.’ See ron_detail - this is the most consequential fact about Massachusetts notary practice and the one most often reported wrongly.
Justice of the peace (a separate office, listed only to keep it separate) — Not a notary - a different gubernatorial appointment governed by the same chapter M.G.L. c. 222 covers ‘JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, NOTARIES PUBLIC AND COMMISSIONERS’ together, and s. 1A gives justices of the peace and notaries public overlapping oath and acknowledgment powers, but they are distinct commissions with distinct applications; the Commonwealth’s notary pages link ‘Becoming a Justice of the Peace’ as a separate service. Chapter 222 ss. 3-7 also cover ‘commissioners’ appointed to act for Massachusetts in other states and foreign countries - again a different office, with a three-year term and its own seal requirements. Nothing in this record applies to either.

Who can be commissioned

THE STATUTORY TEST IS TWO LINES LONG AND THEN THE DISCRETION IS ENORMOUS. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 13(a): ‘A person qualified for a notary public commission shall be at least 18 years of age and reside or have a regular place of work or business within the commonwealth.’ There is no citizenship requirement, no residency-duration requirement, no English-proficiency requirement, no education requirement and no examination in the statute. The work-or-business nexus is a genuine alternative to residence - the application form states ‘This application is valid for out-of-state applicants.’ DISCRETIONARY DENIAL, s. 13(b): ‘In the governor’s discretion, an application for appointment, reappointment or renewal of a commission may be denied based on: (i) submission of an official application containing a material misstatement or omission of fact; (ii) the applicant’s conviction of an offense that resulted in a prison sentence; (iii) the applicant’s conviction of a misdemeanor offense that resulted in a sentence to probation or a fine or a conviction for a violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision (1) of section 24 of chapter 90 or subsection (a) of section 8 of chapter 90B; (iv) the applicant’s admission to sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt of any offense; (v) a finding or admission of responsibility or liability against the applicant in a civil action based on the applicant’s fraud or deceit; (vi) revocation, suspension, restriction or denial of a notary public commission or professional licensure by the commonwealth or any other jurisdiction; or (vii) any other reason, including official misconduct, that in the governor’s discretion, would render the applicant unsuitable to hold a notary public commission.’ Note the breadth: a misdemeanor that produced only a fine is a listed ground, an admission to sufficient facts counts even without a conviction, the OUI and boating-under-the-influence provisions are named specifically, and clause (vii) is open-ended. This is not a checklist - it is a suitability review, which is why the application demands a resume, four character references including a member of the bar, ten years of addresses and an explanation of why you want the commission. GEOGRAPHIC LIMIT ON PRACTICE, NOT ON ELIGIBILITY: the applicant must initial ‘I understand that a notary public may witness signatures on documents for use in Massachusetts and in other states. However, a notary public may only witness a signature so long as he or she is physically present in Massachusetts at the time of the notarization.’ PER-ACT DISQUALIFICATIONS ARE UNUSUALLY BROAD (s. 16(a)): a notary shall not perform an act where the notary ‘is a party to or is named in the document’ (with narrow exceptions for a notice address and for attorneys named in a fiduciary capacity); where the notary ‘will receive as a direct result of the notarial act any commission, fee, advantage, right, title, interest, cash, property or other consideration exceeding the maximum fees provided in section 41 of chapter 262 or any other general or special law or executive order, or has any financial interest in the subject matter’; where the principal is not present or not acting of free will; where the notary has ‘a compelling doubt about whether the principal knows the consequences of the transaction’; and - the one most states do not have - where ’the notary public is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, guardian, child or sibling of the principal, including in-law, step or half relatives’, unless an attorney-drafted will or other legal document is being witnessed by the principal. NON-DISCRIMINATION IS A DUTY: ‘A notary public shall not refuse to perform a notarial act solely based on the principal’s race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, health, disability or status as a nonclient or noncustomer of the notary public or the notary public’s employer’ (s. 16(b)), and s. 19 makes performance mandatory on tender of the fee unless one of four listed conditions applies.

Requirements

QUALIFY: 18 or older, and either reside or have a regular place of work or business in Massachusetts (M.G.L. c. 222 s. 13(a)). The Commonwealth restates it: ‘If you wish to become a notary public, you must be at least 18 years old and live or work in the Commonwealth.’ 2) READ THE LAW AND SAY SO: ‘Applicants must also read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms.’ The application carries seven initialled acknowledgments covering the eight notarial acts a Massachusetts notary may perform, the physical-presence-in-Massachusetts rule, the duty to serve non-customers, the fee ceiling, the identification duty and the statement ‘I have read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms.’ 3) GET FOUR REFERENCES, ONE OF THEM A LAWYER. The Commonwealth’s instruction is ’the application, which requires you to obtain 4 signatures of known and respected members of your community’; the form is stricter - the four must certify ‘under the pains and penalties of perjury that the applicant: (1) is known to each of us; (2) is of high standing and character; and (3) is in every way fitted for the position of Notary Public. We are willing that this certification may be made public, if necessary,’ and ‘This certificate must be signed by four persons, of whom one must be a member of the bar in good standing.’ Each reference gives a Massachusetts city or town of residence and a relationship to the applicant. 4) ATTACH A CURRENT RESUME. ‘To complete the application you will need to provide a current resume,’ and the form repeats it twice: ‘Every application must be accompanied by an up-to-date resume that is stapled together with all of the pages of the application.’ A business card, if you have one, is stapled to the upper left corner. 5) HAVE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE NOTARIZED by a current Massachusetts notary, in the jurat printed on page 3 of the application. 6) DISCLOSE. The form asks whether you have ever been convicted of a crime, ever had a professional licence suspended or revoked, and ever been dismissed for actual or alleged misconduct or resigned to avoid dismissal, with a catch-all: ‘Are there any other issues that, in the interest of full disclosure, should be considered in connection with your application, qualifications, or suitability for appointment?’ It also asks for ten years of previous residences, schools attended since age 18, current occupation, employer and supervisor, and ‘Please explain the reasons you are seeking a commission as a notary public.’ Willfully making a false statement ‘is punishable by up to twenty years in state prison pursuant to General Laws Chapter 268, Sections 1, 1A.’ 7) MAIL IT - THERE IS NO ONLINE APPLICATION. Staple all four pages plus the resume and mail to Notary Public Office, State House, 24 Beacon St RM 184, Boston MA 02133-1058. 8) SEND NO MONEY WITH THE APPLICATION. The form says so twice - ‘Do not send any payment with this application’ - and the instructions explain: ‘When your application is favorably considered, you will be notified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth who will include with the notification of your appointment the directions for being sworn in. At the same time you will be provided with instructions as to the manner and method for paying the $60 commission fee.’ 9) WAIT, THEN BE SWORN IN. ‘Because of constitutional time parameters this process may take as many as 18 days between the day on which you mail your application and the day when you receive a notice of approval’; the mass.gov page says ‘approximately 2 weeks … to receive written notification of the appointment, which will include swearing in instructions.’ 10) BUY YOUR OWN SEAL OR STAMP. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 8(b) requires one and the Commonwealth points you to the market: ‘Many reputable providers can be found online, or you may also purchase a notary stamp from your local office supply store.’ 11) GET A JOURNAL. Required by s. 22 for most notaries; the Secretary sells them - a journal ‘may be purchased across the street at the State Bookstore in Room 116 of the State House, at various retail office supply stores, or on our website.’

Training

Massachusetts does not require a training course.

No course, no hours and no training provider are required to become a Massachusetts notary public. What the Commonwealth requires instead is that you READ THE STATUTE and certify that you did. ‘Applicants must also read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms,’ and the application makes it an initialled statement under the pains and penalties of perjury: ‘I have read Chapter 222 of the General Laws, as amended by Chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016, and agree to comply with all of its terms. I understand that failure to do so may subject me to revocation proceedings as well as civil and criminal penalties. I take personal responsibility for my actions as a notary public.’ Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-13: M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8 through 29 in full, read both from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s own posted text of the chapter as amended and from the General Court’s section pages - no section imposes education; the four-page Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7, downloaded from mass.gov the same day) whose requirements are the answers, the resume, the four references and the notarized signature, with no course certificate; and the mass.gov ‘Apply to become a notary public’ and ‘Becoming a Notary Public’ pages and the Secretary’s Notary Public Information page, whose ‘What you need’ list is only age 18, residence or work in the Commonwealth, the application with four signatures, and reading chapter 222. ONE TRAINING REQUIREMENT EXISTS ON PAPER BUT CANNOT YET BITE: M.G.L. c. 222 s. 28(d) requires a would-be REMOTE notary’s registration to ‘be accompanied by proof that the notary public has successfully completed any training that may be required by the state secretary.’ The Secretary has not published that training - ‘The training and notification form aren’t yet available’ - so no Massachusetts notary can complete it, and no notary can lawfully perform a remote notarization. That is a blocked prerequisite, not a live training requirement, and it is recorded here rather than in the enum for that reason.

Exam

Massachusetts does not require an exam.

NO EXAMINATION OF ANY KIND. Massachusetts does not test notary applicants, publishes no exam, no study guide requirement, no score and no testing vendor. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-13: M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8-29 in full (the chapter contains no examination provision; the qualification section, s. 13, is two sentences plus the discretionary denial list); the Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7) in full, whose four pages are personal history, disclosures, initialled acknowledgments, a notarized signature and four character references, with no test; and the Commonwealth’s ‘Apply to become a notary public’, ‘Becoming a Notary Public’ and ‘Questions about notaries public? Here’s who to contact’ pages plus the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Notary Public Information page. What substitutes for an examination in Massachusetts is a SUITABILITY REVIEW by the Governor and the Governor’s Council - a resume, four references one of whom must be a member of the bar in good standing, ten years of prior addresses, schools attended since 18, current occupation, employer and supervisor, criminal and disciplinary disclosures, and a written explanation of why the applicant wants the commission - reviewed against the seven discretionary denial grounds in s. 13(b). It is a very different gate from an exam, and describing Massachusetts as ’no exam, easy’ misses it.

Bond & insurance

MASSACHUSETTS REQUIRES NO SURETY BOND AND NO ERRORS-AND-OMISSIONS INSURANCE. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-13, stated precisely because bond and E&O products are marketed to Massachusetts notaries: (a) M.G.L. c. 222 as amended by c. 289 of the Acts of 2016, read in full from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s own posted text - the word ‘bond’ does not appear anywhere in the chapter, and ‘insurance’ appears only in s. 3-102-style contexts unrelated to notaries, specifically in the s. 16 phrase about a notary employed by an insurance company being unable to refuse a non-customer; (b) the section list of c. 222 from the General Court, ss. 1 through 29, which contains no bond, security or insurance section; (c) the four-page Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7), which requires a resume and four references and no bond rider, and which says ‘Do not send any payment with this application’; and (d) the Commonwealth’s ‘Apply to become a notary public’ page, whose entire ‘What you need’ list is age 18, residence or work in Massachusetts, the application with four signatures, and reading chapter 222, and whose entire ‘Fees’ table is the single $60 commission fee. WHAT MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTITUTES FOR A BOND is the character screen and personal liability: four sworn references including a member of the bar, a full personal history reviewed by the Governor’s Council against seven discretionary denial grounds, and a private right of action - s. 18 makes a violation of the chapter actionable and treats it as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, while the attorney general and district attorneys may prosecute. NOTE FOR ANY VENDOR-SOURCED CLAIM TO THE CONTRARY: Massachusetts notary bonds and E&O policies are sold commercially and are sometimes required by an EMPLOYER, but no Massachusetts statute or official page read for this record requires either.

Fees

PAID TO THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH: $60, once, on qualification. The Commonwealth’s fee table carries exactly one line - ‘A fee of $60 is charged by the Secretary of the Commonwealth upon qualification. You will not need to pay this fee until you receive notification that your application has been approved by the Governor and the Governor’s Council’ - and the application repeats the instruction twice, ‘Do not send any payment with this application’ and ‘Do not send any payment with this application.’ The instruction page adds that on favourable consideration ‘you will be provided with instructions as to the manner and method for paying the $60 commission fee to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.’ NO OTHER STATE FEE IS PUBLISHED: no application fee, no examination fee (there is no exam), no course fee (there is no course), no bond premium (there is no bond), and no separate renewal fee is stated - renewal is a fresh appointment and the same $60 qualification fee is what the Commonwealth publishes. NO NAME-CHANGE OR ADDRESS-CHANGE FEE is published either; s. 25 requires notice within 10 days and the Secretary’s renewal page gives an address to send it to, with no charge mentioned. Sourced negative on all of those, tiers searched 2026-08-13: the mass.gov ‘Apply to become a notary public’ Fees table; the Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7) in full; the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Notary Public Information and Notary Renewal pages; and M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8-29, which impose no fee on the notary. COSTS THAT ARE REAL BUT NOT STATE FEES: the seal or stamp, which you buy yourself - ‘Many reputable providers can be found online, or you may also purchase a notary stamp from your local office supply store’ - and which s. 8(b) requires you to REPLACE at every renewal, on every new commission and on any name change; and the journal required by s. 22, sold by the Secretary at the State Bookstore in Room 116 of the State House, at retail office-supply stores, or on the Secretary’s website. ONE POSTAGE ODDITY, STATED BY THE COMMONWEALTH: to request a paper application by mail you must enclose ‘a self-addressed stamped envelope with at least 60 cents postage.’

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

7 years - the longest term of any US notary commission this cluster has recorded. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 14: ‘A person commissioned as a notary public may perform notarial acts in any part of the commonwealth for a term of 7 years unless the commission is earlier revoked or the notary public resigns.’ The Commonwealth restates it in the complaints context: ’notaries serve seven-year terms, and the Governor or Governor’s Council may choose not to renew a notary’s commission if the notary engages in official misconduct or is otherwise not suitable to serve as a notary public.’ The commission is issued for the Commonwealth and carries statewide jurisdiction (s. 1A). Two consequences follow from the length: the expiration date must appear in the seal or stamp and in the signature block, so a stale stamp is a seven-year problem; and acting after expiry is a criminal offence - s. 9 penalises ‘Acting as justice or notary after expiration of commission’. Because there is no online register, the Commonwealth’s own answer to ‘when does a given notary’s commission expire’ is a phone call: contact the Public Records Division at (617) 727-2836 to ‘Find out the expiration date of a Notary Commission.’ RENEWAL IS BY MAILED PAPER APPLICATION THAT COMES TO YOU - AND IF YOUR ADDRESS IS STALE, IT DOES NOT. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s renewal page: ‘Renewal applications are automatically mailed to Massachusetts notaries. They are mailed five weeks before a commission is scheduled to expire. Applications are not available online.’ And the consequence, stated on the same page: ‘You have to notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth if you change your name or address (residence or business). You have to do this within ten days. If you don’t, you will not receive your renewal application. When you submit your new address, please include your current expiration date.’ The statutory duty is M.G.L. c. 222 s. 25: ‘Within 10 days after the change of a notary public’s name, residence, business address or mailing address, the notary public shall send to the state secretary a signed notice of the change, providing both the old and new information.’ NOTE THE STALE CROSS-REFERENCE ON THE STATE’S OWN PAGE: the renewal page cites ‘Revised Executive Order No. 455, s. 14’ as authority for the 10-day rule, even though the Secretary’s Notary Public Information page states that ‘Executive Order No. 455, which had previously governed the conduct of notaries public in the past, has been rescinded.’ The operative provision today is s. 25 of chapter 222. Both are recorded; neither is silently preferred. WHERE TO SEND CHANGES: Secretary of the Commonwealth, Public Records Division, Commissions Section, One Ashburton Place, Room 1719, Boston MA 02108; phone 617-727-2836, fax 617-727-5914, [email protected] . RENEWAL IS STILL A DISCRETIONARY APPOINTMENT, not a formality: s. 13(b) applies to ‘an application for appointment, reappointment or renewal of a commission’, and the Commonwealth invites third-party opposition - ‘Should you wish to oppose an individual notary’s re-appointment, you should send a written statement or, if applicable, a copy of your police report to the Governor’s Legal Office, State House, Room 271, Boston, MA 02133,’ with a copy to the Notary Public Office, warning that ‘correspondence and documentation submitted in opposition … may be disclosed and shared with the notary public who is the subject of the complaint.’ A NEW SEAL IS REQUIRED EVERY TIME: ‘A notary public shall obtain a new seal or stamp upon renewal of the commission, upon receipt of a new commission or if the name of the notary public has changed’ (s. 8(b)). WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT RENEW: s. 24 requires you, as soon as reasonably practicable, to ‘destroy or deface all notary seals and stamps so that they shall not be used’ and to ‘retain the journal and records for 7 years after the date of expiration, resignation or revocation.’ None. Massachusetts requires no continuing education to hold or to renew a notary public commission. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-13: M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8 through 29 in full - the chapter contains no education provision at all, and s. 13, the qualification section, is limited to age, residence-or-work and the discretionary denial grounds; the Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7) in full, which is the same form used for a first appointment and for reappointment and requires only the answers, a resume, four references and a notarized signature; the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Notary Renewal page, whose entire renewal instruction is that a paper application is mailed to the notary five weeks before expiry and that the notary must keep name and address current; and the mass.gov ‘Apply to become a notary public’ and ‘Becoming a Notary Public’ pages. The only education-shaped obligation in the whole scheme is the initialled certification that the applicant has READ chapter 222 as amended by chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016 and agrees to comply with all of its terms, repeated at every application. One future obligation is dormant rather than absent: M.G.L. c. 222 s. 28(d) requires proof of ‘any training that may be required by the state secretary’ before registering as a remote notary, but the Secretary has not published that training, so it binds nobody today. With a seven-year term and no CE, a Massachusetts notary can lawfully practise for seven years on a single reading of the statute - which is why s. 24’s record-retention and s. 8(b)’s new-seal-every-renewal rules do a lot of the work other states get from refresher courses.

Your seal or stamp

A SEAL OR STAMP IS MANDATORY AND MUST BE REPLACED AT EVERY RENEWAL. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 8(b): ‘A notary public shall keep an official notarial seal or stamp that shall be the exclusive property of the notary public. A notary public shall not permit another to use such notarial seal or stamp. A notary public shall obtain a new seal or stamp upon renewal of the commission, upon receipt of a new commission or if the name of the notary public has changed.’ CONTENTS: ‘The notarial seal or stamp shall include: (i) the notary public’s name exactly as indicated on the commission; (ii) the words “notary public” and “Commonwealth of Massachusetts” or “Massachusetts”; (iii) the expiration date of the commission in the following words: “My commission expires ____”; and (iv) a facsimile of the seal of the commonwealth. If a notarial seal that requires ink is employed, black ink shall be used.’ A FACSIMILE OF THE STATE SEAL IS THE DETAIL THAT CATCHES PEOPLE - most states forbid or ignore the state seal; Massachusetts requires it. SPLIT DEVICES ARE ALLOWED: ‘The requirements of this subsection shall be satisfied by using a stamp and a seal that, together, include all of the information required by this section.’ NO SHAPE OR SIZE IS PRESCRIBED - sourced negative: s. 8 sets contents and ink colour but no dimensions, shape or border, and no other section of c. 222 does; tiers searched 2026-08-13 were c. 222 ss. 1A and 8-29 in full and the Commonwealth’s notary pages, none of which gives a measurement. IN ADDITION TO THE SEAL, A PRINTED NAME AND EXPIRATION DATE ARE REQUIRED under s. 8(a) - the notary must print or type the name and add ‘a statement of the expiration of such person’s commission in the following language: “My commission expires ______.”’ FAILURE IS NOT FATAL TO THE DOCUMENT: ‘Failure to comply with this section shall not affect the validity of any instrument or the record thereof’ (s. 8). THE CERTIFICATE FORMS in s. 15 all end with the line ‘(official signature and seal of notary public)’, so the seal belongs on every acknowledgment, jurat, signature witnessing and copy certification. NEVER PRE-SEAL: ‘A notary public shall not affix an official signature or seal on a notarial certificate that is incomplete’ (s. 16(e)), and shall not send a signed or sealed certificate to another person to be attached to a document outside the notary’s presence - with one narrow exception for commercial, non-consumer transactions where an attorney holds the certificate in escrow, attaches it later, and obtains the principals’ approval first (s. 16(f)). END OF COMMISSION: ‘If a notary public’s commission expires, is resigned or revoked, the notary public shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, destroy or deface all notary seals and stamps so that they shall not be used’ (s. 24). Destroying another notary’s records is a separate offence (s. 10). ELECTRONIC SEAL: s. 27(a) contemplates one - a notary may select tamper-evident technologies, and any technology approved by the state secretary under s. 28(h) must require the notary’s electronic signature and electronic seal to be ‘unique to the notary public’, ‘capable of independent verification’, ‘retained under the sole control of the notary public’ and ‘attached to or logically associated with the electronic record in a tamper-evident manner’ - but because the Secretary has not yet approved technologies or opened remote registration, this is not yet operative in practice.

Keeping a journal

Massachusetts requires a notary journal.

REQUIRED, IN A PERMANENTLY BOUND BOOK, WITH THREE CATEGORIES OF EXEMPTION. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 22(a): ‘Except as provided in subsection (f), a notary public shall keep, maintain, protect and provide for lawful inspection a chronological official journal of notarial acts performed by the notary public. The journal shall be a permanently bound book with numbered pages, except as otherwise provided in this section.’ Only one journal may be active at a time (s. 22(b)). ENTRIES, made at the time of the notarization, for every act except issuing a summons or subpoena and except administering an oral oath (s. 22(c)): ‘(i) the date and time of the notarial act, proceeding or transaction; (ii) the type of notarial act; (iii) the type, title or a description of the document, transaction or proceeding’ - with a single entry sufficient where one principal signs multiple documents in one transaction or on one date; ‘(iv) the signature and printed name and address of each principal and witness’ - and a battered-person protection: ‘if a principal or witness informs the notary public that the principal or witness is a battered person, the notary public shall make a note in the journal that the person’s address shall not be subject to public inspection’; and ‘(v) a description of the satisfactory evidence of identity of each person, including: (1) a notation of the type of identification document, the issuing agency, its serial or identification number and its date of issuance or expiration’ - with the instruction that if the number is a social security number the notary writes the words ‘Social Security number’ or ‘SSN’ instead of the number; ‘(2) a notation if the notary public identified the individual on the oath or affirmation of a credible witness or based on the notary public’s personal knowledge’; ‘(3) the fee, if any, charged for the notarial act’; and ‘(4) the address where the notarization was performed.’ PROHIBITED CONTENT: ‘A notary public shall not record a social security or credit card number in the journal’ (s. 22(d)). REFUSALS ARE LOGGED TOO: ‘A notary public shall record in the journal the reason for not completing a notarial act requested by a principal’ (s. 22(e)) - a duty most states do not impose. THE EXEMPTIONS (s. 22(f), reinforced by s. 12): ‘A journal shall not be required for a notary public who is an attorney admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction or who is employed by any such attorney. If an attorney or person employed by an attorney elects to maintain a journal, this section shall not be construed to impair or infringe on the attorney-client privilege or the attorney work product doctrine.’ And: ‘A notary public who works for a government entity shall not be required to maintain a journal for the notarial acts performed in the course of that employment.’ Section 12 states the attorney exemption independently and overridingly: ‘Notwithstanding section 22 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a notary public who is an attorney or who is employed by an attorney and by virtue of such employment performs notary public duties shall not be required to maintain a journal.’ Note the breadth - an attorney admitted ‘in any jurisdiction’, not only Massachusetts. INSPECTION AND CUSTODY: ‘a journal may be examined without restriction by a law enforcement officer in the course of an official investigation, subpoenaed by court order or surrendered at the direction of the state secretary. Nothing in this section shall prevent a notary public from seeking appropriate judicial protective orders’ (s. 22(g)); the notary ‘shall surrender or destroy such records only as directed by law, court order or regulation or at the direction of the state secretary’ (s. 22(h)); and ‘If not in use, a journal shall be kept in a secure area under the exclusive control of the notary public and shall not be used by any other notary public or surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment’ (s. 22(i)). RETENTION: 7 years - ’the notary public shall … retain the journal and records for 7 years after the date of expiration, resignation or revocation’ (s. 24). Destroying, defacing or concealing a notary’s records is a criminal offence under s. 10. WHERE TO BUY ONE: the Secretary sells them - a journal ‘may be purchased across the street at the State Bookstore in Room 116 of the State House, at various retail office supply stores, or on our website.’ A STALE STATE PAGE TO IGNORE ON THIS POINT: the Secretary’s Notary Public Information page still describes the journal as something ‘which the Governor’s Executive Order 455 suggests you keep for recordkeeping purposes’ - the language of the rescinded executive order. Since January 4, 2017 the journal has been a statutory requirement under s. 22, not a suggestion.

Online (remote) notarization

Massachusetts does not authorize remote online notarization.

AUTHORIZED IN STATUTE, INOPERATIVE IN FACT - AND THE COMMONWEALTH SAYS SO IN TERMS. This is the single most important thing to get right about Massachusetts, and the enum is set to not-authorized because that is the honest answer to ‘can a Massachusetts notary perform a remote online notarization today.’ They cannot. WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS. M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 27, 28 and 29 were added by Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, sections 23-33, and the Land Court’s Chief Title Examiner records that they ‘generally become effective on January 1, 2024, subject to the implementation of regulations by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.’ Section 28(a) permits ‘A notary public physically located in the commonwealth’ to perform a notarial act using communication technology for a remotely-located individual, on personal knowledge, a credible witness ‘unaffected by the document or transaction’, or ’not less than 2 different types of identity proofing processes or services’; the act must be executed ‘in a single, real-time session’, the notary must be reasonably able to confirm the record is the same one signed, and an audio-visual recording must be created and retained for 10 years (s. 28(f)). WHAT BLOCKS IT. Section 28(d): ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarization using communication technology, the notary public shall: (i) register as a remote notary with the state secretary; (ii) inform the state secretary that the notary public intends to perform remote notarizations; and (iii) identify the communication technology that the notary public will use,’ with the notice ‘accompanied by proof that the notary public has successfully completed any training that may be required by the state secretary.’ Section 28(h) further requires the Secretary to ’establish standards, in conformity with national standards’ and to ‘create and maintain a registry of communication technology service providers who meet the established standards’, and provides that ‘A notary public who uses communication technology shall utilize communication technology and identity proofing from communication technology service providers included on the state secretary’s registry.’ NEITHER EXISTS. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Remote Online Notarization page, read live on 2026-08-13, states: ‘According to a law passed in 2023, notaries public can use online communications platforms to perform their duties. However, they first must complete training and notify our office through an online notification form. The training and notification form aren’t yet available, so notaries shouldn’t use online remote platforms at this time. We’re working with the Governor’s office and the Governor’s council to develop the remote online notarization notification form, and to enhance the entire notary application process.’ On the registry: ‘After issuing a request for information (RFI) from remote online notarization communication technology platforms, we received several responses by the April 16, 2024 deadline. We’re now reviewing these responses, to help develop rules and regulations on remote online notarization. We’ll provide more information when the draft of the rules and regulations becomes available for public comment.’ So as of 2026-08-13 the RFI closed more than two years ago and no draft rules have been published for comment. THE COURTS HAVE STOOD DOWN TOO: the Land Court’s memorandum of December 29, 2023 states that ‘The statutory provisions authorizing remote online notarization in Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023 require, prior to implementation, the adoption and promulgation by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of protocols, approvals, and regulations, G.L. c. 222, s. 28. The institution of remote online notarization for registered land documents will not be possible until that process concludes,’ and ’no registry district should accept for registration any documents notarized remotely until further instruction from the court issues.’ WHAT IS ALSO GONE: the pandemic-era workaround. ‘Effective March 31, 2023, section 12 of Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022 - which had authorized temporarily the use of “virtual” electronic notarization - is repealed,’ and for any notarial act on or after that date ’the notarial act must have been performed in the physical presence of the notary public.’ Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2020 (the original COVID virtual notarization act) is likewise spent. So Massachusetts had temporary remote notarization, lost it on March 31 2023, gained a permanent statute on January 1 2024, and has not been able to use the permanent one since. WHAT WILL BE PROHIBITED EVEN WHEN IT OPENS, worth recording now because it is unusual: ‘A notary public shall not use communication technology to notarize a record related to the electoral process, or a will, codicil or document purporting to be a will or codicil’ (s. 28(c)). And for real-estate closings, ’the communication technology shall be engaged by the closing attorney with the approval of the lender’, with the attorney entering and affirming their Board of Bar Overseers registration number (s. 28(l)). OTHER PROVISIONS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS: s. 27(b) makes a tangible copy of an electronic record recordable as the equivalent of an original where the notarial certificate satisfies the recording requirements and the notary certifies the copy is accurate; s. 29 bars a notary from using, selling or transferring personal information obtained under s. 28 except to facilitate the act, to service the record, under s. 28’s rules, or under other law or a subpoena; and s. 28(i) authorises an annual fee on approved technology providers, proportioned equally among them and capped in the aggregate at $500,000. RE-CHECK TRIGGER: this field flips to authorized-with-registration the day the Secretary publishes the notification form, the training and the provider registry. Watch https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/commissions/remote-online.htm .

What you may charge

MASSACHUSETTS TELLS NOTARIES THEY MAY NOT EXCEED ‘THE STATUTORY AMOUNT’ WHILE PUBLISHING NO STATUTORY AMOUNT FOR ORDINARY NOTARIAL ACTS. This is a real gap in the law, not a gap in this research, and it is recorded as such. WHAT THE CHAPTER SAYS. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 19 requires a notary to ‘perform a notarial act for any person requesting such act who tenders the fee provided for in section 41 of chapter 262 or any other general or special law or executive order’, subject to four exceptions - unlawfulness, compelling doubt about the principal’s understanding, prohibition by law, and a volume of requests that ‘practicably precludes completion of all acts at once’, in which case the notary ‘shall arrange for later completion’. Section 16(a)(vi) bars a notary from receiving consideration ’exceeding the maximum fees provided in section 41 of chapter 262 or any other general or special law or executive order’. The application form makes the applicant initial: ‘I understand that a notary public may only charge the amount set forth in statute for performing a notarization. It is the notary public’s responsibility to know the proper amount to charge. In no case may a notary public charge more than the statutory amount.’ WHAT SECTION 41 ACTUALLY CONTAINS. M.G.L. c. 262 s. 41, ‘Notaries public; enumeration of fees’, read in full on 2026-08-13, sets fees ONLY for protests and notings of negotiable instruments: ‘For the protest of a bill of exchange, order, draft or check for non-acceptance or non-payment, or of a promissory note for non-payment, if the amount thereof is five hundred dollars or more, one dollar; if it is less than five hundred dollars, fifty cents; for recording the same, fifty cents; for noting the non-acceptance or non-payment … seventy-five cents; and for each notice … given to a party liable for the payment thereof, twenty-five cents; but the whole cost of protest, including necessary notices and the record, if the bill, order, draft, check or note is of the amount of five hundred dollars or more, shall not exceed two dollars, and if it is less than five hundred dollars, shall not exceed one dollar and fifty cents; and the whole cost of noting, including recording and notices, shall in no case exceed one dollar and twenty-five cents.’ IT SETS NO FEE FOR AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT, A JURAT, AN OATH, A SIGNATURE WITNESSING OR A COPY CERTIFICATION - the acts a Massachusetts notary actually performs. THE MISSING PIECE IS THE ‘OR EXECUTIVE ORDER’ LIMB, AND IT POINTS AT A RESCINDED ORDER. Both s. 19 and s. 16(a)(vi) reach fees set by ‘any other general or special law or executive order’. The executive order that historically governed Massachusetts notary conduct and fees was Executive Order No. 455, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s own Notary Public Information page states that it ‘has been rescinded’ - superseded on January 4, 2017 by chapter 222 as amended by chapter 289 of the Acts of 2016. The same Secretary’s renewal page nonetheless still cites ‘Revised Executive Order No. 455, s. 14’ for the 10-day change-of-address rule. Both agency statements are recorded here; neither is preferred, and no fee figure is asserted from a rescinded order. NO FIGURE IS STATED IN THIS RECORD FOR AN ORDINARY NOTARIAL ACT. Tiers searched on 2026-08-13: M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8-29 in full; M.G.L. c. 262 s. 41 in full, plus the c. 262 section list which shows s. 1 covering justices of the peace and s. 42 covering commissioners in other states, with s. 41 the only notary section; the Notary Public Application (rev. 3/7); and the Commonwealth’s ‘Apply to become a notary public’, ‘Becoming a Notary Public’, ‘Find a notary public’ and ‘Questions about notaries public’ pages plus the Secretary’s Notary Public Information and Notary Renewal pages - none publishes a per-act maximum. Any specific dollar figure circulating for a Massachusetts acknowledgment or jurat should be traced to its source before it is repeated; it most likely derives from the rescinded Executive Order 455. WHAT IS CERTAIN: TWO ACTS MUST BE FREE. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 23: ‘Notwithstanding section 41 of chapter 262, no fee shall be charged by a notary public to notarize a signature on an absentee ballot identification envelope or other voting materials or on any application or claim by a United States military veteran for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance or other veterans’ benefit.’ And the Secretary of the Commonwealth and departmental employees acting as commissioners to qualify public officers may charge nothing for administering an oath of office (s. 3). ALSO CERTAIN: whatever fee is charged must be recorded in the journal entry for the act (s. 22(c)(v)(3)), and the fee is what triggers the duty to serve under s. 19.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

WHO IS RELIEVED OF WHAT. (1) ATTORNEYS AND THEIR STAFF ARE EXEMPT FROM THE JOURNAL - and unusually, the exemption runs to attorneys admitted anywhere: ‘Notwithstanding section 22 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a notary public who is an attorney or who is employed by an attorney and by virtue of such employment performs notary public duties shall not be required to maintain a journal’ (M.G.L. c. 222 s. 12), repeated at s. 22(f) as ‘a notary public who is an attorney admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction or who is employed by any such attorney.’ (2) GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYED NOTARIES are exempt from the journal for acts performed in that employment (s. 22(f)). (3) ATTORNEYS ARE ALSO EXEMPTED FROM TWO CONFLICT RULES: a notary who is a Massachusetts-licensed attorney, or employed by one, may act on a document in which the attorney is named ‘as an executor, trustee or any other fiduciary capacity’ (s. 16(a)(v)(2)); may perform notarial acts on a document for which the attorney receives a legal fee, notwithstanding the excess-consideration bar (s. 16(a)(vi)); and may notarize for a close relative where the principal is witnessing an attorney-drafted will or other legal document (s. 16(a)(vii)). (4) ATTORNEYS AND ACCREDITED REPRESENTATIVES are outside the non-attorney advertising and immigration restrictions of s. 17. (5) MILITARY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS have their own section: s. 11, ‘Acknowledgments by persons in armed forces or their dependents’ - a Massachusetts provision recognising acts for service members and dependents; it is listed here because it exists in the chapter, and its detailed operation was not read for this record and is not asserted. (6) OTHER OFFICERS WHO MAY ADMINISTER OATHS AND TAKE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: justices of the peace hold the same powers as notaries under s. 1A - ‘justices of the peace and notaries public may administer oaths or affirmations in all cases in which an oath or affirmation is required and take acknowledgments of deeds and other instruments’; commissioners appointed under ss. 4-6 may take acknowledgments and administer oaths for Massachusetts use in other states and foreign countries under their own official seal; and commissioners appointed under s. 3 administer oaths of office to public officers, for which neither the state secretary nor any employee of the department may charge a fee. The Secretary publishes a ‘List of Commissioners to Qualify Public Officers’. (7) NO FEE MAY BE CHARGED for notarizing an absentee ballot identification envelope, other voting materials, or a US military veteran’s application or claim for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance or other veterans’ benefit (s. 23). NOT AN EXEMPTION, A VALIDITY RULE: ‘Failure to comply with this section shall not affect the validity of any instrument or the record thereof’ (s. 8, on the seal and printed-name requirements). TIERS SEARCHED (2026-08-13): M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1 through 29 in full, the M.G.L. c. 262 section list, and the Commonwealth’s and the Secretary’s notary pages. NOT COVERED BY ANY MASSACHUSETTS SOURCE READ: the federal military notarial authority at 10 U.S.C. 1044a - s. 11 of chapter 222 is a Massachusetts provision and nothing is asserted here about the federal one.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Three offices share the work, which is why Massachusetts applicants are so often sent in circles. THE GOVERNOR APPOINTS, with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council - the Commonwealth’s page states that the $60 fee is not paid ‘until you receive notification that your application has been approved by the Governor and the Governor’s Council’, and the application itself is addressed ‘To Her Excellency the Governor’. THE GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL answers status questions: ‘If you have questions regarding the status of your notary application, please call the Governor’s Council at (617) 725-4016.’ THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH (Public Records Division, Commissions Section, State House Room 184, 24 Beacon Street, Boston MA 02133) receives applications, collects the fee, administers the oath and maintains the records - ‘The Secretary of the Commonwealth maintains notaries public appointments. This office also administers the oaths of office to notaries public, justices of the peace and other gubernatorial appointments.’ NOBODY REGULATES CONDUCT: ‘The Secretary of the Commonwealth does not regulate the conduct of Notaries Public. There is no single state-wide office that receives complaints against notaries. Section 18 of Chapter 222 of the General Laws empowers the attorney general and district attorneys to prosecute any notary public violating the provisions of Chapter 222.’. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Massachusetts

Secretary of the Commonwealth, Public Records Division (Commissions Section) - by telephone; there is no public online register publishes a public license search , searchable by Telephone request to the Public Records Division at (617) 727-2836, giving the notary’s name - the Commonwealth publishes no searchable database, so no online search fields exist. It covers MASSACHUSETTS PUBLISHES NO ONLINE NOTARY LOOKUP, AND THIS ENTRY EXISTS TO SAY SO RATHER THAN TO POINT AT ONE. The Commonwealth’s ‘Find a notary public’ page, read live on 2026-08-13, is a page about where to physically find a notary - ‘There are more than 100,000 notaries public in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Some common places to look for a notary are: City and town halls; Courts; Banks; Law offices; Insurance companies; Drug stores and pharmacies; In the phone book under “Notary Public”’ - and it routes verification to a phone call: ‘If you would like contact information for a specific notary public, you may call the Public Records Division in the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office at (617) 727-2836 and request that information.’ The same number is given for the related questions a register would normally answer: the Commonwealth’s contact page says to call it to ‘Find out the expiration date of a Notary Commission’ and to ‘Find the contact information for a Notary Public’. A verifier should NOT record an absent portal as a broken link: the correct reading is that no such system exists, which is itself a material fact about Massachusetts - a document holder who needs to confirm a Massachusetts notary’s commission and its expiry cannot do it online. is_state_official is true because the page recorded is the Commonwealth’s own; form_state is false because no search form exists at all, not because results are URL-addressable. TIERS SEARCHED for a register on 2026-08-13: mass.gov ‘Find a notary public’, ‘Apply to become a notary public’, ‘Becoming a Notary Public’ and ‘Questions about notaries public? Here’s who to contact’; the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Commissions section landing page and its Notary Public Information and Notary Renewal pages; and M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 1A and 8-29, which nowhere direct the state secretary to publish a database - a striking contrast with Illinois, whose 5 ILCS 312/2-102.6 expressly authorises one.

Records come from Secretary of the Commonwealth, Public Records Division (Commissions Section) - by telephone; there is no public online register’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

Who appoints notaries public in Massachusetts?

The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council - the application is addressed ‘To Her Excellency the Governor’, and the $60 fee is not paid until ‘your application has been approved by the Governor and the Governor’s Council.’ The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Commissions Section receives the application, collects the fee, administers the oath and keeps the records, and the Governor’s Council answers status questions at (617) 725-4016. No office regulates notary conduct: ‘There is no single state-wide office that receives complaints against notaries,’ and enforcement runs through the attorney general and district attorneys under M.G.L. c. 222 s. 18.

How long does a Massachusetts notary commission last?

Seven years - the longest notary term in the country. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 14: ‘A person commissioned as a notary public may perform notarial acts in any part of the commonwealth for a term of 7 years unless the commission is earlier revoked or the notary public resigns.’ Because the expiration date must appear both in the seal and in the signature block, and because a new seal is required at every renewal, a seven-year commission means a seven-year-old stamp - keep the date current and stop notarizing the day it expires, since acting after expiry is a criminal offence under s. 9.

What does it cost to become a Massachusetts notary, and does it need a bond?

$60, paid to the Secretary of the Commonwealth after the Governor and Governor’s Council approve you - and the application form tells you twice, ‘Do not send any payment with this application.’ No bond and no errors-and-omissions insurance are required: the word ‘bond’ does not appear anywhere in M.G.L. c. 222, and the Commonwealth’s entire ‘What you need’ list is age 18, living or working in Massachusetts, the application with four signatures, and reading chapter 222. You do buy your own seal or stamp, and a journal, neither of which the state supplies.

Is there a test or a course to become a notary in Massachusetts?

No. There is no examination and no course. What there is instead is a suitability review: the four-page application asks for a current resume, ten years of previous residences, schools attended since age 18, your occupation, employer and supervisor, criminal and disciplinary disclosures and a written explanation of why you want the commission - and it must carry four sworn character references, ‘of whom one must be a member of the bar in good standing.’ Your own signature on the application has to be notarized. The Governor may deny an appointment on any of seven discretionary grounds in s. 13(b), including ‘any other reason … that in the governor’s discretion, would render the applicant unsuitable.’

Can a Massachusetts notary perform remote online notarizations?

Not today, even though the statute allows it. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 28 was added by Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023 and generally took effect January 1, 2024, but s. 28(d) requires a notary to register as a remote notary with the state secretary and complete any required training first, and s. 28(h) requires the secretary to publish standards and a registry of approved technology providers. None of that exists. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s own page says: ‘The training and notification form aren’t yet available, so notaries shouldn’t use online remote platforms at this time.’ The provider RFI closed on April 16, 2024 and draft rules have not yet been released for public comment. The pandemic-era ‘virtual’ notarization is also gone - repealed effective March 31, 2023 - so every Massachusetts notarial act must currently be performed in the physical presence of the notary.

Does a Massachusetts notary have to keep a journal?

Yes, unless you are an attorney, work for one, or are notarizing in government employment. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 22 requires ‘a chronological official journal of notarial acts’ in ‘a permanently bound book with numbered pages’, only one active at a time, with the date and time, the type of act, a description of the document, the signature, printed name and address of each principal and witness, a description of the identification used, the fee charged and the address where the notarization happened. You must also record the reason for refusing any act. Never record a social security or credit card number. The attorney exemption is broad - it covers a notary who is an attorney ‘admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction’ or employed by one. Keep the journal 7 years after your commission expires, is resigned or is revoked.

What must a Massachusetts notary seal contain?

Four things, per M.G.L. c. 222 s. 8(b): your name exactly as it appears on the commission; the words ’notary public’ and either ‘Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ or ‘Massachusetts’; the expiration date in the form ‘My commission expires ____’; and ‘a facsimile of the seal of the commonwealth.’ That last element is the one people miss - most states do not put the state seal on a notary stamp, and Massachusetts requires it. If ink is used it must be black. A stamp and a seal together may satisfy the requirement between them. You must buy a new seal or stamp at every renewal, on every new commission, and after any name change, and you must destroy or deface all of them when your commission ends.

How much can a Massachusetts notary charge?

Massachusetts does not publish a per-act maximum, and that is a genuine gap rather than an omission here. M.G.L. c. 222 ss. 16 and 19 both peg the ceiling to ‘section 41 of chapter 262 or any other general or special law or executive order’ - but c. 262 s. 41, read in full, sets fees only for protests and notings of bills and notes (a protest of $500 or more is capped at $2.00 in total), and says nothing about acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, signature witnessings or copy certifications. The executive order that used to fill the gap, Executive Order 455, has been rescinded. Meanwhile the application makes you initial that ‘In no case may a notary public charge more than the statutory amount.’ Two things are certain: whatever you charge must be recorded in your journal entry, and you may charge NOTHING for notarizing an absentee ballot identification envelope, other voting materials, or a US military veteran’s benefit application or claim (s. 23).

Can I notarize for my spouse, my parent or my child in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts is one of the states with an express relative bar. M.G.L. c. 222 s. 16(a)(vii) prohibits a notarial act where ’the notary public is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, guardian, child or sibling of the principal, including in-law, step or half relatives’ - the only exception being where a principal witnesses a will or other legal document prepared by a notary who is a Massachusetts-licensed attorney, or where the notary is employed by such an attorney. Separately you may not act if you are a party to or named in the document, or if you would receive from the transaction consideration exceeding the maximum notarial fee, or if you have any financial interest in the subject matter.

How do I renew a Massachusetts notary commission?

You wait for the paper application to arrive. ‘Renewal applications are automatically mailed to Massachusetts notaries. They are mailed five weeks before a commission is scheduled to expire. Applications are not available online.’ That makes your address on file load-bearing: M.G.L. c. 222 s. 25 requires you to notify the state secretary within 10 days of any change of name, residence, business address or mailing address, giving both the old and new information, and the Secretary warns ‘If you don’t, you will not receive your renewal application.’ Renewal is a fresh discretionary appointment - the same seven denial grounds apply, third parties may write to the Governor’s Legal Office to oppose it, and you must buy a new seal or stamp when the new commission issues.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Massachusetts.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: August 13, 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.