How to Become a Notary in North Dakota — Requirements & Fees

How to become a notary public in North Dakota: a $7,500 surety bond, remote online notarization — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from North Dakota Secretary of State (Notary & Apostille). All notary filings - application, renewal, amendment, name change - run through the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal. (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

1) Meet the statutory qualifications in N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(2) (18 or older; US citizen or permanent legal resident; North Dakota residence, employment or reciprocating border county; able to read and write English; not disqualified under 44-06.1-21). 2) File the Notary Public Application in the Secretary of State's FirstStop portal with the $36 fee - the statute itself sets the amount: the applicant 'shall comply with and provide on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, the information required by the secretary of state and submit the required application fee of thirty-six dollars.' The Secretary of State warns that the name on the application must match the signature used when notarizing: 'The name provided on the application must be exactly the same as you will sign when performing notarial acts.' 3) Post the assurance: 'A Notary Bond (SFN 19355) in the amount of $7,500 covering notarial acts performed during the term of your commission must be included with your application. The bond may be obtained from an insurance company of your choice.' 4) Swear the oath: 'You must sign a Notary Oath of Office in the presence of a notary public and submit it with your application' - and the statute requires it before issuance ('an applicant for the commission shall execute an oath of office and submit it to the secretary of state'). 5) Get the stamping device, but only through the State: 'The Office of the Secretary of State will provide you with a Certificate of Authorization to Purchase Notary Stamping Device form once your application is approved. This form allows you to obtain a stamping device from a vendor of your choice.' By statute 'A notary stamp vendor may provide a notary with an official stamping device only upon presentation by the notary of a certificate of authorization.' 6) Prove the stamp: 'After you receive your stamping device, return an impression of the notary stamping device on the Verification of Notary Public Stamping Device form. It must be received by the Secretary of State on or before the date indicated on the Verification form.' 7) Receive the commission certificate - 'You may begin performing notarial acts only on or after the commencement date listed on your commission certificate.' The commission must also be displayed: 'The notary shall post the commission in a conspicuous place in the notary's office or place of employment.' NOTE what is NOT in this list: no course, no examination, and no county filing.

Legal basis

North Dakota Secretary of State (Notary & Apostille). All notary filings - application, renewal, amendment, name change - run through the Secretary of State’s FirstStop portal. commissions notaries public in North Dakota. 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 the instrument is a COMMISSION: ‘Notary public means an individual commissioned to perform a notarial act by the secretary of state’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-01), and the Secretary of State issues a ‘commission certificate’ with a commencement and expiration date. ‘Notarial officer’ is the wider statutory term - ‘a notary public or other individual authorized to perform a notarial act.’ ‘Notary license’ and ’notary certification’ are folk terms; North Dakota issues no notary licence, and the only certificate in the process other than the commission is the ‘Certificate of Authorization to Purchase Notary Stamping Device’, which is a manufacturing permit for the stamp vendor rather than a credential. North Dakota’s own vocabulary distinguishes three delivery modes that are often conflated elsewhere: IPEN (in-person electronic notarization - ‘Electronic notarization is a notarial act on an electronic document and is often referred to as In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN). The signer still appears before you in person’), RON (remote online notarization on an electronic document), and RIN (remote ink notarization on a paper document, acknowledgments only). None of the three is a separate commission - each is an amendment filed against the existing one. ‘Notary signing agent’ and ’loan signing agent’ are not North Dakota credentials and appear nowhere in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 or on the Secretary of State’s notary pages.

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission (traditional / tangible records) — Any qualifying applicant who is a North Dakota resident, has a North Dakota place of employment or practice, or lives in a reciprocating border county ‘A notary public commission term is 4 years and begins at 12:00 a.m. on the commencement date listed on the commission certificate and ends at midnight on the expiration date. Notarizing documents outside of that timeframe is a violation of state law’ (ND Secretary of State, Become a Notary Public). The statute puts it as: ’the secretary of state shall issue a notary public commission to an applicant for a term of four years, unless sooner removed by the secretary of state’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20).
Electronic notarization authorization (IPEN) — A commissioned North Dakota notary who wants to notarize electronic records with the signer physically present Not a separate commission - a notification: ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarial act with respect to an electronic record, a notary public shall notify the secretary of state that the notary public will be performing notarial acts with respect to electronic records and identify the technology the notary public intends to use’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-18(2)). Filed as a Notary Public Amendment in FirstStop. The Secretary of State notes the stamp rule relaxes here: ‘It follows the same requirements as traditional notarization except for the requirement of the notary stamp. If the certificate contains your name, the date of the notarial act, jurisdiction, and your title, your official stamp may be included, but it is not required.’
Remote notarization authorization (RON and RIN) — A commissioned North Dakota notary who wants to notarize for remotely located individuals Also a notification rather than a separate credential: ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarial act under this section, the notary public must notify the secretary of state that the notary public will be performing notarial acts with respect to remotely located individuals and identify the technologies the nota[ry] … intends to use’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-13.1(12)). North Dakota is unusual in authorising TWO remote modes - Remote Online Notarization on electronic documents, and Remote Ink Notarization on paper - see ron_detail.

Who can be commissioned

Secretary of State, Become a Notary Public: ‘Notaries public commissioned in North Dakota must: Be at least 18 years of age. Be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States. Be able to read and write in English. Meet one of the following residency/employment requirements: Resident of North Dakota; Have a place of employment or practice in North Dakota; Reside in a county that borders North Dakota and which is in a state that extends reciprocity to a notary public who resides in a border county of North Dakota.’ The statute is identical in substance and adds the consequence of the border-county route: ‘If the person resides in a county bordering this state, that person by applying for a commission in this state appoints the secretary of state as the agent for service of process, for all purposes relating to notarial acts, including the receipt of correspondence relating to notarial acts’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(2)(c)). Criminal history is handled through the disqualification section rather than a flat bar: the Secretary of State may deny, refuse to renew, revoke, suspend or condition a commission for conduct showing the person ’lacks the honesty, integrity, competence, or reliability to act as a notary public’, including ‘A conviction of the notary public or applicant of any felony or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit’, a fraudulent misstatement in the application, an adverse finding in a legal or disciplinary proceeding based on fraud or dishonesty, failure to discharge a notarial duty, false or misleading advertising, and denial or revocation of a commission elsewhere (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-21). North Dakota’s citizenship-or-permanent-resident requirement is explicit and stricter than most states in this cluster. There is no age ceiling, no education requirement and no residency-duration requirement in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 or on the Secretary of State’s Become a Notary Public page (both searched 2026-08-12).

Requirements

Meet the statutory qualifications in N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(2) (18 or older; US citizen or permanent legal resident; North Dakota residence, employment or reciprocating border county; able to read and write English; not disqualified under 44-06.1-21). 2) File the Notary Public Application in the Secretary of State’s FirstStop portal with the $36 fee - the statute itself sets the amount: the applicant ‘shall comply with and provide on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, the information required by the secretary of state and submit the required application fee of thirty-six dollars.’ The Secretary of State warns that the name on the application must match the signature used when notarizing: ‘The name provided on the application must be exactly the same as you will sign when performing notarial acts.’ 3) Post the assurance: ‘A Notary Bond (SFN 19355) in the amount of $7,500 covering notarial acts performed during the term of your commission must be included with your application. The bond may be obtained from an insurance company of your choice.’ 4) Swear the oath: ‘You must sign a Notary Oath of Office in the presence of a notary public and submit it with your application’ - and the statute requires it before issuance (‘an applicant for the commission shall execute an oath of office and submit it to the secretary of state’). 5) Get the stamping device, but only through the State: ‘The Office of the Secretary of State will provide you with a Certificate of Authorization to Purchase Notary Stamping Device form once your application is approved. This form allows you to obtain a stamping device from a vendor of your choice.’ By statute ‘A notary stamp vendor may provide a notary with an official stamping device only upon presentation by the notary of a certificate of authorization.’ 6) Prove the stamp: ‘After you receive your stamping device, return an impression of the notary stamping device on the Verification of Notary Public Stamping Device form. It must be received by the Secretary of State on or before the date indicated on the Verification form.’ 7) Receive the commission certificate - ‘You may begin performing notarial acts only on or after the commencement date listed on your commission certificate.’ The commission must also be displayed: ‘The notary shall post the commission in a conspicuous place in the notary’s office or place of employment.’ NOTE what is NOT in this list: no course, no examination, and no county filing.

Training

North Dakota does not require a training course.

North Dakota requires NO education course to be commissioned. The word ‘course’ does not appear anywhere in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 (the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, the chapter that governs notaries in North Dakota) - a zero-hit search of the full 15-page official chapter text on 2026-08-12 - and the Secretary of State’s four-step ‘Steps to Receive a Notary Public Commission’ (application, stamping device, stamp impression, commission certificate) contains no training step. The Secretary of State instead offers optional reference material: the ‘North Dakota Notaries Public Info Sheet’ is published ‘for a quick reference about types of notarial acts, how to become a notary public, notary stamp requirements, notarial certificate requirements, steps to notarize a document, and fees for notarial acts.’ Tiers searched for this negative: N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 in full, the Secretary of State’s Notary and Apostille landing page, its Become a Notary Public page, its Maintain Notary Commission page, and its Performing Electronic and Remote Notarizations page. A notary who intends to perform remote or electronic notarizations still has no state course requirement - what the State requires there is a notification naming the technology provider, and the Secretary of State’s advice is to do the diligence yourself: ‘You should do thorough research before selecting a provider.’

Exam

North Dakota does not require an exam.

North Dakota requires NO examination. The word ’examination’ does not appear anywhere in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 - a zero-hit search of the full official chapter text on 2026-08-12 - and no exam appears among the Secretary of State’s steps to receive or renew a commission. Renewal is a re-application on the same terms rather than a re-test: ‘When renewing your notary public commission, you need to meet the same qualifications as when you originally became a notary public’, and the statute says a commission ‘may be renewed up to sixty days before the commission’s expiration date by reapplying in the same manner as required for an original commission.’ Tiers searched: N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 in full, the Become a Notary Public page, the Maintain Notary Commission page, the Notary and Apostille landing page, and the electronic/remote notarization page.

Your surety bond

A $7,500 assurance is mandatory, and errors-and-omissions insurance is expressly OPTIONAL - the Secretary of State says so in terms, which is the cleanest possible answer to the bond-versus-E&O confusion that vendors create in this niche. Statute: ‘Before issuance of a commission as a notary public, the applicant for a commission shall submit to the secretary of state an assurance in the form of a surety bond or its functional equivalent in the amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars and is subject to approval by the secretary of state. The assurance must be issued by a surety or other entity licensed or authorized to do business in this state. The assurance must cover acts performed during the term of the notary public’s commission and must be in the form prescribed by the secretary of state’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(4)). The assurance is a continuing condition of authority: ‘A notary public may perform notarial acts in this state only during the period that a valid assurance is on file with the secretary of state.’ The surety carries reporting duties - it ‘shall give thirty days’ notice to the secretary of state before canceling the assurance’ and ‘shall notify the secretary of state not later than thirty days after making a payment to a claimant under the assurance.’ Form and sourcing: ‘A Notary Bond (SFN 19355) in the amount of $7,500 covering notarial acts performed during the term of your commission must be included with your application. The bond may be obtained from an insurance company of your choice’ - the same $7,500 bond must accompany a RENEWAL. E&O: ‘Errors and omissions insurance provides added protection for you as a notary from any mistake that causes a financial or other type of loss to a client … This coverage is optional and is in addition to the required surety bond. Errors and omissions insurance protects you if you are liable to the surety company for amounts paid out on the bond. Since the errors and omissions insurance is optional and not required by state law, documents related to the insurance do not need to be filed with the Secretary of State’ (ND Secretary of State, Become a Notary Public). A name change requires a rider rather than a new bond: ‘a rider to the notary’s surety bond stating both the old and new names, the effective date of the new name, and a ten dollar fee within sixty days of the name change’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-27).

Fees

$36 application fee, and the statute and the agency agree on the number - N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(1) requires the applicant to ‘submit the required application fee of thirty-six dollars’, and the Secretary of State’s Become a Notary Public page lists ‘Fee - $36’. $36 again on renewal (Maintain Notary Commission page, ‘Fee - $36’). $10 name-change fee, payable with the bond rider within 60 days of the change (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-27). Surety bond premium: paid to an insurance company of the applicant’s choice; the State sets the $7,500 amount, not the price. Stamping device: purchased from a vendor of the notary’s choice after the Secretary of State issues the Certificate of Authorization; price not set by the State. Errors-and-omissions insurance: optional, and nothing about it is filed with the State. Electronic and remote notarization: no separate fee is published for the Notary Public Amendment that authorises electronic or remote acts - the Performing Electronic and Remote Notarizations page describes the amendment without naming a fee, and N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-13.1(12) and 44-06.1-18(2) impose a notification duty with no fee attached (both tiers searched 2026-08-12, along with the Become a Notary Public and Maintain Notary Commission pages). No county or recording fee exists: North Dakota’s notary process has no county filing step at all. CAUTION: an older North Dakota bill text circulating in search results carries a ‘$25’ commission fee; that figure is NOT in the current chapter - the phrase ’twenty-five dollars’ returns zero hits in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 as published today, while ’thirty-six dollars’ appears in the qualification-and-application section.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

Statute: ’the secretary of state shall issue a notary public commission to an applicant for a term of four years, unless sooner removed by the secretary of state’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(5)). The term is bounded by the CERTIFICATE dates, not by the application date, and the Secretary of State is emphatic about the edges: ‘A notary public commission term is 4 years and begins at 12:00 a.m. on the commencement date listed on the commission certificate and ends at midnight on the expiration date. Notarizing documents outside of that timeframe is a violation of state law.’ The commission is issued only after the whole sequence completes - application, oath, bond, and approval of the stamp impression - so the four years run from the commencement date on the certificate the Secretary of State issues at the end of that sequence, and ‘You may begin performing notarial acts only on or after the commencement date listed on your commission certificate.’ Renewal is a re-application, filed in FirstStop, on the same qualifications: ‘When renewing your notary public commission, you need to meet the same qualifications as when you originally became a notary public.’ Statute: a commission ‘may be renewed up to sixty days before the commission’s expiration date by reapplying in the same manner as required for an original commission’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(5)) - a 60-day early window. The renewal package repeats the whole original package: a new $7,500 Notary Bond (SFN 19355), a fresh Notary Oath of Office signed before a notary public, and the $36 fee. It also repeats the stamp cycle - ‘Obtain New Stamping Device’ after the renewal is approved, then ‘Return an Impression of the Stamp’ on the Verification form, then a new commission certificate. The Secretary of State spells out the overlap rule so a renewing notary does not go dark: ‘You may begin performing notarial acts with the new stamping device only on or after the commencement date listed on your new commission certificate. You may continue to perform notarial acts with the “old” stamping device until the expiration date of that commission.’ Ongoing duties between renewals: notify the Secretary of State within 60 days of any address change (also N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-20(9), ‘within sixty days of any change of address’), and within 60 days of a legal name change, with a bond rider and the $10 fee. No grace period for a lapsed commission is published on the Maintain Notary Commission page or in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 (both searched 2026-08-12). None. North Dakota imposes no continuing education on notaries: N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 contains no education, course or examination requirement of any kind (zero hits for ‘course’ and ’examination’ across the full chapter text), and the Secretary of State’s Maintain Notary Commission page describes renewal as re-application - bond, oath, $36 fee, new stamping device - with no education step. Renewal repeats the qualifications rather than adding hours: ‘When renewing your notary public commission, you need to meet the same qualifications as when you originally became a notary public.’ Tiers searched 2026-08-12: N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 in full, the Become a Notary Public page, the Maintain Notary Commission page, the Notary and Apostille landing page, and the Performing Electronic and Remote Notarizations page.

Your seal or stamp

A stamping device is required, and North Dakota controls its manufacture through a Certificate of Authorization - the notary cannot simply buy one. Statute: ‘The secretary of state, upon receipt of the proper fee, oath, and bond, shall issue a certificate of authorization with which the notary public may obtain an official notary stamping device. A notary stamp vendor may provide a notary with an official stamping device only upon presentation by the notary of a certificate of authorization. The notary public shall place an impression of the notary’s stamp on the certificate of authorization and return the certificate of authorization to the secretary of state’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-16(1)). Contents, per statute: the official stamp ‘must: 1. Include the notary public’s name, jurisdiction, commission expiration date, and other information required under section 44-06.1-16 or by the secretary of state; and 2. Be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed or attached’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-15). The Secretary of State publishes the full specification, and it is unusually precise: the stamp must ‘Leave a clear impression’, be ‘Able to be photocopied’, ‘Include the words “Notary Public” and “State of North Dakota”’, ‘Contain the name of the notary public exactly as it appears on the authorization’, ‘Contain the commission expiration date’, be ‘Surrounded by a border’, and ‘Not contain any other words, numbers, symbols, or a reproduction of the Great Seal of North Dakota’. SIZE: ‘Circular stamp: Up to or equal to 1 5/8 inch (41.28 millimeters) in diameter. Rectangular stamp: Up to or equal to 7/8 inch (22.23 millimeters) in height and 2 5/8 inches (66.68 millimeters) in length.’ Custody: the device ‘is the property of the notary only and may not be retained or used by any other person, including an employer of a notary even if the employer purchased or paid for the notary’s stamping device. An official stamping device must remain in the direct and exclusive control of the notary at all times during a notary’s commission.’ End of commission: ‘Upon resignation, revocation, or expiration of your commission, your stamp must be destroyed to prohibit its use by any other person’, and the statute repeats the duty on vacancy (‘Whenever the office of any notary public becomes vacant, the stamping device must be destroyed’). Name change: the notary may keep using the old device until the new commission arrives, but must sign certificates ‘Notary public North Dakota / Formerly known and commissioned as ______’. Electronic records are the one place the stamp is optional - see license_types.

Keeping a journal

North Dakota requires a journal for some notarial acts.

Required for notarial acts performed for REMOTELY LOCATED INDIVIDUALS, not for ordinary in-person notarizations. Statute: ‘A notary public shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts the notary public performs with respect to a remotely located individual under section 44-06.1-13.1. The notary public shall retain the journal for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the journal’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-16.1(1)). Form: ‘A journal may be created on a tangible medium or in an electronic format. A notary public shall maintain only one journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts performed regarding tangible records and one or more journals to chronicle all notarial acts performed regarding electronic records. If a journal is maintained on a tangible medium, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages. If the journal is maintained in an electronic format, it must be in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format complying with the rules of the secretary of state.’ Entries: ‘An entry in a journal must be made contemporaneously with performance of the notarial act and contain the following information: a. The date and time of the notarial act; b. A description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act; c. The full name and address of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed; d. If identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect; e. If identity of the individual is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method of identification and the identification credential presented, if any, including the date of issuance and expiration of the identification credential; and f. The fee, if any, charged by the notary public.’ The Secretary of State states the scope plainly on its remote-notarization page: ‘Notary Journal - You must maintain a notary journal for all notarial acts performed for remotely located individuals. Both the audiovisual recordings and the journal must be saved for 10 years.’ For ordinary in-person paper notarizations no journal is mandated anywhere in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 - the journal section is expressly tied to section 44-06.1-13.1 acts - and the Secretary of State’s Become a Notary Public page imposes no journal step. Tiers searched for that negative on 2026-08-12: the full chapter text, the Become a Notary Public page, the Maintain Notary Commission page, and the Performing Electronic and Remote Notarizations page.

Online (remote) notarization

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

North Dakota authorises remote notarization under N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-13.1 (‘Notarial act performed for remotely located individual’) and requires a notification, not a separate commission: ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarial act under this section, the notary public must notify the secretary of state that the notary public will be performing notarial acts with respect to remotely located individuals and identify the technologies the nota[ry public] … intends to use’ (subsection 12). Operationally: ‘Before performing electronic or remote notarizations, you must file a Notary Public Amendment through the FirstStop Portal. In the Notary Public Amendment, you will need to indicate whether you will be performing electronic and/or remote notarizations and also indicate the name of the provider of the communication technology that you will be using for those types of notarizations.’ TWO REMOTE MODES, which is what makes North Dakota unusual: (1) REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATION (RON) on electronic documents; (2) REMOTE INK NOTARIZATION (RIN) on paper - ‘a notarization performed for a remotely located individual on a paper document that will include a wet-ink signature. The only type of notarial act that may be performed using RIN is an acknowledgment.’ In a RIN ’the document being notarized is in the possession of the signer’, who must display, identify and sign it during the session, attach a penalty-of-perjury declaration in the statutory form (‘I declare under penalty of perjury that the record of which this declaration is a part or to which it is attached is the same record on which (name of notary public), a notary public, performed a notarial act and before whom I appeared by means of communication technology on (date)’), and send the document and declaration to the notary ‘within 3 days after the notarial act is performed’; the notary’s certificate must then state that communication technology was used. Common requirements for both modes: two-way audiovisual technology with a recording made by the notary or someone acting on the notary’s behalf; the ability to confirm the record is the same record; a journal; and identity established by ‘Personal knowledge of the individual’s identity’, ‘At least 2 different types of identity proofing (example: knowledge-based questions answered online)’, or ‘Verification on oath or affirmation from a credible witness appearing before you’. RETENTION: ‘A notary public, a guardian, conservator, or agent of a notary public, or a personal representative of a deceased notary public shall retain the audiovisual recording … Unless a different period is required by rule adopted under subdivision d of subsection 13, the recording must be retained for at least ten years.’ Signers outside the United States are allowed only where the record is to be filed with or relates to a matter before a US public official, court or governmental entity, or involves US property or a transaction substantially connected with the United States, and where signing is not prohibited by the foreign state. APPROVED-VENDOR RULE: North Dakota does NOT license or approve platforms - it names examples and disclaims them: ‘Listed below are examples of companies that provide remote notarization solutions. This is not a complete list of providers, and the Office of the Secretary of State does not endorse any provider or require one to be selected from the list’ (BlueNotary, LenderClose, NotaryCam, NotaryLive, OneNotary, OneSpan Notary, Online Notary Center Inc., OnlineNotary.us, Pavaso, ProNotary LLC, Proof, Secured Signing Inc., SIGNiX, Stavvy Inc.). The Secretary of State warns that the duty of compliance sits on the notary: ‘a provider may have technology that meets the remote in-person requirement, but it may not record and retain the audiovisual recording for 10 years as required by state law.’ Extra fee allowed: a technology fee, subject to advance agreement and disclosure - see notarial_fee_cap.

What you may charge

Five dollars per act, and exceeding it is a criminal infraction: ‘A notary public is entitled to charge and receive not more than five dollars per notarial act. A notary who charges a fee exceeding that amount is guilty of an infraction. It is an infraction for any person other than the notary public to impose or collect any monetary fee, charge, or commission in connection with the notarization of any document’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-28(1)) - note the second sentence, which bars an employer or platform from levying its own notarization charge. The cap does not vary by act type. TRAVEL FEE - allowed on conditions: ‘A notary may charge a travel fee when traveling to perform a notarial act if: a. The notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the travel fee in advance of the travel; and b. The notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the travel fee is both separate from the notarial fee and neither specified nor mandated by law.’ TECHNOLOGY FEE - allowed for remote and electronic acts, on conditions: ‘A notary may charge a technology fee when performing a notarial act under section 44-06.1-13.1 or 44-06.1-18 if: a. The notary incurred fees for using technology to perform the notarial act; b. The notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the technology fee in advance; and c. The notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act the technology fee is separate from the notarial act fee.’ Neither the travel fee nor the technology fee is capped by the statute - what is regulated is advance agreement and disclosure.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

MILITARY AND OTHER FEDERAL AUTHORITY - North Dakota recognises notarial acts performed under federal law without a state commission: ‘A notarial act performed under federal law has the same effect under the law of this state as if performed by a notarial officer of this state, if the act performed under federal law is performed by: a. A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court; b. An individual in military service or performing duties under the authority of military service who is authorized to perform notarial acts under federal law; c. An individual designated a notarizing officer by the United States depart[ment of state]…’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-12). TRIBAL AUTHORITY - ‘A notarial act performed under the authority and in the jurisdiction of a federally recognized American Indian tribe has the same effect as if performed by a notarial officer of this state’, where performed by a notary public of that tribe, ‘A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court of that tribe’, or ‘Any other individual authorized by the law of that tribe to perform the notarial act’ (N.D.C.C. 44-06.1-11). The chapter’s general term is broader than ’notary public’: ‘Notarial officer means a notary public or other individual authorized to perform a notarial act’, while ‘Notary public means an individual commissioned to perform a notarial act by the secretary of state.’ A roster of North Dakota state or county officials who hold notarial authority ex officio is NOT enumerated in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1 - the chapter defines the class but leaves the membership to other law - and none is published on the Secretary of State’s Notary and Apostille, Become a Notary Public, or Maintain Notary Commission pages; all four tiers searched 2026-08-12, so this record does not list North Dakota ex officio notarial officers rather than guess at them. Acts that require no notary at all are likewise not enumerated in those tiers.

How to apply

Applications are handled by North Dakota Secretary of State (Notary & Apostille). All notary filings - application, renewal, amendment, name change - run through the Secretary of State’s FirstStop portal.. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in North Dakota

North Dakota Secretary of State (FirstStop portal) publishes a public license search , searchable by not enumerable from the HTML on 2026-08-12 - the FirstStop notary search loads, but renders its search form entirely in JavaScript, so no field labels are present in the served markup and none are invented here. It covers The Secretary of State’s FirstStop portal is the single system of record for North Dakota notaries - it hosts the Notary Public Application, the Notary Public Renewal, the Notary Public Amendment (including the electronic/remote authorization and its named technology provider), the Notary Public Name Change, and the public notary search at /search/notary. Notary forms are listed at firststop.sos.nd.gov/forms/notary.

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

Frequently asked questions

Does North Dakota require a bond?

Yes - $7,500. The statute requires ‘an assurance in the form of a surety bond or its functional equivalent in the amount of seven thousand five hundred dollars’, issued by a surety licensed in North Dakota and covering acts performed during the commission term, and it must stay on file: ‘A notary public may perform notarial acts in this state only during the period that a valid assurance is on file with the secretary of state.’ You file it on form SFN 19355 with both your original application and every renewal.

Do I also need errors-and-omissions insurance?

No. The Secretary of State says it directly: errors-and-omissions coverage ‘is optional and is in addition to the required surety bond’, and ‘Since the errors and omissions insurance is optional and not required by state law, documents related to the insurance do not need to be filed with the Secretary of State.’ The bond protects the public; E&O protects you against liability to the surety.

Is there a course or an exam?

No. North Dakota requires neither. The words ‘course’ and ’examination’ do not appear anywhere in N.D.C.C. ch. 44-06.1, the chapter that governs notaries, and the Secretary of State’s four commissioning steps are the application, the stamping device, the stamp impression, and the commission certificate. The State does publish an optional ‘North Dakota Notaries Public Info Sheet’ as a quick reference.

What does it cost and how long does the commission last?

$36 to the Secretary of State - the statute itself sets ’the required application fee of thirty-six dollars’ and the agency’s page lists ‘Fee - $36’ - plus whatever your surety charges for the $7,500 bond and your vendor charges for the stamp. The commission runs four years, beginning at 12:00 a.m. on the commencement date printed on your certificate and ending at midnight on the expiration date.

Can I just buy a notary stamp?

No. North Dakota routes the stamp through the State: the Secretary of State issues a Certificate of Authorization after your application is approved, and ‘A notary stamp vendor may provide a notary with an official stamping device only upon presentation by the notary of a certificate of authorization.’ After you get the device you must return an impression of it on the Verification of Notary Public Stamping Device form, and the commission certificate is issued only after that stamp is approved.

What has to be on the stamp?

It must leave a clear impression, be photocopiable, include the words ‘Notary Public’ and ‘State of North Dakota’, carry your name exactly as it appears on the authorization and your commission expiration date, and be surrounded by a border. It must ‘Not contain any other words, numbers, symbols, or a reproduction of the Great Seal of North Dakota.’ Size limits: a circular stamp up to 1 5/8 inch in diameter, a rectangular stamp up to 7/8 inch by 2 5/8 inches.

Can North Dakota notaries notarize remotely?

Yes, in two different ways, after filing a Notary Public Amendment in FirstStop that names your communication technology provider. Remote Online Notarization covers electronic documents; Remote Ink Notarization covers paper documents with a wet-ink signature, and ‘The only type of notarial act that may be performed using RIN is an acknowledgment.’ Both require a recorded two-way audiovisual session, a journal, and one of three identity methods, and both the recording and the journal must be kept for 10 years.

Does North Dakota approve remote notarization vendors?

No. The Secretary of State lists examples and disclaims them: ‘This is not a complete list of providers, and the Office of the Secretary of State does not endorse any provider or require one to be selected from the list.’ The compliance duty is yours - the agency warns that ‘a provider may have technology that meets the remote in-person requirement, but it may not record and retain the audiovisual recording for 10 years as required by state law.’

Does a North Dakota notary have to keep a journal?

Only for remote acts. The statute requires a journal for ‘all notarial acts the notary public performs with respect to a remotely located individual’, retained ‘for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled’. There is no journal mandate in the chapter for ordinary in-person notarizations.

How much can a North Dakota notary charge?

‘A notary public is entitled to charge and receive not more than five dollars per notarial act. A notary who charges a fee exceeding that amount is guilty of an infraction.’ It is also an infraction ‘for any person other than the notary public to impose or collect any monetary fee, charge, or commission in connection with the notarization of any document.’ A travel fee and, for remote or electronic acts, a technology fee are allowed on top, but only if agreed in advance and explained as separate from the notarial fee.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in North Dakota.

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.