How to Become a Notary in Nebraska: $15,000 Bond, Exam

How to become a notary public in Nebraska: a $15,000 surety bond, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

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

Requirements at a glance

Per the Secretary of State's binding guidance document 'Steps to Obtain an Initial Notary Commission' and Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 to 64-104: (1) meet the qualifications (age 19, citizenship/qualified-alien status per SOS guidance, Nebraska residency or bordering-state employment nexus, no disqualifying conviction); (2) TAKE AND PASS the Nebraska Notary Exam -- 'Click the link above to take the exam... You will be redirected to ClassMarker to complete the exam online. Complete the test without assistance from others. The exam consists of 20 questions. You will have three attempts to achieve a passing score of 85% prior to being commissioned'; save the digital passing certificate as a PDF; (3) obtain a $15,000 notary surety bond from a Nebraska insurance agent or online provider -- 'The Secretary of State's Office does not provide bonds' -- signing it twice, once as 'principal' and once before another notary when completing the oath of office; (4) file the application through the Secretary of State's Online Notary Portal at business.nebraska.gov, uploading the exam certificate and bond, and pay the $30 filing fee by credit/debit card or eCheck; (5) after approval, download the Commission Certificate from the portal and take it to an office supply store to order the required ink stamp seal. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-102 makes the bond a condition of authority: 'A general commission shall not authorize the holder thereof to act as a notary public anywhere in the State of Nebraska until a bond in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, with an incorporated surety company as surety, has been executed and approved by and filed in the office of the Secretary of State.' PAPER FILING IS NO LONGER ACCEPTED -- the SOS notary page states: 'Effective: November 20, 2023... Paper filings for notary applications, renewals and other notary forms will no longer be accepted after December 31, 2023.'

Legal basis

Nebraska Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Division) commissions notaries public in Nebraska. 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 Nebraska calls the credential a COMMISSION – Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-102 is titled ‘Commission; how obtained; bond,’ and the Secretary of State’s forms are ‘Steps to Obtain an Initial Notary Commission’ and ‘Steps to Renew a Notary Commission.’ The statutory class name is ‘general notary public’ (64-101(2)), which is why the seal must read ‘General Notary’ or ‘General Notarial’ (64-210(1)) – in Nebraska ‘general notary’ is not a folk term but the official designation, distinguishing it from the two technology registrations, ‘Online Notary Public’ and ‘In-Person Electronic Notary Public.’ ‘Nebraska notary license’ and ’notary certification’ are folk terms for the commission; the SOS specifically disclaims private ‘certification’: ‘These associations may offer additional “certification” training that is marketed to help notaries perform their duties. Our office does not sanction this training, which is not required to be a Nebraska notary.’ A ’notary signing agent’ or ’loan signing agent’ is a private vendor credential that Nebraska does not issue; no Nebraska source read on 2026-08-12 addresses it. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105.03(6) bars a non-attorney notary from using the term ’notario publico’;.

Types of notary commission

General notary public commission — Anyone meeting the qualifications in Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 who wants to notarize paper documents with the principal physically present Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(2): ‘There shall be one class of such appointments which shall be valid in the entire state and referred to as general notaries public.’ The seal must read ‘State of Nebraska, General Notary’ or ‘State of Nebraska, General Notarial’ (64-210(1)).
In-Person Electronic Notary Public registration (IPEN) — A commissioned Nebraska notary who wants to notarize ELECTRONIC documents with the principal physically present A registration added to an existing commission, not a separate commission. The Secretary of State’s notary page is explicit: ‘an electronic notarization still requires the principal and electronic notary public to be in the physical presence of each other during the entire electronic notarization.’ Requires the SOS’s own training course, a 20-question exam at 85%, and a $100.00 filing fee (SOS guidance document ‘Steps to Obtain an In-Person Electronic Notary Public Registration’).
Online Notary Public registration (remote online notarization) — A commissioned Nebraska notary who wants to notarize for a principal who is NOT in the notary’s physical presence Governed by the Online Notary Public Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-401 et seq. The SOS describes it as allowing ‘an online notary public to notarize a document remotely, without the principal(s) being in the online notary public’s physical presence.’ Requires the SOS’s training course, a 20-question exam at 85%, and a $50.00 filing fee (SOS guidance document ‘Steps to Obtain an Online Notary Public Registration’).

Who can be commissioned

AGE 19 – Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(7): ‘No appointment shall be made until such applicant has attained the age of nineteen years nor unless such applicant certifies to the Secretary of State under oath that he or she has carefully read and understands the laws relating to the duties of notaries public and will, if commissioned, faithfully discharge the duties pertaining to the office and keep records according to law.’ RESIDENCY – 64-101(8): ‘No person shall be appointed a notary public unless he or she resides in the State of Nebraska, except that the Secretary of State may appoint and commission a person as a notary public who resides in a state that borders the State of Nebraska if such person is employed in or has a regular place of work or business in this state and the Secretary of State has obtained evidence of an address of the physical location of such employment or place of work or business prior to such appointment and commission.’ CRIMINAL HISTORY – 64-101(6): ‘No appointment shall be made if such applicant has been convicted of (a) a felony or (b) a crime involving fraud or dishonesty within the previous five years.’ The Secretary of State’s FAQ reads the felony bar as absolute unless pardoned: ‘Can someone be commissioned as a Notary Public after being convicted of a felony? Yes, but only if they have received a full pardon prior to being commissioned as a Notary Public,’ and for fraud/dishonesty: ’the conviction must have occurred 5 or more years prior to being commissioned.’ EXAM – 64-101(5): ‘No person shall be appointed a notary public unless he or she has taken and passed a written examination on the duties and obligations of a notary public as provided in section 64-101.01.’ CITIZENSHIP – A CONFLICT RECORDED BOTH WAYS: the Secretary of State’s binding guidance documents (both the initial and the renewal ‘Steps’ documents) list ‘Be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien’ as a qualification, but no citizenship or legal-presence clause appears in the text of Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 as read on 2026-08-12. This record states the agency requirement as the operative one and flags that it does not appear in the notary statute itself. No language qualification is stated in 64-101 or in the SOS guidance documents.

Requirements

Per the Secretary of State’s binding guidance document ‘Steps to Obtain an Initial Notary Commission’ and Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 to 64-104: (1) meet the qualifications (age 19, citizenship/qualified-alien status per SOS guidance, Nebraska residency or bordering-state employment nexus, no disqualifying conviction); (2) TAKE AND PASS the Nebraska Notary Exam – ‘Click the link above to take the exam… You will be redirected to ClassMarker to complete the exam online. Complete the test without assistance from others. The exam consists of 20 questions. You will have three attempts to achieve a passing score of 85% prior to being commissioned’; save the digital passing certificate as a PDF; (3) obtain a $15,000 notary surety bond from a Nebraska insurance agent or online provider – ‘The Secretary of State’s Office does not provide bonds’ – signing it twice, once as ‘principal’ and once before another notary when completing the oath of office; (4) file the application through the Secretary of State’s Online Notary Portal at business.nebraska.gov, uploading the exam certificate and bond, and pay the $30 filing fee by credit/debit card or eCheck; (5) after approval, download the Commission Certificate from the portal and take it to an office supply store to order the required ink stamp seal. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-102 makes the bond a condition of authority: ‘A general commission shall not authorize the holder thereof to act as a notary public anywhere in the State of Nebraska until a bond in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, with an incorporated surety company as surety, has been executed and approved by and filed in the office of the Secretary of State.’ PAPER FILING IS NO LONGER ACCEPTED – the SOS notary page states: ‘Effective: November 20, 2023… Paper filings for notary applications, renewals and other notary forms will no longer be accepted after December 31, 2023.’

Training

Nebraska requires training for some commission types.

NO training course is required for a general notary public commission – the Secretary of State’s ‘Steps to Obtain an Initial Notary Commission’ lists only exam, bond, application and seal, with no education step, and the SOS FAQ goes further: ‘These associations may offer additional “certification” training that is marketed to help notaries perform their duties. Our office does not sanction this training, which is not required to be a Nebraska notary.’ Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 conditions appointment on passing the written examination, not on completing a course. TRAINING IS REQUIRED for both technology registrations. For online notaries, Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-404 is titled ‘Course of instruction; examination,’ and the SOS guidance says: ‘Click the link above to take the required training course. You must complete the training course prior to completing the exam and applying for a registration. The course is administered through the Secretary of State’s Office. Courses may be available through other agencies or companies, which may be helpful, but this is the required course to complete.’ The identical requirement and wording apply to the In-Person Electronic Notary registration. Tiers searched for a general-commission training requirement: Neb. Rev. Stat. ch. 64 art. 1 (section list plus the text of 64-101, 64-101.01, 64-102, 64-103, 64-104, 64-105, 64-105.01, 64-105.03), the SOS notary landing page, both ‘Steps’ guidance documents, and the SOS notary FAQ, all on 2026-08-12.

Exam

Nebraska requires an exam.

Required for every initial commission. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101.01: ‘The written examination required by section 64-101 shall be developed and administered by the Secretary of State and shall consist of questions relating to laws, procedures, and ethics for notaries public. All applicants for commission as a notary public on and after July 16, 2004, shall be required to take and pass the examination prior to being commissioned.’ MECHANICS, from the Secretary of State’s binding guidance document: the exam is delivered online through ClassMarker; ‘The exam consists of 20 questions. You will have three attempts to achieve a passing score of 85% prior to being commissioned. Upon passing the exam, you will receive a digital passing examination certificate. The passing exam score will be valid for 90 days from the date of examination. If you are not successful after three attempts, you will no longer be eligible to be a notary public in Nebraska.’ NO SEPARATE EXAM FEE is stated in the guidance document or in Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-102 (which sets only the $30 application and $30 renewal fees); tiers searched: 64-101, 64-101.01, 33-102, the initial-commission guidance document and the SOS notary FAQ on 2026-08-12. NOT REQUIRED ON RENEWAL: the Secretary of State’s ‘Steps to Renew a Notary Commission’ has no exam step (Step 1 is the bond, Step 2 the application), and Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-104 conditions renewal only on ‘filing a renewal application along with the payment of the fee prescribed in section 33-102 and a new bond’. A renewal filed AFTER expiration is treated as a new application – 64-104: ‘Any renewal application for such commission made after the date of expiration of the commission shall be made in the same manner as a new application’ – which pulls the exam back in. SEPARATE EXAMS apply to the two technology registrations: 20 questions, 85% passing, three attempts, certificate valid 90 days, for both the Online Notary exam and the In-Person Electronic Notary exam (SOS guidance documents; Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-404 for online).

Your surety bond

A $15,000 surety bond is required, and it is what activates the commission. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-102: ‘A general commission shall not authorize the holder thereof to act as a notary public anywhere in the State of Nebraska until a bond in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, with an incorporated surety company as surety, has been executed and approved by and filed in the office of the Secretary of State… Such bond shall be conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of such office. Such person so appointed to the office of notary public shall make oath or affirmation, to be endorsed on such bond… that he or she will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Nebraska and will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform the duties of the office of notary public.’ The oath therefore rides on the bond document itself. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-103 confirms the sequence: ‘Upon the filing and approval of the bond, as provided for in section 64-102, the Secretary of State shall mail or deliver the commission to the applicant.’ A NEW bond is required at every renewal, ‘in the same manner and form as provided in section 64-102’ (64-104). Practical guidance from the Secretary of State: bonds are ‘available from most Nebraska insurance agents, as well as through various online providers. The Secretary of State’s Office does not provide bonds’; the bond must use the name the applicant will use as notary, ‘should reference your home address, not your business address,’ and must be signed twice – ‘once as the “principal” of the bond, and the second time in front of another notary public when completing the oath of office. Applicant signatures must be consistent on the bond.’ ERRORS & OMISSIONS INSURANCE IS NOT REQUIRED: the same guidance documents state, for both initial and renewal applications, ‘Purchase of an errors and omissions policy is optional, and you do not have to provide proof of such coverage to our office.’

Fees

STATE FEES: $30 to apply for a commission and $30 to renew. Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-102: ‘The Secretary of State shall be entitled to the sum of thirty dollars for receiving an application for a commission to act as a notary public pursuant to section 64-102. The Secretary of State shall be entitled to the sum of thirty dollars for receiving a renewal application pursuant to section 64-104.’ The Secretary of State’s guidance documents charge the same amount on both the initial and renewal path – ‘The $30 filing fee can be paid online by credit/debit card or eCheck’ – so code and agency reconcile exactly. ONLINE NOTARY PUBLIC REGISTRATION: $50.00 filing fee (SOS ‘Steps to Obtain an Online Notary Public Registration’). Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-405 sets the ceiling, not the amount: ‘The fee for registering or renewing a registration as an online notary public shall be in addition to the fee required in section 33-102. The Secretary of State shall establish the fee by rule and regulation in an amount sufficient to cover the costs of administering the Online Notary Public Act, but the fee shall not exceed one hundred dollars.’ IN-PERSON ELECTRONIC NOTARY REGISTRATION: $100.00 filing fee (SOS ‘Steps to Obtain an In-Person Electronic Notary Public Registration’) – i.e. the in-person electronic registration costs twice the remote one;. REPLACEMENT COMMISSION CERTIFICATE: $10.00 (SOS FAQ #12: ‘The fee for a replacement copy of the commission certificate is $10.00. You may submit this request online at our Notary portal.’). NOT A STATE FEE: the $15,000 surety bond (bought from a surety) and the ink stamp seal (’take it to any office supply store to order your notary ink stamp seal’). NO COUNTY FILING OR RECORDING STEP – the bond is filed with the Secretary of State (64-102) and the commission is valid statewide (64-101(2), 64-102).

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 years, running from the effective date of the commission. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(9): ‘Each person appointed a notary public shall hold office for a term of four years from the effective date of his or her commission unless sooner removed.’ 64-101(3) defines that date: ‘The term effective date, as used with reference to a commission of a notary public, shall mean the date of the commission unless the commission states when it goes into effect, in which event that date shall be the effective date.’ There is no separate county qualification or filing step that starts the clock; the commission is delivered by the Secretary of State after the bond is filed and approved (64-103). Renewal opens 30 days before expiration and requires a NEW bond plus the $30 fee, but no new exam. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-104: ‘Commissions for general notaries public may be renewed within thirty days prior to the date of expiration by filing a renewal application along with the payment of the fee prescribed in section 33-102 and a new bond with the Secretary of State. The bond required for a renewal of such commission shall be in the same manner and form as provided in section 64-102… Any renewal application for such commission made after the date of expiration of the commission shall be made in the same manner as a new application for such commission as a general notary public.’ The Secretary of State’s renewal guidance repeats the window – ‘Please note a renewal application may only be submitted 30 days prior to your expiration date’ – and adds that an expired notary must use the initial-commission process instead: ‘If your notary commissioned has expired, please view the steps to Obtain a New Notary Commission available on our website.’ Renewers must continue to meet all qualifications. Existing technology registrations are carried over by completing ’the Special Services step on the renewal application if you will continue offering Electronic and/or Online Notarization.’ A new stamp is ordered after each renewal, because the seal carries the commission expiration date (64-210(1)). No continuing education is required to renew a Nebraska notary commission. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-104 conditions renewal only on a timely renewal application, the section 33-102 fee, and a new bond; the Secretary of State’s ‘Steps to Renew a Notary Commission’ lists exactly two substantive steps – obtain the $15,000 bond, complete the online renewal application – with no education or examination step; and the SOS FAQ states that association ‘certification’ training ‘is not required to be a Nebraska notary.’ Tiers searched: Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101, 64-101.01, 64-104, 33-102, the SOS notary landing page, the renewal guidance document and the SOS notary FAQ, on 2026-08-12. NOT VERIFIED: whether the Secretary of State’s administrative rules impose any renewal education for the Online or In-Person Electronic Notary registrations – rules.nebraska.gov returned an access denial to every fetch rung attempted, so this record makes no claim either way about rule-level CE for those two registrations.

Your seal or stamp

An ink stamp seal is REQUIRED before performing any notarial duty, and it must be used on every official act. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-210: ‘(1) Each notary public, before performing any duties of his or her office, shall provide himself or herself with an official ink stamp seal on which shall appear the words State of Nebraska, General Notary or State of Nebraska, General Notarial, his or her name as commissioned, and the date of expiration of his or her commission. (2) A notary public shall authenticate all of his or her official acts with such seal.’ 64-210(3) grandfathered pre-September 1, 2007 commissions until their expiration, requiring the full engraving on renewal. The Secretary of State restates the four required elements as: ‘a. State of Nebraska b. General Notary or General Notarial c. Your name as commissioned d. The expiration date of the commission,’ calls the stamp ‘The only required notary supply that a commissioned notary needs to lawfully notarize in Nebraska,’ and answers directly: ‘Do I need to include my commission expiration date on my Notary Seal? Yes, all notaries must include their commission expiration date on their notary seal.’ PLACEMENT GUIDANCE (SOS FAQ #4): ‘It is best to affix your Seal in the general area of your signature (typically below or to either side). Be sure that you press firmly so that all information on the Seal is legible. Do not affix your stamp over printed text in the document or over signatures.’ NAME CHANGE (SOS FAQ #8): a notary may either file an update and buy a new stamp, or ‘keep notarizing using your current stamp and signing the name you are currently commissioned under until your commission officially expires.’ ELECTRONIC SEALS carry different content: the Online Notary seal must show ‘State of Nebraska / Online Notary Public / Identifying number / Your name as commissioned / The expiration date of the commission,’ and the In-Person Electronic Notary seal ‘State of Nebraska / Electronic Notary Public / Your name as commissioned / The expiration date of the commission’ – both set up through the notary’s approved solution provider, not bought at a store.

Keeping a journal

Nebraska recommends a journal but does not require one.

NO journal is required for ordinary (paper, in-person) notarial acts. The Secretary of State’s FAQ #15 states it directly: ‘Am I required to maintain a journal? If so, where might I purchase a journal? Notary journals are not required under Nebraska law; however, we highly recommend that you do use a journal. You can purchase a journal from your local office supply store or use the example journal on our website.’ FAQ #1 repeats it in passing: ‘(Journals are optional under Nebraska law but are recommended by our office.)’ The SOS publishes a free sample journal and journal instructions for voluntary use. Tiers searched for a journal duty: the Neb. Rev. Stat. ch. 64 article 1 and article 2 section lists (no section is titled ‘journal’ or ‘record of notarial acts’ for general notaries), the text of 64-101 through 64-105.04, 64-210, the SOS notary landing page, both ‘Steps’ guidance documents and the SOS notary FAQ, all on 2026-08-12. Note that 64-101(7) requires the applicant to certify under oath that he or she will ‘keep records according to law’ – a duty defined by whatever other law requires records, which for general notaries the SOS says is none. A MANDATORY ELECTRONIC RECORD DOES APPLY TO ONLINE NOTARIAL ACTS. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-409(1): ‘An online notary public shall keep a secure electronic record of electronic documents notarized by the online notary public,’ containing the date and time; the type of act; the type, title or description of the document; the printed name and address of each principal; evidence of identity; ‘A recording of any video and audio conference of the performance of the online notarial act, which shall not contain images of the documents that were notarized’; and the fee, if any. 64-409(3): ‘The electronic record and backup record required by this section shall be maintained for at least ten years after the date of the transaction or proceeding. The online notary public shall not surrender or destroy the record except as required by a court order or as allowed under rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Secretary of State.’ 64-409(2) also requires reasonable steps to ensure integrity, keep a backup, and protect both from unauthorized use.

Online (remote) notarization

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

Nebraska authorizes remote online notarization under the Online Notary Public Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-401 to 64-418, enacted by Laws 2019, LB186 (the source notes on 64-405, 64-409 and 64-412 all read ‘Laws 2019, LB186’) and amended by Laws 2020, LB910. The Secretary of State describes the authority as allowing ‘an online notary public to notarize a document remotely, without the principal(s) being in the online notary public’s physical presence,’ and Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105(3) carves online acts out of the general physical-presence rule: ‘This section does not apply to online notarial acts under the Online Notary Public Act.’ SEPARATE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED on top of the underlying commission. Eligibility, per the SOS guidance document: ‘Hold a valid commission as a Notary Public in the State of Nebraska; Satisfy the educational requirements; Pay the required fee.’ The steps are (1) complete the SOS-administered Online Notary Training Course – ‘You must complete the training course prior to completing the exam and applying for a registration’; (2) pass the Online Notary Exam through ClassMarker (20 questions, 85%, three attempts, certificate valid 90 days); (3) file the Online Notary Public Application in the SOS portal with a $50.00 filing fee; (4) download the approval letter and ‘provide it to your solution provider to authorize your account.’ Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-404 is the statutory hook for the course and examination and 64-406 governs ‘Registration with Secretary of State; contents; renewal.’ The fee ceiling is statutory: 64-405 caps it at one hundred dollars and directs the SOS to set it by rule. APPROVED SOLUTION PROVIDERS: the notary must select from the SOS’s list of Approved Online Notary Solution Providers, and the online notary seal is set up through that provider, not bought at a store. RECORDKEEPING for online acts is mandatory and includes an audio-video recording retained at least ten years (64-409, quoted in journal_requirement). EXTRA FEE ALLOWED: 64-412 – ‘In addition to any fee authorized under section 33-133, an online notary public or his or her employer may charge a fee in an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars for each online notarial act.’ A DISTINCT, NARROWER AUTHORITY EXISTS FOR ELECTRONIC-BUT-IN-PERSON NOTARIZATION: the In-Person Electronic Notary Public registration, which the SOS defines as one where ‘an electronic notarization still requires the principal and electronic notary public to be in the physical presence of each other during the entire electronic notarization.’ It costs $100.00 and has its own course, exam and approved-provider list. Conflating the two is the easiest error in Nebraska: only the Online Notary registration permits a remotely located signer.

What you may charge

Nebraska sets a PER-ACT-TYPE fee schedule, not a single flat cap. Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-133: ‘Except as otherwise provided in this section, notaries public may charge and collect fees as follows: For each protest, one dollar; for recording the same, two dollars; for each notice of protest, two dollars; for taking affidavits and seal, two dollars; for administering oath or affirmation, two dollars; for each certificate and seal, five dollars; for taking acknowledgment of deed or other instrument, five dollars; and for each mile traveled in serving notice, mileage at the rate provided in section 81-1176.’ GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYEE LIMITATION, in the same section: ‘An employee of the state or its political subdivisions may not charge the fees prescribed in this section if his or her governmental employer paid the commission and bonding fees required of notaries public.’ TRAVEL: the only travel-related figure in 33-133 is mileage ‘for each mile traveled in serving notice,’ at the state mileage rate set by section 81-1176; no general travel fee for ordinary notarizations is addressed in 33-133, and none was found in Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101 through 64-105.04, 64-210, the SOS notary FAQ or either ‘Steps’ guidance document, searched 2026-08-12. ONLINE ACTS: Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-412 permits up to twenty-five dollars for each online notarial act, in addition to any 33-133 fee. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105.01(2) treats the fee as the boundary of permissible interest: a notary is disqualified if he or she ‘has a financial or beneficial interest in the transaction other than receipt of the ordinary notarial fee.’

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-201 lists the officers whose out-of-state notarial acts are valid in Nebraska ‘with the same effect as if performed by a notary public of this state’: ‘(1) A notary public authorized to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed; (2) A judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of any court of record in the place in which the notarial act is performed; (3) An officer of the foreign service of the United States, a consular agent, or any other person authorized by regulation of the United States Department of State to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed; (4) A commissioned officer in active service with the armed forces of the United States and any other person authorized by regulation of the armed forces to perform notarial acts if the notarial act is performed for one of the following or his dependents: A merchant seaman of the United States, a member of the armed forces of the United States, or any other person serving with or accompanying the armed forces of the United States; or (5) Any other person authorized to perform notarial acts in the place in which the act is performed.’ The same section defines notarial acts and preserves ‘any other person authorized by the laws and regulations of this state,’ so the notary commission is not the exclusive route. NON-NOTARY OFFICERS INSIDE NEBRASKA: Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-211 through 64-215 authorize acknowledgments and oaths taken by attorneys, real estate brokers or salesmen, insurance company and credit union officers, bank officers, and savings and loan association officers in the situations those sections describe – 64-105.01(2) expressly excepts ’the performance of duties pursuant to sections 64-211 to 64-215’ from the financial-interest disqualification. The text of 64-211 to 64-215 was NOT read when this page was last verified; only their statutory titles, published on the Secretary of State’s Notary Statutes page, were read, so this record describes their subject matter and does not state their conditions. Tiers searched for exemptions: the Neb. Rev. Stat. ch. 64 article 1 and article 2 section lists published by the Secretary of State, the text of 64-201, 64-202, 64-105, 64-105.01 and 64-105.03, and the SOS notary FAQ, on 2026-08-12. Military authority under 10 U.S.C. 1044a is not cited by any Nebraska source read; 64-201(4) is Nebraska’s own armed-forces provision and is quoted above rather than paraphrased into a federal cite.

How to apply

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

Verify a license in Nebraska

Nebraska Secretary of State (Business Filing System, hosted on Nebraska.gov) publishes a public license search , searchable by Notarial officer name, Notary public commission number, City or Special services offered (Online Notary / In-Person Electronic Notary). It covers Nebraska notaries public commissioned by the Secretary of State, including which technology registrations (Online Notary Public / In-Person Electronic Notary Public) a notary holds – the same portal used to file applications, renewals, amendments and complaints. The Secretary of State’s notary page directs all filings to https://business.nebraska.gov .

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

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Nebraska notary commission last?

Four years. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(9): ‘Each person appointed a notary public shall hold office for a term of four years from the effective date of his or her commission unless sooner removed.’ The effective date is the date of the commission unless the commission itself states a later start (64-101(3)).

Does Nebraska require a notary exam?

Yes, for a first commission. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(5) bars appointment of anyone who has not ’taken and passed a written examination on the duties and obligations of a notary public,’ and 64-101.01 makes the Secretary of State responsible for developing and administering it. The Secretary of State delivers it online through ClassMarker: ‘The exam consists of 20 questions. You will have three attempts to achieve a passing score of 85% prior to being commissioned,’ and the passing certificate ‘will be valid for 90 days from the date of examination.’ Renewals do not require a new exam.

How much does it cost to become a notary in Nebraska?

The state filing fee is $30 for a new commission and $30 to renew, set by Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-102 and charged at the same amount by the Secretary of State. On top of that the applicant buys a $15,000 surety bond from an insurance agent or bonding company – the state does not sell bonds – and an ink stamp seal from an office supply store. Adding online notary authority costs $50.00; adding in-person electronic notary authority costs $100.00.

Does Nebraska require a notary bond, and do I also need errors & omissions insurance?

A $15,000 bond is required and E&O insurance is not. Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-102 provides that a commission ‘shall not authorize the holder thereof to act as a notary public anywhere in the State of Nebraska until a bond in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, with an incorporated surety company as surety, has been executed and approved by and filed in the office of the Secretary of State.’ The Secretary of State’s guidance says plainly: ‘Purchase of an errors and omissions policy is optional, and you do not have to provide proof of such coverage to our office.’ The oath of office is endorsed on the bond itself, which is why the applicant signs it twice.

Do Nebraska notaries have to keep a journal?

Not for ordinary notarizations. The Secretary of State’s FAQ answers directly: ‘Notary journals are not required under Nebraska law; however, we highly recommend that you do use a journal.’ The state publishes a free sample journal for voluntary use. The exception is online notarization: Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-409 requires an online notary to keep a secure electronic record, including an audio-video recording of the session, ‘maintained for at least ten years after the date of the transaction or proceeding.’

How much can a Nebraska notary charge?

Nebraska sets a maximum for each type of act rather than one flat cap. Neb. Rev. Stat. 33-133 allows: five dollars for taking an acknowledgment of a deed or other instrument; five dollars for each certificate and seal; two dollars for administering an oath or affirmation; two dollars for taking affidavits and seal; one dollar for each protest, two dollars for recording it and two dollars for each notice of protest; plus state-rate mileage for each mile traveled in serving notice. An online notary may add up to twenty-five dollars per online notarial act (64-412). A state or local government employee may not charge these fees if the employer paid the commission and bonding fees.

What must be engraved on a Nebraska notary stamp?

Four things: the words ‘State of Nebraska, General Notary’ or ‘State of Nebraska, General Notarial’; the notary’s name as commissioned; and the commission expiration date (Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-210(1)). The stamp must be obtained before performing any notarial duty and must be used to authenticate every official act. The Secretary of State calls it ‘The only required notary supply that a commissioned notary needs to lawfully notarize in Nebraska.’

Can a Nebraska notary notarize for someone who is not physically present?

Only with a separate Online Notary Public registration. The general rule in Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-105(1) forbids notarizing when the principal ‘is not in the presence of the notary public at the time of the notarial act,’ but 64-105(3) provides that ‘This section does not apply to online notarial acts under the Online Notary Public Act.’ To register, a commissioned notary must complete the Secretary of State’s online notary training course, pass a 20-question exam at 85%, pay a $50.00 filing fee, and work through an approved solution provider. Note that Nebraska’s separate In-Person Electronic Notary registration does NOT allow a remote signer – the Secretary of State states that electronic notarization ‘still requires the principal and electronic notary public to be in the physical presence of each other during the entire electronic notarization.’

Can someone with a criminal conviction become a Nebraska notary?

Neb. Rev. Stat. 64-101(6) provides that ‘No appointment shall be made if such applicant has been convicted of (a) a felony or (b) a crime involving fraud or dishonesty within the previous five years.’ The Secretary of State’s FAQ applies it this way: a felony conviction bars appointment unless the applicant ‘received a full pardon prior to being commissioned,’ while for a crime involving fraud or dishonesty ’the conviction must have occurred 5 or more years prior to being commissioned.’

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Nebraska.

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.