How to Become a Notary in New York: 4-Year Term, Exam

How to become a notary public in New York: a 4-year commission, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from New York State Department of State.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (notaries public are appointed and commissioned by the Secretary of State). County clerks hold a secondary, non-issuing role: the Secretary of State transmits the commission, oath of office and official signature to the county clerk of the appointee's county, which maintains the record and authenticates notarial signatures on request. (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

1) Qualify: be a resident of New York State OR have an office or place of business in New York State (Executive Law s. 130(1); Department of State, Become a Notary Public: 'Be a resident of New York State or have an office or place of business in New York State'). 2) Pass the New York State notary public examination - a walk-in, multiple-choice written exam given by the Division of Licensing Services, $15 per attempt. NYS attorneys and Unified Court System court clerks appointed after a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series of titles are exempt from the examination but not from the application fee. Exam results are valid for two years. 3) Complete the Oath of Office (form DOS-2201), which must be sworn and notarized before any person authorized to administer an oath (Executive Law s. 131(1)); the Department requires it to be scanned and uploaded with the online application, and 'An Oath of Office must be completed each time you apply for a new commission or for reappointment/renewal.' 4) Submit the application with the $60 non-refundable fee. Applications are filed online through NY Business Express (Notary Public Commission, DOS-0033); the applicant selects 'the type of commission you would like to apply for (traditional notary or electronic notary).' The Department instructs: 'If I apply online for my initial license, should I also mail my application? No.' 5) The Secretary of State must be satisfied that the applicant 'is of good moral character, has the equivalent of a common school education and is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public' - a test waived for attorneys and qualifying court clerks, and waivable on timely reappointment (Executive Law s. 130(1)). 6) On approval the Department issues a notary public identification card showing name, address, county and commission term (Executive Law s. 131(4)); online applicants 'will receive a printable identification card via email.' 7) COUNTY CLERK STEP, DONE BY THE STATE, NOT BY YOU: 'The commission, duly dated, and a certified copy or the original of the oath of office and the official signature, and $20 apportioned from the application fee shall be transmitted by the Secretary of State to the county clerk in which the appointee resides by the 10th day of the following month' (Executive Law s. 131(5)). The county clerk indexes the commission and signature so the public can verify the notary's official signature. Nonresidents other than attorneys who have an office or place of business in New York file the oath and signature with the county clerk of the county where that office is located. 8) TO NOTARIZE ELECTRONICALLY, register separately: Executive Law s. 135-c(3) and 19 NYCRR 182.10(b) require registration of the capability with the Secretary of State, supplying the commissioned name and mailing address, commission expiration date and signature, e-mail address, a description of the electronic technology used to attach the electronic signature, and an exemplar of the electronic signature. There is no state certification of platforms - 'NYS does not require platform certification' - but the notary must use a provider that meets New York's standards.

Legal basis

New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (notaries public are appointed and commissioned by the Secretary of State). County clerks hold a secondary, non-issuing role: the Secretary of State transmits the commission, oath of office and official signature to the county clerk of the appointee’s county, which maintains the record and authenticates notarial signatures on request. commissions notaries public in New York. 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 office is an APPOINTMENT that carries a COMMISSION - ‘The Secretary of State may appoint and commission as many notaries public for the State of New York as in his or her judgment may be deemed best’ (Executive Law s. 130(1)). Unusually among states, New York’s own agency also uses licence language for it: the Department of State writes ‘Notaries Public are commissioned (i.e., licensed) by the Secretary of State,’ titles its handbook ‘Notary Public License Law,’ and titles its renewal page ‘Renew or Update Notary Public License’ - so ‘New York notary license’ is not merely a folk term here, it is the agency’s own word. Folk terms that name the same thing: ’notary certification,’ ‘getting your notary,’ ’notary commission.’ ‘Electronic notary’ or ’e-notary’ names the statutory registration under Executive Law s. 135-c, which the Department treats as a separate commission type - the Open Data NY register’s column is literally ‘Commission Type (Traditional or Electronic).’ ‘Remote online notary’ / ‘RON’ is colloquial for what New York calls an ’electronic notarial act’ performed with communication technology. ‘Remote ink notarization’ / ‘RIN’ names a practice that New York permitted temporarily and then ended on January 31, 2023 - a folk term that now names something NOT permitted in New York. ‘Commissioner of deeds’ is a different office entirely (Executive Law s. 140 and Real Property Law s. 298 treat it separately from a notary public), and a person removed as a New York City commissioner of deeds is thereafter ineligible for appointment as a notary public.

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission (traditional) — A resident of New York State, or a person who has an office or place of business in New York State, who passes the notary public examination (or is exempt from it) Appointed and commissioned by the Secretary of State for a 4-year term; Executive Law s. 130(1). Jurisdiction is statewide - the commission’s ‘jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the boundaries of the state.’ The Department of State itself uses licence language for this commission: ‘Notaries Public are commissioned (i.e., licensed) by the Secretary of State.’
Electronic notary public commission (registration of the capability to perform electronic notarial acts) — A commissioned New York notary public who wants to perform electronic notarial acts, including remote online notarization A SEPARATE registration under Executive Law s. 135-c(3) and 19 NYCRR 182.10(b), available since February 1, 2023. It is NOT an add-on: the Department of State states ‘you cannot change your license type’ and ‘Once your e-notary license is issued, your traditional notary license will automatically be cancelled. You must use your new e-notary identification number on all notarizations performed.’ The Department also says ‘An electronic notary commission will authorize the license holder to provide both electronic remote online notarial services and traditional notary services.’ The Open Data NY register of commissioned notaries carries a column ‘Commission Type (Traditional or Electronic),’ confirming the two are distinct records.
County clerk staff notary (County Law s. 534) — Members of a county clerk’s own staff designated to notarize for the public Not a different credential, but a distinct fee status: ‘Each county clerk shall designate from among the members of his or her staff at least one notary public to be available to notarize documents for the public in each county clerk’s office during normal business hours free of charge. Each individual appointed by the county clerk to be a notary public pursuant to this section shall be exempt from the examination fee and application fee required by s. 131 of the Executive Law.’

Who can be commissioned

Residency or business nexus: ‘Every person appointed as notary public must, at the time of his or her appointment, be a resident of the State of New York or have an office or place of business in New York State’ (Executive Law s. 130(1)). A resident notary who moves out of state but keeps a New York office or place of business does not vacate the office; a resident who moves out and keeps neither, and a nonresident who ceases to have a New York office, DO vacate the office. A nonresident who accepts the office thereby appoints the Secretary of State as agent for service of process. Attorneys admitted in New York whose law office is in the state may be appointed and keep the commission while residing in or moving to an adjoining state, and are deemed residents of the county where the office is maintained (Executive Law s. 130(2)). CHARACTER AND COMPETENCE: the Secretary of State must be satisfied the applicant ‘is of good moral character, has the equivalent of a common school education and is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public,’ unless the applicant is a New York attorney or a qualifying Unified Court System court clerk (Executive Law s. 130(1)). CRIMINAL HISTORY - TWO OFFICIAL STATEMENTS, RECORDED BOTH WAYS: the statute says ‘No person shall be appointed as a notary public under this article who has been convicted, in this State or any other state or territory, of a crime, unless the secretary makes a finding in conformance with all applicable statutory requirements, including those contained in article twenty-three-A of the correction law, that such convictions do not constitute a bar to appointment’ (Executive Law s. 130(1)); the Department of State’s FAQ puts it as ‘Generally, a person convicted of felony cannot be appointed as a notary public. Also, certain misdemeanors are considered disqualifying. However, should a person convicted of any crime obtain an executive pardon, a certificate of relief from disabilities, or a certificate of good conduct from the parole board, he or she may be considered for appointment.’ OTHER STATUTORY BARS: ‘No person is eligible for the office of notary public who has been convicted of a violation of the selective draft act of the U.S. enacted May 18, 1917 … or of the federal selective training and service act of 1940’ (Public Officers Law s. 3, as reproduced in the Department’s licence-law booklet). A person removed from office as a commissioner of deeds for the City of New York is thereafter ineligible for appointment as a notary public (Executive Law s. 140(14)). Commissioners and inspectors of elections ARE eligible (Election Law ss. 3-200, 3-400); a member of the Legislature may be appointed; sheriffs ‘shall hold no other office’ (NY Const. art. XIII s. 13(a)). Appointment is discretionary: ‘In any case, the appointment or reappointment of any applicant is in the discretion of the Secretary of State.’ NO MINIMUM AGE IS STATED - sourced negative: Executive Law ss. 130 and 131, 19 NYCRR Part 182 (ss. 182.3, 182.10) and the Department of State’s ‘Become a Notary Public’ requirements list were all read on 2026-08-12 and none states a minimum age; the licence-law booklet’s reproduction of Public Officers Law s. 3 covers only the selective-draft-act disqualification, so a general age or citizenship qualification for public office, if one exists elsewhere in the Public Officers Law, was not located and is NOT asserted here. INTEREST DISQUALIFICATION (per act, not per person): a notary who is a party to, or directly and pecuniarily interested in, the transaction may not act; 19 NYCRR 182.3(a)(5) requires notaries to ‘disqualify themselves from performing notarial acts for transactions in which the notary is a party or directly and pecuniarily interested.’

Requirements

Qualify: be a resident of New York State OR have an office or place of business in New York State (Executive Law s. 130(1); Department of State, Become a Notary Public: ‘Be a resident of New York State or have an office or place of business in New York State’). 2) Pass the New York State notary public examination - a walk-in, multiple-choice written exam given by the Division of Licensing Services, $15 per attempt. NYS attorneys and Unified Court System court clerks appointed after a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series of titles are exempt from the examination but not from the application fee. Exam results are valid for two years. 3) Complete the Oath of Office (form DOS-2201), which must be sworn and notarized before any person authorized to administer an oath (Executive Law s. 131(1)); the Department requires it to be scanned and uploaded with the online application, and ‘An Oath of Office must be completed each time you apply for a new commission or for reappointment/renewal.’ 4) Submit the application with the $60 non-refundable fee. Applications are filed online through NY Business Express (Notary Public Commission, DOS-0033); the applicant selects ’the type of commission you would like to apply for (traditional notary or electronic notary).’ The Department instructs: ‘If I apply online for my initial license, should I also mail my application? No.’ 5) The Secretary of State must be satisfied that the applicant ‘is of good moral character, has the equivalent of a common school education and is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public’ - a test waived for attorneys and qualifying court clerks, and waivable on timely reappointment (Executive Law s. 130(1)). 6) On approval the Department issues a notary public identification card showing name, address, county and commission term (Executive Law s. 131(4)); online applicants ‘will receive a printable identification card via email.’ 7) COUNTY CLERK STEP, DONE BY THE STATE, NOT BY YOU: ‘The commission, duly dated, and a certified copy or the original of the oath of office and the official signature, and $20 apportioned from the application fee shall be transmitted by the Secretary of State to the county clerk in which the appointee resides by the 10th day of the following month’ (Executive Law s. 131(5)). The county clerk indexes the commission and signature so the public can verify the notary’s official signature. Nonresidents other than attorneys who have an office or place of business in New York file the oath and signature with the county clerk of the county where that office is located. 8) TO NOTARIZE ELECTRONICALLY, register separately: Executive Law s. 135-c(3) and 19 NYCRR 182.10(b) require registration of the capability with the Secretary of State, supplying the commissioned name and mailing address, commission expiration date and signature, e-mail address, a description of the electronic technology used to attach the electronic signature, and an exemplar of the electronic signature. There is no state certification of platforms - ‘NYS does not require platform certification’ - but the notary must use a provider that meets New York’s standards.

Training

New York does not require a training course.

No education, training course or course hours are required to be commissioned as a New York notary public, and none is required to register as an electronic notary. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-12: Executive Law ss. 130, 131 and 135-c (full text as reproduced in the Department of State’s March 2026 Notary Public License Law booklet); 19 NYCRR Part 182 in full, including s. 182.3 (Requirements for Notaries), s. 182.4 (Additional Requirements for Electronic Notaries) and s. 182.10 (Applications, Registrations and Renewals); and the Department of State’s ‘Become a Notary Public’ page, whose Requirements list is only ‘Submit a completed application and the required fee’, ‘Pass the New York State notary public examination’, and ‘Be a resident of New York State or have an office or place of business in New York State’. What substitutes for a course is the examination itself: its topics are ‘License law, general terms and information related to the duties and functions of a notary public, as outlined in the Notary Public License Law booklet available from the Division of Licensing Services,’ and the statute requires the Secretary of State to be satisfied that the applicant ‘is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public.’

Exam

New York requires an exam.

REQUIRED, with two exemptions. Administered by the New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services as a walk-in written examination - ‘No pre-registration is required. Seats are limited and assigned on a first-come/first-served basis.’ FORMAT: ‘The exam is multiple choice’; applicants ‘will be allowed 1 hour to complete the exam.’ TOPICS: ‘License law, general terms and information related to the duties and functions of a notary public, as outlined in the Notary Public License Law booklet available from the Division of Licensing Services.’ SCORING: ‘All exam results are reported as either passed or failed; you will not get a numerical score’ - so New York publishes NO numeric passing score, and results are mailed. VALIDITY: ‘Examination results are only valid for a period of two years.’ RETAKES: ‘If you fail the written exam … You may retake the exam on another date and time of your choice.’ FEE: $15 per examination taken, payable on the date of the examination, by check, money order, MasterCard or Visa; cash is not accepted and the fee is non-refundable (19 NYCRR 182.11(d); Department of State exam schedule). WHAT TO BRING: current government-issued photo signature identification from a published list, the $15 fee, and two #2 pencils (‘Pencils will not be provided at the exam site’). LANGUAGES: ‘This exam is offered in the following languages: Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Russian and Chinese,’ on notice to a proctor at the exam centre; a Special Testing Arrangements Request form exists for disability accommodations. PASS SLIP: the licence-law booklet states the applicant ‘must submit a pass slip showing that s/he has taken and passed the notary public examination.’ EXEMPT: ‘NYS Attorneys and court clerks of the Unified Court System are exempt from the examination’ - more precisely, ‘An individual who is currently a member of the New York State Bar or a court clerk of the Unified Court System, appointed to that position after taking a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series of titles, while not exempt from the application fee, may be appointed a notary public without an examination.’ County clerk staff notaries designated under County Law s. 534 are exempt from the examination FEE and the application fee.

Bond & insurance

New York requires NO surety bond and NO errors-and-omissions insurance for a notary public commission or for electronic notary registration. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the Department of State’s March 2026 Notary Public License Law booklet was searched in full - the word ‘bond’ appears exactly once in the entire 22-page publication, in the glossary definition of a mortgage (‘a specified debt, which is usually in the form of a bond’), and the word ‘insurance’ appears zero times; Executive Law ss. 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 135-a, 135-b, 135-c, 136 and 137 as reproduced there impose no bond; 19 NYCRR Part 182, including the fee section s. 182.11 and the application/registration section s. 182.10, imposes no bond or insurance; and the Department of State’s ‘Become a Notary Public’ page lists only the application, the examination and the residency/business nexus under Requirements, with no bond and no insurance in its Fees list. What New York requires instead of a bond is the sworn Oath of Office filed with the application and transmitted to the county clerk (Executive Law s. 131(1), (5)). NOTE FOR ANY VENDOR-SOURCED CLAIM TO THE CONTRARY: New York notary bonds and E&O policies are sold commercially, but no New York statute or rule read for this record requires either.

Fees

PAID TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE (from the Department’s own ‘Become a Notary Public’ fee list, live 2026-08-12, and 19 NYCRR 182.11): $60 initial application (non-refundable; Executive Law s. 131(3): ‘The Secretary of State shall receive a non-refundable application fee of $60 from applicants for appointment … No further fee shall be paid for the issuance of the commission’); $60 renewal/reappointment (Executive Law s. 131(9); 19 NYCRR 182.11(c)); $15 written examination, per examination taken (19 NYCRR 182.11(d)); $10 change of personal name and/or address - ‘No fee is required if a name change is the result of a change in marital status’ (Executive Law s. 131(12) sets a $10 non-refundable fee for changing the name or address of a notary public, ‘Except for changes made in an application for reappointment’); $10 duplicate license/registration request (Executive Law s. 131(13); 19 NYCRR 182.11(e)); $20 charged for any check returned by the bank. Payment by check or money order payable to the Department of State, or MasterCard/Visa via the Department’s credit card authorization form; ‘DO NOT SEND CASH.’ ELECTRONIC NOTARY REGISTRATION - A DOCUMENTED DISCREPANCY, RECORDED BOTH WAYS: 19 NYCRR 182.11(b) states ‘Registrants for electronic notarial acts must submit a non-refundable registration fee of sixty dollars to the secretary of state with their registration,’ and Executive Law s. 135-c(3)(a) requires registration ‘upon payment of a fee which shall be set by regulation’; but the Department of State’s public ‘Become a Notary Public’ fee list, read live on 2026-08-12, itemizes only Initial Application $60, Renewal $60, Written Exam $15, Change $10 and Duplicate $10, and does NOT separately list an electronic notary registration fee. The rule and the agency’s published fee list are recorded here as they stand; the rule figure is $60. INTERNAL APPORTIONMENT (not an extra charge to the applicant): ‘$20 apportioned from the application fee shall be transmitted by the Secretary of State to the county clerk in which the appointee resides’ (Executive Law s. 131(5), (10)). PAID TO A COUNTY CLERK OR THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CERTIFICATES: certificate of official character - $1 collected by the Secretary of State for each certificate issued, $1 collected by a county clerk or register for filing one, and $1 for each certificate of official character issued with seal attached by a county clerk (Executive Law s. 132); certification/authentication of a notarial signature by the county clerk - ‘upon payment of a fee of $3’ (Executive Law s. 133). FEE-EXEMPT APPLICANTS: county clerk staff notaries designated under County Law s. 534 ‘shall be exempt from the examination fee and application fee required by s. 131 of the Executive Law.’ NO BOND PREMIUM AND NO SEAL COST ARE REQUIRED - New York requires neither (see bond and seal_requirements).

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 years. ‘The appointment of a notary public shall be for a term of 4 years’ (Executive Law s. 130(1)); the Department of State states plainly ‘Term of commission is four years’ and 19 NYCRR 182.10(a) requires a notary to ‘be appointed and commissioned by the secretary of state for a four-year term’ before performing any notarial act. The term runs from the commission the Secretary of State issues, not from a county filing: under Executive Law s. 131(2) ’the Secretary of State shall issue a commission to such persons; and the official signature of the applicants and the oath of office filed with such applications shall take effect,’ and only afterwards - ‘by the 10th day of the following month’ - does the Secretary transmit the dated commission, oath and signature to the county clerk (s. 131(5)). The identification card issued to the appointee shows the commission term (s. 131(4)). The Open Data NY register publishes both a ‘Term Issue Date’ and a ‘Term Expiration Date’ for each commission. Renewal is a REAPPOINTMENT, filed with the Secretary of State through NY Business Express, with a $60 non-refundable fee and a newly executed Oath of Office - ‘An Oath of Office must be completed each time you apply for a new commission or for reappointment/renewal’ (Executive Law s. 131(7)-(10); Department of State FAQ). WINDOW: ‘A notary public may apply for reappointment within 90 days of expiration of their commission, provided that the notary public continues to meet the requirements set forth in sections 130 and 131 of the Executive Law and this Part’ (19 NYCRR 182.10(c)). QUALIFYING-REQUIREMENT WAIVER: under Executive Law s. 130(1) the good-moral-character, common-school-education and familiarity requirements ‘may be waived by the Secretary of State’ where a notary applies for reappointment before the expiration of the term, or where a person whose term has expired applies within 6 months thereafter; the same waiver may be extended for applicants who could not re-apply because of induction or enlistment in the armed forces, if they apply within 1 year after a discharge other than dishonorable (with parallel one-year windows for applicants with a qualifying condition and for discharged LGBT veterans, as those terms are defined in section one of the veterans’ services law). ELIGIBILITY BAR ON RENEWAL: ‘Any notary public who has failed to comply with any of the requirements of this Part relating to notarial or electronic notarial acts shall not be eligible for reappointment’ (19 NYCRR 182.10(e)). ELECTRONIC NOTARIES: on reappointment ’the electronic notary public must provide verification of the accuracy of all information on file with the secretary of state and affirm that such notary public is otherwise in compliance with all requirements of this Part’ (19 NYCRR 182.10(d)). NAME ON RENEWAL: ‘If you are changing or have changed your name, you should use your new name when signing your renewal application,’ and a notary who married mid-term may apply on renewal ‘under his/her married name or the name under which he/she was formerly commissioned.’ NOTE: Executive Law s. 130(1) still speaks of applying for reappointment ‘with the county clerk’; the Department of State’s current published procedure routes all applications and reappointments through the Department’s own online system - ‘All applications for appointment and reappointment of notaries public, and all registrations of capability to perform electronic notarial acts, shall be in the form and manner prescribed by the secretary of state and provided through the department of state’s division of licensing’ (19 NYCRR 182.10(f)). Both are recorded; no attempt is made to resolve the older statutory phrasing against the current rule. None. New York requires no continuing education to keep or renew a notary public commission or an electronic notary registration. Sourced negative, tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the Department of State’s March 2026 Notary Public License Law booklet in full (the phrase ‘continuing education’ does not appear anywhere in it); Executive Law ss. 130, 131 and 135-c; 19 NYCRR Part 182, including s. 182.10 on applications, registrations and renewals, which conditions reappointment on continuing to meet ss. 130-131 and on compliance with Part 182, not on any coursework; and the Department’s ‘Become a Notary Public’ and notary FAQ pages, whose renewal instructions are limited to the online application, the $60 fee and a newly executed Oath of Office. Note the one adjacent trap: examination results expire after two years, but that is a shelf life on a pass slip, not a recurring education requirement, and it does not apply to already-commissioned notaries seeking reappointment.

Your seal or stamp

NO SEAL OR STAMP IS REQUIRED. The Department of State’s own licence-law booklet states it directly: ‘The laws of the State of New York do not require the use of seals by notaries public. If a seal is used, it should sufficiently identify the notary public, his authority and jurisdiction. It is the opinion of the Department of State that the only inscription required is the name of the notary and the words Notary Public for the State of New York.’ No shape, size, colour or dimension is prescribed. WHAT IS REQUIRED INSTEAD is a signature block under Executive Law s. 137: in addition to the venue and the notary’s signature, the notary ‘shall print, typewrite, stamp, or affix by electronic means where performing an electronic notarial act … beneath their signature in black ink, the notary public’s name, the words Notary Public State of New York, the name of the county in which such notary public originally qualified, and the expiration date of such notary public’s commission’ - plus, where required, the name of any county where a certificate of official character is filed (‘Certificate filed ………. County’). A notary who is also a New York attorney may substitute ‘Attorney and Counselor at Law’ for ‘Notary Public.’ NEW YORK CITY: a notary who qualified or filed a certificate of official character with a county clerk in a county within New York City ‘must also affix to each instrument such notary public’s official number or numbers in black ink,’ plus any register-assigned number where the instrument is to be recorded with a New York City register. 19 NYCRR 182.3(a)(4) requires a notary, ‘regardless of the county of qualification,’ to affix the official number to each instrument requiring an oath or affirmation. FAILURE: ‘No official act of such notary public shall be held invalid on account of the failure to comply with these provisions,’ but a wilful failure subjects the notary to discipline by the Secretary of State. ELECTRONIC: ‘A physical or electronic image of a stamp, impression, or seal need not accompany an electronic signature if the notary has attached an electronic notarial certificate that meets the requirements of this section’ (Executive Law s. 135-c(5)); what an electronic notary must have is a reliable electronic signature, ‘attached or logically associated with an electronic record by use of a digital certificate that utilizes public key infrastructure’ and unique to, and under the sole control of, the notary (19 NYCRR 182.4(a)(5)), an exemplar of which is filed with the Department. NAME CHANGE MID-TERM: the notary must keep using the commissioned name - ‘you must continue to notarize using the name under which you were commissioned throughout the remainder of your term,’ and ‘A new ID card will not be issued to you following a change of name during the course of your commission.’ A notary who marries mid-term may continue under the commissioned name, or, electing the marriage name, must still sign the commissioned name and add the married name after the signature in parentheses. EXPIRY: no seal-destruction or surrender rule was found; tiers searched on 2026-08-12 were Executive Law ss. 130-137, 19 NYCRR Part 182 and the Department’s FAQ, none of which imposes one - consistent with New York not requiring a seal in the first place. PROTEST: ‘Every notary public having a seal shall, except as otherwise provided, and when requested, affix his seal to such protest free of expense’ (Executive Law s. 136 area) - a duty conditioned on having a seal, not a requirement to have one.

Keeping a journal

New York requires a notary journal.

REQUIRED OF ALL NEW YORK NOTARIES, not only electronic ones, since January 25, 2023. Department of State FAQ: ‘Are notaries required to keep a journal? Yes. Beginning January 25th, 2023, all notaries, including those notaries that only provide traditional in-person services, are required to keep a journal of all notarial acts performed which includes the type of identification provided, for 10 years. Additionally, electronic notaries must maintain a journal of all notarial acts as well as an audio & video record of all electronic notarial acts performed.’ The rule is 19 NYCRR 182.9(a): ‘In addition to any required video and audio conference recording, all notaries public must maintain records sufficient to document compliance with the requirements of sections 130 and 135-c of the Executive Law and the duties and responsibilities of a notary public and/or electronic notary public as outlined in this Part.’ CONTENTS (traditional): (1) the date, approximate time, and type of notarial acts performed; (2) the name and address of any individuals for whom a notarial act was performed; (3) the number and type of notarial services provided; (4) the type of credential used to identify the principal, including, where identity was verified by witnesses, the names of the witnesses and any credential type used; and (5) the verification procedures used for any personal appearance before the notary public. ADDITIONAL FOR ELECTRONIC ACTS: (6) ‘identification of the communication technology and, if not included as part of the communication technology used by the electronic notary, the certification authority and verification providers used’; and (7) per the Department’s FAQ, ‘an actual audio/video recording of the act.’ TIMING: ‘Such records shall be made contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act.’ STORAGE: ‘Record storage may be made through a third party if safeguarded through a password or other secure means of authentication or access.’ RETENTION: ‘Any records maintained by a notary public pursuant to this Part must be retained by the notary public for at least ten years’ (19 NYCRR 182.9(b)); the audio-video recording of an electronic notarization must likewise be ‘maintained for a period of at least ten years from the date of transaction’ (Executive Law s. 135-c(2)(b)), and the recording ‘shall not include the discussion or display of any personally identifiable information.’ PRODUCTION, NOT SURRENDER: records ‘must be capable of being produced to the secretary of state and others as necessary in relation to the performance of the notary public’s obligations’ (19 NYCRR 182.9(c)); no rule read requires surrender of the journal to any office on resignation or expiry, and none was found in Executive Law ss. 130-137 or 19 NYCRR Part 182 (both searched 2026-08-12). ENFORCEMENT TEETH: 19 NYCRR 182.3(a)(7) makes maintaining records a duty of every notary, and 182.10(e) bars reappointment of any notary who has failed to comply with any requirement of Part 182.

Online (remote) notarization

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

Authorized as ’electronic notarization’ under Executive Law s. 135-c, implemented by 19 NYCRR Part 182. A SEPARATE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: ‘Before performing any electronic notarial act or acts, a notary public shall register the capability to notarize electronically with the secretary of state on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and upon payment of a fee which shall be set by regulation’ (s. 135-c(3)(a)); 19 NYCRR 182.10(b) repeats it and 182.11(b) sets the registration fee at sixty dollars. KEY DATES, ALL PAST: the Department of State states ‘A new law, NY Executive Law Section 135-c, authorizes notaries to perform electronic notarial acts, provided they first register with the Department of State and comply with new rules’; ‘On February 1, 2023, notaries wishing to provide electronic notary services will be able to register as an Electronic Notary with the Department of State’; the universal journal duty began January 25, 2023; and Remote Ink Notarization ended January 31, 2023 - ‘On January 31, 2023, only electronic notarization is permitted in New York State, through repeal of Executive Law s. 135-c, Remote ink notarization and replacement with Executive Law s. 135-c, Electronic notarization.’ REGISTRATION CONTENTS: commissioned name and complete mailing address; commission expiration date and signature; e-mail address; a description of the electronic technology or technologies used to attach the electronic signature (which may be effectuated by registering vendor account information); and an exemplar of the electronic signature - ‘Exemplars are required for electronic notaries only. Your exemplar should include your electronic signature and seal as well as information about your digital credential service provider. Your electronic signature must be a digital version of your signature, typed signatures are not accepted.’ The exemplar is submitted after the commission is issued, through the NY Business Express dashboard. IT REPLACES THE TRADITIONAL COMMISSION: ‘you cannot change your license type’; ‘Once your e-notary license is issued, your traditional notary license will automatically be cancelled. You must use your new e-notary identification number on all notarizations performed’; and ‘An electronic notary commission will authorize the license holder to provide both electronic remote online notarial services and traditional notary services.’ NO STATE-APPROVED VENDOR LIST: ‘Does New York State require platform certification for Electronic Notarization Platform Providers? NYS does not require platform certification. The model used here requires notaries to select platforms that comply with minimum standards.’ ‘Does the Department of State recommend a particular service provider? No.’ LOCATION: the electronic notary must be ‘physically located within the boundaries of New York when performing electronic notarial acts’ (19 NYCRR 182.4(a)(3)) and must ‘use a network that permits location detection,’ with no device or process used to disguise or hide the actual location. The signer may be anywhere; if the principal is outside the United States, the notary must verify by verbal confirmation on the recording that the record ‘is to be filed with or relates to a matter before a public official or court, governmental entity, or other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United States’ or ‘involves property located in the territorial jurisdiction of the United States or … a transaction substantially connected with the United States’ (s. 135-c(4)(a)). IDENTITY: personal knowledge; or remote presentation of an acceptable government-issued ID plus credential analysis plus identity proofing; or the oath or affirmation of a witness who personally knows the signer and who is personally known to the notary or identified by the same technology. The statute requires ’two or more different processes for authenticating the identity of a remotely located individual.’ CERTIFICATE: ‘For remote online notarial acts, the jurat must include an obvious statement that this remote notarial act involved the use of communication technology.’ EXTRA FEE: ‘An electronic notary public shall be entitled to a fee of twenty-five dollars for each electronic notarial act performed, which shall be inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary public’ (19 NYCRR 182.11(g)); the Department adds that ‘The fee may be charged for each notarial act performed during one electronic session.’ PAPERING OUT: an electronic notary may execute a paper certificate of authenticity that a tangible copy of an electronically notarized record is accurate; that certificate is itself a notarial act for which $2 may be charged, and ‘A county clerk, city registrar, or other recording officer where applicable shall accept for recording a tangible copy of an electronic record … if the record has been certified by a notary public’ (Executive Law s. 135-c(6)(d)). RECORDING DUTY: the notary ‘must make and keep an audio-visual recording of the electronic notarization and ensure that there is a back-up of the recording,’ kept at least 10 years. NOT AUTHORIZED: Remote Ink Notarization (RIN), a pandemic-era practice, is ‘Not after January 31, 2023.’

What you may charge

STATUTORY PER-ACT FEES, Executive Law s. 136: ‘For administering an oath or affirmation, and certifying the same when required, except where another fee is specifically prescribed by statute, $2’; ‘For taking and certifying the acknowledgment or proof of execution of a written instrument, by one person, $2, and by each additional person, $2, for swearing such witness thereto, $2’; and ‘For electronic notarial services, established in section one hundred thirty-five-c of this chapter, a fee set through regulation by the secretary of state.’ The Department of State restates the cap: ‘A notary public may charge a fee of $2.00 for administering an oath or affirmation or for taking an acknowledgment or proof of execution. Unless otherwise authorized by law, a notarial fee may not exceed this amount.’ ELECTRONIC: $25 per electronic notarial act, ‘which shall be inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary public’ (19 NYCRR 182.11(g)), chargeable for each act performed within one electronic session. PAPERING OUT: $2 for a certificate of authenticity for a document created through an electronic notarial act. PROTEST: a notary may not take ‘any greater fee or reward than 75 cents for such protest, and 10 cents for each notice, not exceeding five, on any bill or note,’ and must affix a seal to the protest free of expense if the notary has one (Executive Law s. 135). FREE BY LAW: ‘An officer is not entitled to a fee, for administering the oath of office to a member of the legislature, to any military officer, to an inspector of election, clerk of the poll, or to any other public officer or public employee’ (Public Officers Law s. 69); and each county clerk must designate at least one staff notary to notarize for the public ‘free of charge’ (County Law s. 534). OVERCHARGING: Public Officers Law s. 67 bars an officer from charging ‘a greater fee or reward, for that service, than is so allowed’ and exposes the officer to treble damages; the Department’s booklet adds ‘A notary public subjects himself to criminal prosecution, civil suit and possible removal by asking or receiving more than the statutory allowance, for administering the ordinary oath in connect with an affidavit.’ TRAVEL FEE: no travel-fee provision was located. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: Executive Law ss. 130-137 and Public Officers Law ss. 67 and 69 as reproduced in the Department’s March 2026 licence-law booklet, 19 NYCRR Part 182 in full including the fee rule s. 182.11, and the Department of State’s notary FAQ - none authorizes or caps a separate travel or mileage charge, and the $25 electronic fee is expressly ‘inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary public.’

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

WHO ELSE MAY TAKE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND PROOFS WITHOUT A NOTARY COMMISSION. Real Property Law s. 298: an acknowledgment or proof of a conveyance of New York real property may be made at any place within the state before a justice of the supreme court, an official examiner of title, an official referee, or a notary public; and within the district where the officer is authorized to act, before a judge or clerk of any court of record, a commissioner of deeds outside New York City (or a City commissioner of deeds within the five counties), the mayor or recorder of a city, a surrogate, special surrogate or special county judge, or the county clerk or other recording officer of a county; and before a justice of the peace, town councilman, village police justice or judge of a court of inferior local jurisdiction anywhere within the county containing the town, village or city where that officer serves. Public Officers Law s. 10 governs administering the oath of a public officer, and Public Officers Law s. 69 bars any fee for administering the oath of office to a member of the legislature, a military officer, an inspector of election, a poll clerk ‘or to any other public officer or public employee.’ County Law s. 534 requires every county clerk to designate at least one staff notary to serve the public free of charge, exempt from the examination and application fees. EXEMPT FROM THE EXAM BUT NOT FROM COMMISSIONING: New York attorneys and Unified Court System court clerks appointed after a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series of titles still need a commission and still pay the application fee. VALIDITY SAFETY NET, NOT AN EXEMPTION: Executive Law s. 142-a provides that a document notarized by a person who was not in fact commissioned ‘will not be deemed invalid because of that fact’ - the Department of State’s FAQ says so expressly. NO AUTHORITY TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE: unlike some states, a New York notary has no such power - the Department’s booklet indexes Domestic Relations Law s. 11 as ‘No Authority to Solemnize Marriage.’ TIERS SEARCHED (2026-08-12): Executive Law ss. 130-142-a, Real Property Law ss. 290-333, Public Officers Law ss. 3, 10, 67 and 69, County Law s. 534 and Election Law ss. 3-200/3-400, all as reproduced in the Department of State’s March 2026 licence-law booklet, plus 19 NYCRR Part 182 and the Department’s notary FAQ. NOT COVERED BY ANY SOURCE READ: the federal military notarial authority at 10 U.S.C. 1044a is not addressed in any New York source read for this record, so nothing is asserted about it here.

How to apply

Applications are handled by New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (notaries public are appointed and commissioned by the Secretary of State). County clerks hold a secondary, non-issuing role: the Secretary of State transmits the commission, oath of office and official signature to the county clerk of the appointee’s county, which maintains the record and authenticates notarial signatures on request.. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in New York

New York State Department of State (DOS), published on Open Data NY publishes a public license search , searchable by Commission Holder Name, Commission Number (UID), Business Name (if available), Business City (if available), Business Zip (if available), Commissioned County, Commission Type (Traditional or Electronic), Term Issue Date or Term Expiration Date. It covers Active commissioned New York notaries public. The Department of State’s search page says ‘Notary Public data is available on Open Data NY, where you will be able to browse, filter, sort, and export the data. The site will also allow the data to be accessed through an Application Programming Interface (API).’ The dataset’s own description: ‘This data contains active Commissioned Notaries Public from New York State Department of State (DOS).’ The dataset metadata, read on 2026-08-12, reported 800,967 rows and the column list above, including the Commission Type column that distinguishes traditional from electronic commissions. PRIVACY LIMIT, stated by the Department: ‘Please note that information pertaining to residence addresses is not included on this database. Such information is protected by privacy law.’ A SECOND, OFFLINE VERIFICATION ROUTE EXISTS: the county clerk of the county where the notary qualified holds the original oath of office and official signature, and ‘The public may then access this record and verify the official signature of the notary at the county clerk’s office’; on request and for a $3 fee the county clerk will authenticate a notarial signature under Executive Law s. 133.

Records come from New York State Department of State (DOS), published on Open Data NY’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 commissions notaries public in New York, and what does the county clerk do?

The Secretary of State, through the Department of State’s Division of Licensing Services, appoints and commissions notaries public for a 4-year term with statewide jurisdiction (Executive Law s. 130(1)). The county clerk does not issue the commission: after the Secretary of State approves an applicant, the Secretary transmits the commission, the original oath of office, the official signature and $20 apportioned from the application fee to the county clerk of the appointee’s county ‘by the 10th day of the following month’ (s. 131(5)). The clerk indexes that record so the public can verify the notary’s official signature, and on request and payment of $3 will authenticate a notarial signature (s. 133).

Does New York require a notary exam, and what is it like?

Yes, with two exemptions. The Department of State gives a walk-in written examination with no pre-registration; it is multiple choice, allows one hour, and costs $15 per attempt. ‘All exam results are reported as either passed or failed; you will not get a numerical score,’ and ‘Examination results are only valid for a period of two years.’ Topics are the licence law and the duties and functions of a notary as set out in the Department’s Notary Public License Law booklet. New York attorneys and Unified Court System court clerks appointed after a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series are exempt from the exam but still pay the application fee.

Does a New York notary need a surety bond or errors and omissions insurance?

No. Neither is required. The Department of State’s March 2026 Notary Public License Law booklet contains the word ‘bond’ exactly once, in a glossary definition of a mortgage, and does not contain the word ‘insurance’ at all; Executive Law ss. 130-137 and 19 NYCRR Part 182 impose no bond or insurance; and the Department’s own Requirements list is only the application and fee, the examination, and New York residency or a New York office. What New York requires in place of a bond is a sworn Oath of Office filed with each application and reappointment.

What does a New York notary commission cost?

$60 for the initial application and $60 for each renewal, both non-refundable, plus $15 for each written examination taken. A change of personal name or address is $10, waived when the name change results from a change in marital status, and a duplicate licence or registration request is $10. A returned check costs $20. Registering as an electronic notary carries a $60 registration fee under 19 NYCRR 182.11(b), though the Department’s public fee list does not itemize it separately.

Does a New York notary have to keep a journal?

Yes, and this is one of the most commonly misstated facts about New York. Since January 25, 2023, ALL notaries - including those who only do traditional in-person notarizations - must keep a journal of every notarial act for 10 years. 19 NYCRR 182.9 requires the date, approximate time and type of each act; the name and address of each person served; the number and type of services provided; the credential type used to identify the principal; and the verification procedures used. Records must be made contemporaneously, may be stored with a third party if password-protected, and must be producible to the Secretary of State. Electronic notaries must additionally keep the audio-video recording of each electronic act.

Does a New York notary need a stamp or seal?

No. The Department of State states ‘The laws of the State of New York do not require the use of seals by notaries public.’ What Executive Law s. 137 does require is that beneath the signature, in black ink, the notary print, typewrite or stamp their name, the words ‘Notary Public State of New York’, the county in which they originally qualified, and the commission expiration date. Notaries who qualified or filed a certificate of official character in a New York City county must also affix their official number. If a seal is used voluntarily, the Department’s opinion is that ’the only inscription required is the name of the notary and the words Notary Public for the State of New York.’

How much can a New York notary charge?

$2 for administering an oath or affirmation, and $2 per person for taking and certifying an acknowledgment or proof, plus $2 for swearing a witness to it (Executive Law s. 136). A protest is capped at 75 cents plus 10 cents for each notice, up to five. An electronic notarial act is $25, ‘inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary public,’ and a papering-out certificate of authenticity is $2. No fee may be charged for administering the oath of office to a legislator, a military officer, an inspector of election, a poll clerk or any other public officer or employee, and a county clerk’s designated staff notary must serve the public free of charge.

How do I notarize remotely in New York, and is remote ink notarization allowed?

You must register with the Secretary of State as an electronic notary under Executive Law s. 135-c; registration opened February 1, 2023. Registration requires your commissioned name and address, commission expiration and signature, e-mail, a description of the technology used to attach your electronic signature, and an exemplar of that signature, with a $60 registration fee under 19 NYCRR 182.11(b). You must be physically located in New York during every electronic act and must not disguise your location; the signer may be elsewhere, with an extra verification step if the signer is outside the United States. New York certifies no platforms - the notary must pick one that meets the state’s standards. Remote ink notarization is not permitted: ‘On January 31, 2023, only electronic notarization is permitted in New York State.’

If I am already a traditional New York notary, can I just add electronic notarization?

Not as an add-on. The Department of State says ‘you cannot change your license type,’ and that once the e-notary licence is issued ‘your traditional notary license will automatically be cancelled. You must use your new e-notary identification number on all notarizations performed.’ An electronic notary commission then authorizes both electronic remote online notarial services and traditional notary services. The state’s public register reflects the split with a column called ‘Commission Type (Traditional or Electronic).’

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in New York.

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.