How to Become a Notary in Ohio — Requirements & Fees

How to become a notary public in Ohio: a required course, remote online notarization — verified from Ohio Secretary of State (Notary Commission / Notary Services).

Source-verified

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

Requirements at a glance

1) Order and complete an Ohio BCI criminal records check (R.C. 147.022; the SOS application-process page directs applicants to 'Complete an Ohio criminal records check (BCI report)' and the education page advises ordering it BEFORE paying for education, 'to ensure you do not have any disqualifying offenses under Ohio Revised Code 9.79'). Attorneys admitted in Ohio and peace officers are exempt from the records check (R.C. 147.022(A)(1)); peace officers may instead upload an OPOTA certificate (SOS notary-law-updates page, H.B. 567). 2) Complete notary education and pass the test through a Secretary of State-authorized provider: three hours plus a test for non-attorneys, three hours with NO test for attorneys applying after Sept. 20, 2019 (R.C. 147.01(B)(4), 147.021; O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)(1),(B)(1)). Education must be completed within 12 months before the application date (SOS education page). 3) Apply online at notary.ohiosos.gov and upload a sample signature, the BCI criminal record report, and the provider's proof of completion (SOS application-process page). All submissions to the Secretary of State must be made electronically (R.C. 147.01(E)). 4) Pay $15 to the Secretary of State on filing (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)(4)). 5) After approval, and BEFORE performing any notarial act, personally appear before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths and take the oath of office (R.C. 147.01(G); the in-person oath was added by H.B. 315, which the SOS summarizes as 'This replaces prior law, which did not require in-person administration of the oath.'). A separate RON authorization application (2-hour course + test, $250 to the provider, $20 to the SOS) is required before performing any remote online notarization.

Legal basis

Ohio Secretary of State (Notary Commission / Notary Services) commissions notaries public in Ohio. Every figure below is verified against the commissioning authority’s own official pages and dated.

What it’s called

Statutory noun: ’notary public’ – an office one is ‘appointed and commissioned’ to (R.C. 147.01). R.C. 147.011(F) is explicit that ‘A notary public is not considered an occupation or profession under Title XLVII of the Revised Code, and a notary commission is not an occupational or professional license’, so the folk terms ’notary license’ and ’notary certification’ do not name anything Ohio issues – the correct term is a notary public COMMISSION. ‘Online notary public’ (RON authorization) is a distinct status layered on top of the commission (R.C. 147.60(J), 147.63). ‘Electronic notarization’ in Ohio names an IN-PERSON act on an electronic document (R.C. 147.591) and is not remote notarization. ‘Notario publico’ is prohibited advertising: a non-attorney notary shall not ‘Use the phrase “notario” or “notario publico” to advertise the services of a notary public, whether by sign, pamphlet, stationery, or other written communication, or by radio, television, or other non-written communication’ (R.C. 147.142(B)(5)). ‘Notary signing agent’ and ’loan signing agent’ are not Ohio credentials – neither phrase appears in R.C. Chapter 147 or O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1, both searched 2026-08-12.

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission (traditional / paper) — Any Ohio resident 18 or older who completes the criminal records check, education and testing; and Ohio-admitted attorneys whose principal place of business or primary practice is in Ohio (attorneys need not be Ohio residents). R.C. 147.01 – a notary public is ‘appointed and commissioned as a notary public for the state’, and R.C. 147.07 states flatly ‘A notary public has statewide jurisdiction.’ Commissions are issued by the Secretary of State; before June 6, 2001 they were issued by the Governor (R.C. 147.011(F), 147.05(A)).
Electronic (in-person) notarization — Any commissioned Ohio notary public – NO separate authorization is required. O.A.C. 111:6-1-01(N): ‘A notary public does not have the authority to perform online notarizations unless also authorized by the secretary of state … however, a notary public may engage in an electronic notarial act as permitted under section 147.591 of the Revised Code.’ The SOS FAQ page adds ‘a personal appearance is always required for both traditional and electronic notarizations.’ This is the field most often conflated with RON.
Remote online notarization (RON) authorization — A notary public already commissioned under R.C. 147.01 who is a resident of this state (R.C. 147.63(A)). SEPARATE application, separate 2-hour education plus examination, separate $20 fee to the Secretary of State (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(D)). SOS: ‘Notaries may not perform remote online notarizations (RON) unless authorized by the Secretary of State.’ The authorization expires when the underlying commission expires (R.C. 147.63(D)(2)).

Who can be commissioned

Age: ‘The person has attained the age of eighteen years’ (R.C. 147.01(B)(1)). Residency / practice nexus: a legal resident of Ohio, OR a non-resident who is ‘an attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state by the Ohio supreme court, and has the person’s principal place of business or the person’s primary practice in this state’ (R.C. 147.01(B)(2)). Criminal history: must submit a criminal records check completed within the preceding six months showing no conviction of, or guilty/no-contest plea to, a disqualifying offense determined under R.C. 9.79 (R.C. 147.01(B)(3), 147.022(A)(2)); attorneys and peace officers are exempt from the check itself. A person whose commission the Secretary of State has revoked ‘is ineligible for reappointment to the office of notary public’ (R.C. 147.01(C)(3)); the SOS states applicants are also ineligible if ‘Previously revoked from holding a notary public commission by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.’ During the term a notary must self-report conviction of a disqualifying offense, and the Secretary ‘shall revoke’ the commission (R.C. 147.05(D)). CITIZENSHIP / LEGAL PRESENCE / LANGUAGE: no citizenship, immigration-status or English-language qualification appears in R.C. 147.01, 147.021 or 147.022, in O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1, or on the Secretary of State’s ‘Notary Application Process’ page – all four tiers searched 2026-08-12; the agency’s list of qualifying criteria has exactly three items (age, residency/attorney nexus, no disqualifying convictions).

Requirements

Order and complete an Ohio BCI criminal records check (R.C. 147.022; the SOS application-process page directs applicants to ‘Complete an Ohio criminal records check (BCI report)’ and the education page advises ordering it BEFORE paying for education, ’to ensure you do not have any disqualifying offenses under Ohio Revised Code 9.79’). Attorneys admitted in Ohio and peace officers are exempt from the records check (R.C. 147.022(A)(1)); peace officers may instead upload an OPOTA certificate (SOS notary-law-updates page, H.B. 567). 2) Complete notary education and pass the test through a Secretary of State-authorized provider: three hours plus a test for non-attorneys, three hours with NO test for attorneys applying after Sept. 20, 2019 (R.C. 147.01(B)(4), 147.021; O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)(1),(B)(1)). Education must be completed within 12 months before the application date (SOS education page). 3) Apply online at notary.ohiosos.gov and upload a sample signature, the BCI criminal record report, and the provider’s proof of completion (SOS application-process page). All submissions to the Secretary of State must be made electronically (R.C. 147.01(E)). 4) Pay $15 to the Secretary of State on filing (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)(4)). 5) After approval, and BEFORE performing any notarial act, personally appear before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths and take the oath of office (R.C. 147.01(G); the in-person oath was added by H.B. 315, which the SOS summarizes as ‘This replaces prior law, which did not require in-person administration of the oath.’). A separate RON authorization application (2-hour course + test, $250 to the provider, $20 to the SOS) is required before performing any remote online notarization.

Training

Ohio requires a training course.

Required of essentially every applicant, through a Secretary of State-authorized provider (R.C. 147.021; O.A.C. 111:6-1-03). Hours and provider fees, from O.A.C. 111:6-1-03 and the SOS ‘Notary Education and Testing’ fee chart, which agree exactly: non-attorney INITIAL 3 hours + test, $130 to the provider; attorney INITIAL 3 hours, no test, $75; non-attorney RENEWAL 1 hour, no test, $45; RON authorization 2 hours + test, $250; RON authorization renewal 1 hour, no test, $160. Validity window: ‘Education must be completed within 12 months before the date of your notary application or renewal’ (SOS education page); the rule phrases the renewal course as ’no earlier than twelve months prior to the expiration of their commission’ (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(C)(1)). Grandfather clause: ‘An attorney who is commissioned as a notary public in this state prior to September 20, 2019, shall not be required to complete an education program or pass a test’ (R.C. 147.01(B)(4)(b)). Curriculum is fixed by rule and includes maintaining a notarial journal, seal requirements, the fees a notary may charge, and ‘what constitutes unauthorized immigration consultant acts and the unauthorized practice of law by a notary’ (O.A.C. 111:6-1-02(C)). The National Notary Association appears on the Secretary of State’s OWN published list of authorized education providers, alongside county bar associations and county law libraries; that is the state’s list – no NNA or vendor page was used as a source for any fact in this record.

Exam

Ohio requires an exam for some commission types.

A pass/fail test administered by the Secretary of State-authorized education provider – not a separate state licensing examination. Required for non-attorney initial applicants (R.C. 147.01(B)(4)(a), 147.021(A)(1)) and for RON authorization (R.C. 147.63(B)(1)). NOT required for attorneys applying after Sept. 20, 2019 – such an attorney ‘shall not be required to pass a test as required in division (B)(4)(a) of this section, but shall be required to complete an education program required by that division’ (R.C. 147.01(B)(4)(c)) – and not required on non-attorney renewal, where O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(C) prescribes a one-hour education program with no test. Retake rule: an applicant who fails ‘may apply to retake the exam not sooner than thirty days following the date of his or her last examination, and no later than six months following the issuance of the criminal records check’; a second failure means restarting with a new application and a new provider fee (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)(3); the RON version is (D)(4)). The test is deliberately not uniform: ‘An authorized education and testing provider must offer multiple curriculum tests so that there is not one uniform test in circulation’ (O.A.C. 111:6-1-02(F)). PASSING SCORE: not published in R.C. Chapter 147, O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1, or on the SOS education-and-testing page – all three tiers searched 2026-08-12; the rule delegates test content to the authorized providers.

Bond & insurance

Ohio requires NO surety bond and NO errors-and-omissions insurance for a notary commission. Sourced negative: the words ‘bond’, ‘insurance’ and ’errors and omissions’ appear ZERO times in the full text of R.C. Chapter 147 as published by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (retrieved 2026-08-12; 85,335 characters covering every section from 147.01 through 147.99); O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1, which sets every application requirement and fee, imposes neither; and the Secretary of State’s ‘Notary Application Process’ page lists the qualifying steps with no bond or insurance among them. Tiers searched: statute (R.C. Ch. 147), administrative rule (O.A.C. Ch. 111:6-1), the agency’s application-process and education-and-testing pages, and the agency’s notary FAQ page. The bond-plus-E&O pattern sold by notary vendors has no basis in Ohio law.

Fees

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03): $15 on filing an initial non-attorney commission application ((A)(4)); $15 on filing an initial attorney commission application ((B)(3)); $15 on filing a renewal application ((C)(3)); $20 on filing an application for authorization to perform online notarizations ((D)(5)); $20 on filing an online-authorization renewal ((E)(5)). TO THE AUTHORIZED EDUCATION AND TESTING PROVIDER, paid directly (same rule, and identical on the SOS fee chart): $130 non-attorney initial (3 hrs + test); $75 attorney initial (3 hrs); $45 non-attorney renewal (1 hr); $250 RON authorization (2 hrs + test); $160 RON authorization renewal (1 hr). The SOS adds: ‘Education and testing fees vary by provider. Fees are paid directly to the authorized provider. All fees are non-refundable, regardless of testing outcome or withdrawal.’ STATUTORY CEILINGS: R.C. 147.37 caps the total commission fee at ’not more than one hundred fifty dollars’ and caps the Secretary of State’s share at ’not to exceed fifteen dollars’; R.C. 147.631(C) caps the online-notary course fee at four times the commission fee and the Secretary’s share at twenty dollars. OTHER STATE FEE: certified copy of a notary commission, $5 (R.C. 147.06). BCI CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK FEE: set by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, not by the Secretary of State – ‘Each person requesting a criminal records check under this section shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code’ (R.C. 147.022(C)). No dollar amount for it is published in R.C. Ch. 147, O.A.C. Ch. 111:6-1, or on the SOS notary pages (all three tiers searched 2026-08-12). NO seal/stamp price is state-set; Ohio publishes no application form with a fee line because R.C. 147.01(E) requires all submissions to be electronic through notary.ohiosos.gov.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

5 (non-attorneys). ‘Each notary public, except an attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state by the Ohio supreme court, shall hold office for the term of five years unless the commission is revoked’ (R.C. 147.03, effective April 3, 2025). ATTORNEY EXCEPTION – an indefinite term, not a five-year one: an Ohio-admitted attorney ‘shall hold office as a notary public as long as the attorney is a resident of this state or has the attorney’s principal place of business or primary practice in this state, the attorney is in good standing before the Ohio supreme court, and the commission is not revoked’ (R.C. 147.03). The term runs from the commission issued by the Secretary of State; the oath of office is taken after approval and is a precondition to ACTING, not to the commission’s issuance (‘Before entering upon the duties of office, a notary public shall personally appear before a notary public or any officer authorized by law to administer oaths, who shall administer an oath of office to the notary public’ – R.C. 147.01(G)). Renewal is a fresh application filed electronically at notary.ohiosos.gov, not an automatic rollover. ‘A notary public may apply to renew the notary’s commission beginning three months prior to the expiration date of the commission’ (R.C. 147.031(C)). Renewal requires a NEW criminal records check, a fee ‘of not more than sixty dollars, set by the secretary of state in a rule’ (the Secretary’s share is set at $15 by O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(C)(3)), a renewal application on the prescribed form, and a one-hour education program completed no earlier than 12 months before expiration (R.C. 147.031(B); O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(C)). NO GRACE PERIOD: ‘If the notary public’s commission expires before the notary submits the application for renewal, the secretary of state shall not renew that expired commission but shall permit the person to apply for a new notary commission’ (R.C. 147.031(D)) – and the SOS notes S.B. 263 made expired commissions require reapplication as a new notary. A RON authorization renews alongside the commission, but only on its own application, its own one-hour continuing education and its own $20 fee (R.C. 147.63(D)(3); O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(E)). Continuing education in Ohio is built into renewal rather than accrued during the term. A non-attorney renewal applicant ‘must successfully complete a one-hour education program, no earlier than twelve months prior to the expiration of their commission, conducted by an authorized provider’, paying $45 to the provider (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(C)(1),(2)). A RON authorization renewal requires its own one-hour program at $160 to the provider (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(E)(3),(4)), and R.C. 147.63(D)(3)(b)(iii) requires the renewal to include ‘Evidence of having completed continuing education.’ The rule defines that continuing-education curriculum as covering ‘any updates to Ohio notary law or the administrative rules’ (O.A.C. 111:6-1-02(E)). NO mid-term continuing-education hours are imposed by R.C. Chapter 147 or O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1 – both tiers searched 2026-08-12, together with the SOS education-and-testing page.

Your seal or stamp

A seal is mandatory: ‘Before entering upon the discharge of official duties, a notary public shall obtain the seal of a notary public’ (R.C. 147.04). Required elements and size: ‘The seal shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle that is at least three-quarters of an inch, but not larger than one inch, in diameter and shall be surrounded by the words “notary public,” “notarial seal,” or words to that effect, the name of the notary public, and the words “State of Ohio.”’ Format: ‘The seal may be of either a type that will stamp ink onto a document or one that will emboss it’ – either is acceptable, no ink colour is specified. Name alternative: ‘The name of the notary public may, instead of appearing on the seal, be printed, typewritten, or stamped in legible, printed letters near the notary public’s signature on each document signed by the notary public.’ The SOS FAQ restates the requirement as the Ohio coat of arms (3/4 inch to 1 inch diameter) plus the words ‘Notary Public’ and ‘State of Ohio’. Signature stamps are prohibited unless ’the notary has a qualifying physical disability and has filed notice with the Secretary of State (with a stamp sample)’ (SOS summary of R.C. 147.141). A notary must refuse a notarization when ‘The notary does not have their seal available’ (SOS FAQ). NAME OR ADDRESS CHANGE: notify the Secretary of State within thirty days on a prescribed form (R.C. 147.05(B)). SEAL DISPOSAL ON EXPIRY, RESIGNATION OR NAME CHANGE: not addressed – R.C. Chapter 147, O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1 and the SOS FAQ were all searched on 2026-08-12 and none prescribes destroying or surrendering the seal.

Keeping a journal

Ohio requires a journal for some notarial acts.

REQUIRED ONLY FOR REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATIONS, and then it must be electronic. ‘An online notary public shall maintain one or more electronic journals in which the online notary public records, in chronological order, all online notarizations that the online notary public performs’ – accessible ‘by a password or other secure means of authentication’ and ‘in a tamper-evident electronic format’ (R.C. 147.65(A)). Fourteen items must be recorded per act (R.C. 147.65(B)(1)-(14)): date and time; type of notarial act; title or description of the record; the electronic signature of each principal; each principal’s printed full name and address; a statement if identification rested on personal knowledge; a description of the satisfactory evidence relied on including the issuance or expiration date of any credential; the name of any credible witness; the address where the act was performed if not the notary’s business address; a description of the online notarization system used; the fee charged, if any; the jurisdiction in which the principal was located; the identification recording required by (D)(3); and anything else the Secretary of State requires. Social security numbers must NOT be recorded (R.C. 147.65(C)). Retention: the electronic journal and the audio-video recordings are kept ten years; on expiration or revocation of the authorization the journal is transmitted to the Secretary of State or an approved repository, which maintains it for ten years (R.C. 147.65(F)). The journal may not be used by another notary and may NOT be surrendered to an employer on termination of employment (R.C. 147.65(D)(5)(a)(i),(D)(7),(E)(1)). FOR PAPER AND IN-PERSON ELECTRONIC ACTS: ‘For traditional notarizations, Ohio law does not require a journal; however, the Secretary of State strongly recommends logging every notarial act as a best practice’ (SOS Resources and FAQ page) – consistent with the statute, which imposes the journal duty only on online notaries.

Online (remote) notarization

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

Authorized by Senate Bill 263 of the 132nd General Assembly, effective September 20, 2019, which created R.C. 147.60 to 147.66. The SOS summarises S.B. 263 as: ‘Active notaries may perform in-person electronic notarizations, but must obtain separate authorization for RON.’ A SEPARATE authorization is required: ‘A notary public who has been duly appointed and commissioned under section 147.01 of the Revised Code, and who is a resident of this state, may apply to the secretary of state to be authorized to act as an online notary public during the term of that notary public’s commission’ (R.C. 147.63(A)). Prerequisites: hold a current Ohio commission; complete a two-hour course and pass an examination approved by the Secretary of State (R.C. 147.63(B)(1); O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(D)(2)); apply online at notary.ohiosos.gov uploading the certificate of completion; pay $250 to the authorized provider and $20 to the Secretary of State (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(D)(3),(5)). PROVIDER MONOPOLY: ‘The secretary of state shall approve one business entity comprised of bar associations with statewide scope and regional presence that have expertise and experience in notary laws and processes to provide the course and administer the examination to become an online notary’ (R.C. 147.63(B)(2)); the SOS accordingly lists a single Authorized Online Notarization Education and Testing Provider. PLATFORM RULE: RON ‘must be completed on a platform that meets O.A.C. 111:6-1-05 requirements, including: Two-way, live audio-video communication. Credential analysis of the signer’s identification. Identity proofing of the signer. Credential analysis and identity proofing performed by a reputable third party that can provide reasonable evidence to the online notary’ (SOS FAQ). LOCATION: ‘The notary must be physically in Ohio during the notarization; the signer may be outside Ohio’ (SOS FAQ; R.C. 147.62). Fee: up to $30 per online notarization plus up to $10 technology fee per session (R.C. 147.08(A)(2),(D)(2)). The authorization expires when the commission expires and does not survive it (R.C. 147.63(D)(2),(3)). All RON acts must be logged in the electronic journal (R.C. 147.65).

What you may charge

R.C. 147.08, as amended by H.B. 315 (135th G.A.) effective April 3, 2025: ‘A notary public is entitled to the following fees: (1) Up to five dollars for any notarial act that is not an online notarization; (2) For an online notarization, up to thirty dollars.’ The two may not both be charged for the same act (147.08(B)) and ‘The fees charged under division (A) of this section shall not be calculated on a per signature basis’ (147.08(C)). ADDITIONALLY PERMITTED: ‘A reasonable travel fee, as agreed to by the notary and the principal prior to the notarial act’ (147.08(D)(1)); and ‘A technology fee up to ten dollars for the use of an online notarization system when performing an online notarization … A notary may charge a technology fee regardless of whether the notarial act is completed, such as when a signer fails to pass the identification process in the online notarization system, but the total technology fee charged shall not exceed ten dollars per online notarization session’ (147.08(D)(2)). CHANGE OF LAW: the online cap was $25 under S.B. 263 and rose to $30 under H.B. 315 – ‘The maximum fee for remote online notarizations (RON) increased from $25 to $30. Notaries may charge an additional $10 technology fee for use of identity verification tools’ (SOS Notary Law Updates). The Secretary of State may raise these fees by rule under R.C. Chapter 119 (147.08(E)). Charging above the amounts prescribed by law is a prohibited act (R.C. 147.141, as summarised by the SOS); H.B. 315 changed the consequence, so that ‘Overcharging fees no longer automatically results in commission revocation but may still be subject to review.’

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

ACTS BY NON-NOTARIES RECOGNISED IN OHIO: R.C. 147.51(B) provides that ‘Notarial acts may be performed outside this state for use in this state with the same effect as if performed by a notary public of this state’ by (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’; and (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’ acting for a servicemember, a merchant mariner, a person accompanying the armed forces, or a dependent of either. R.C. 147.39 separately validates armed-forces notarial acts performed between January 1, 1941 and January 1, 1974. OTHER STATE-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS: representatives of congressionally chartered veterans’ organizations recognised by the Veterans Administration ‘may be appointed as commissioners of the state’ for a three-year term, taking an oath before a judge of a court of record and using a seal ‘of the dimensions and inscription set forth and prescribed for notaries public, in section 147.04’ (R.C. 147.32). ACTS THAT NO LONGER NEED A NOTARY: the SOS Notary Law Updates page records two removals – H.B. 567 (eff. April 6, 2023) ‘Removes notary requirements for certain vehicle title transfers involving licensed dealers’ and ‘Removes the requirement to notarize a power of attorney (POA) granted to a licensed dealer or their agent for vehicle title transfers’; and H.B. 96 (eff. September 30, 2025) ’eliminated the requirement that applications for a Managing General Agent (MGA) license or Public Insurance Adjuster Certificate of Authority be verified under oath by a notary public.’ NOT ESTABLISHED, STATED AS A NEGATIVE: R.C. Chapter 147 confers no IN-STATE ex officio notarial authority on judges, clerks or mayors, and 10 U.S.C. 1044a (military notarial powers) is not addressed anywhere in R.C. Chapter 147, O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1, the SOS application-process page or the SOS FAQ – all four tiers searched 2026-08-12. R.C. 147.51(A) grants the notarial powers to ‘A notary public, or any other individual with similar authority under this section’, and the only other individuals the section names are the out-of-state officers listed above.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Ohio Secretary of State (Notary Commission / Notary Services). Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Ohio

Ohio Secretary of State publishes a public license search , searchable by First Name, Last Name or Online Notary filter (-ALL- / No / Yes). It covers Ohio notaries public commissioned by the Secretary of State. R.C. 147.051 requires the database to publish, for each notary, ‘The status of an individual’s authority to perform notarial acts’, ‘Whether the notary is authorized to perform online notarizations, as defined in section 147.60 of the Revised Code’, and ‘A description of any administrative or disciplinary action taken against the notary.’ The search screen’s own help text: ‘Enter the exact name or part of the notary public’s first name and last name in the appropriate fields and select “Search.” … To Search for a Notary Public authorized to perform online notarizations: Select “Yes” in the Online Notary field and select “Search.”’.

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

Frequently asked questions

How long does an Ohio notary public commission last?

Five years for a non-attorney: ‘Each notary public, except an attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state by the Ohio supreme court, shall hold office for the term of five years unless the commission is revoked’ (R.C. 147.03). An Ohio-admitted attorney holds the office indefinitely – for as long as the attorney remains an Ohio resident or keeps a principal place of business or primary practice in Ohio, stays in good standing before the Ohio Supreme Court, and is not revoked.

Does Ohio require a surety bond or errors-and-omissions insurance?

No. The words ‘bond’ and ‘insurance’ do not appear anywhere in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147; the administrative rules in O.A.C. Chapter 111:6-1 impose neither; and the Secretary of State’s application-process page lists no bond among the steps. Ohio’s requirements are the BCI criminal records check, the education and test, the electronic application with its $15 fee, and the in-person oath of office.

Is education and a test really required to become an Ohio notary?

Yes, for almost everyone, and it has been since S.B. 263 took effect on September 20, 2019. A non-attorney must complete a three-hour education program and pass a test through a Secretary of State-authorized provider ($130 to the provider). An attorney applying after September 20, 2019 must complete the three-hour program but ‘shall not be required to pass a test’ (R.C. 147.01(B)(4)(c)); an attorney commissioned before that date is exempt from both. Renewal requires a one-hour program with no test, completed within the 12 months before expiration.

What does an Ohio notary commission cost?

Two separate payments plus a third agency’s fee. A non-attorney pays $130 directly to the authorized education and testing provider and $15 to the Secretary of State when filing (O.A.C. 111:6-1-03(A)). An attorney pays $75 to the provider plus the same $15. The BCI criminal records check fee is paid to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which sets it under R.C. 109.572(C)(3) – the Secretary of State does not publish that amount.

Can an Ohio notary perform remote online notarizations automatically?

No. RON requires a separate authorization from the Secretary of State on top of the commission: hold a current Ohio commission, complete a two-hour RON course and pass its examination ($250 to the provider), apply at notary.ohiosos.gov with the certificate of completion, and pay $20 to the Secretary of State. The authorization expires when the commission expires. Ohio’s ’electronic notarization’ is a different thing – an in-person act on an electronic document, which needs no extra authorization.

How much can an Ohio notary charge per notarization?

Up to $5 for any notarial act that is not an online notarization, and up to $30 for an online notarization (R.C. 147.08, as amended effective April 3, 2025; the online cap was $25 before). The fees may not be calculated per signature, and the $5 and the $30 may not both be charged for the same act. A notary may also charge a reasonable travel fee agreed before the act, and for online notarizations a technology fee of up to $10 per session – chargeable even if the act is not completed.

Does an Ohio notary have to keep a journal?

Only for remote online notarizations, and then it must be an electronic, tamper-evident journal recording fourteen specified items per act and excluding social security numbers (R.C. 147.65). It is retained ten years and transmitted to the Secretary of State or an approved repository when the authorization ends, and it may not be surrendered to an employer. For paper and in-person electronic acts the Secretary of State says Ohio law does not require a journal but ‘strongly recommends logging every notarial act as a best practice.’

What happens if an Ohio notary commission expires before it is renewed?

It cannot be renewed. R.C. 147.031(D): ‘If the notary public’s commission expires before the notary submits the application for renewal, the secretary of state shall not renew that expired commission but shall permit the person to apply for a new notary commission.’ Renewal may be filed starting three months before expiration, and performing an act while knowing the term has expired is itself a violation (R.C. 147.10).

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Ohio.

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.