How to Become a Notary in Utah — Requirements & Fees

How to become a notary public in Utah: a surety bond, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Utah - Notary Office.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Utah - Notary Office (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Steps in the order the Lieutenant Governor's Notary Office publishes them on its Process and Qualifications page: (1) Create an account on the state notary system to start the application - the office warns that 'the name you use when creating your account will be as it appears on your commission and stamp'. (2) Take, pay for and pass the online examination; the $95 administration fee is due immediately after taking the test and results are 'provided instantly upon payment'. (3) Submit to the mandatory background check - required of all applicants 'As of November 1st, 2019'. The office states applicants will NOT be notified when the check is processed and should continue without waiting for results. (4) Obtain a $5,000 notarial bond, signed by the applicant as principal, with the name matching the application exactly. (5) Have the Oath of Office notarized - it 'must be notarized prior to submitting your documents to the Lieutenant Governor's office, otherwise your application will be rejected.' (6) Upload the original signed bond and the notarized Oath of Office. The office notes there is no 'Final Submit' button: 'Once you upload your documents, your application is complete. We will email your Certificate of Authority once processed.' (7) After approval, purchase a notarial stamp and journal from a third-party company; 'The notary office does not provide stamps or journals.' Statutory backstop: Utah Code 46-1-4 provides that 'A notarial commission is not effective until' the notary takes the constitutional oath of office and files the $5,000 bond, and 'the oath and bond are approved by the lieutenant governor.'

Legal basis

Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Utah - Notary Office commissions notaries public in Utah. Every figure below is verified against the commissioning authority’s own official pages and dated.

What it’s called

The statutory noun is ’notary’ / ’notary public’, and what Utah issues is a NOTARIAL COMMISSION, not a licence - Utah Code 46-1-4 speaks of ‘A notarial commission’ and 46-1-3 of the lieutenant governor commissioning ‘as a notary any qualified person’. The chapter is the Notaries Public Reform Act (Utah Code Title 46, Chapter 1). Folk terms, named as folk terms: ’notary license’ and ’notary certification’ are how the credential is commonly searched for; neither is Utah’s term, and Utah’s own document of appointment is the ‘Certificate of Authority’ the office emails once the application is processed. ‘Remote notary’ is Utah’s own term for the RON authorization and is used on the state’s application page and in the public search portal filter. A ’notary signing agent’ or ’loan signing agent’ is a PRIVATE vendor credential, not a Utah commission - Utah issues no such appointment, and no such role appears in the Notaries Public Reform Act or on the Lieutenant Governor’s pages. The public search portal does flag two genuinely state-verified overlays that are sometimes confused with it: notaries who are also licensed attorneys and notaries who are also licensed escrow agents - and the portal expressly disclaims responsibility for those two claims.

Types of notary commission

Notary Public (traditional / in-person commission) — Individuals who will perform in-person notarial acts anywhere in Utah. Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(a)(i) as reproduced in the state’s Study Guide and Handbook: a commissioned notary ‘may perform notarial acts in any part of the state for a term of four years, unless the individual resigns or the commission is revoked or suspended under section 46-1-19’, and ’except through a remote notarization performed in accordance with this chapter, may not perform a notarial act for another individual who is outside of the state.’ The official seal for in-person acts must be in purple ink (46-1-16).
Remote Online Notary (RON) — Already-commissioned Utah notaries who want to notarize for remotely located signers over audio-video technology. A SEPARATE application on top of the traditional commission. The Lieutenant Governor’s RON page states the prerequisite in terms: ‘To become a Remote Notary, you must already be a commissioned Notary Public in the State of Utah. You must reapply for a Remote Notary commission each time you renew your Notary Public commission.’ Requires being ‘hired or contracted by an approved vendor’, a bond increase to $10,000, a vendor-issued electronic signature and seal, and a $50 fee. The seal used for a remote notarization ‘shall be rendered in black’ rather than purple.
Electronic seal / electronic signature (attached to the RON authorization, not a separate commission) — Remote notaries only. Utah does not, in the sources read, issue a standalone ’eNotary’ commission distinct from the RON authorization. The electronic seal is defined at 46-1-2(6) as ‘an electronic version of the seal described in section 46-1-16, that conforms with rules made under subsection 46-1-3.7(1)(d), that a remote notary may attach to a notarial certificate to complete a remote notarization’ - i.e. it is an attribute of remote-notary status. Searched: the Lt. Governor’s qualifications/process page, the RON application page, the Resources & Forms page and the Study Guide and Handbook on 2026-08-12; none describes a third commission type.

Who can be commissioned

From the Lieutenant Governor’s Process and Qualifications page, which lists them as the qualifications to become a Utah notary: be 18 years of age or older; be a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident status under Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; ’lawfully reside in the State of Utah or be employed in the state for at least 30 days prior to applying for a notarial commission and maintain permanent residency or employment thereafter’; be able to read, write and understand English; pay for and pass the online exam; submit to the mandatory background check; and upload a bond and Oath of Office ‘containing no significant misstatement or omission of facts’. The Study Guide and Handbook adds two qualification items in the same list: the applicant must not ‘have been Revoked or Suspended as a notary without expressed permission from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’, and ‘Must list any criminal convictions to be reviewed by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’ - i.e. Utah publishes no automatic categorical criminal bar in the sources read, but reviews disclosed convictions case by case. Applicants may ‘upload a separate document with explanations’ if they need to explain past crimes. Continuing-eligibility duty: Utah Code 46-1-21(2), as reproduced in the handbook, requires a notary ‘who ceases to reside in this state, who ceases to be employed in the state, or who becomes unable to read and write as provided in section 46-1-3’ to resign the commission.

Requirements

Steps in the order the Lieutenant Governor’s Notary Office publishes them on its Process and Qualifications page: (1) Create an account on the state notary system to start the application - the office warns that ’the name you use when creating your account will be as it appears on your commission and stamp’. (2) Take, pay for and pass the online examination; the $95 administration fee is due immediately after taking the test and results are ‘provided instantly upon payment’. (3) Submit to the mandatory background check - required of all applicants ‘As of November 1st, 2019’. The office states applicants will NOT be notified when the check is processed and should continue without waiting for results. (4) Obtain a $5,000 notarial bond, signed by the applicant as principal, with the name matching the application exactly. (5) Have the Oath of Office notarized - it ‘must be notarized prior to submitting your documents to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, otherwise your application will be rejected.’ (6) Upload the original signed bond and the notarized Oath of Office. The office notes there is no ‘Final Submit’ button: ‘Once you upload your documents, your application is complete. We will email your Certificate of Authority once processed.’ (7) After approval, purchase a notarial stamp and journal from a third-party company; ‘The notary office does not provide stamps or journals.’ Statutory backstop: Utah Code 46-1-4 provides that ‘A notarial commission is not effective until’ the notary takes the constitutional oath of office and files the $5,000 bond, and ’the oath and bond are approved by the lieutenant governor.’

Training

Utah does not require a training course.

Utah requires a passing exam but does NOT require a course of instruction or a set number of training hours as a condition of commissioning. The Lieutenant Governor publishes an Official Study Guide and Handbook and a 2026 Study Guide Supplement as preparation aids, and the Process and Qualifications page frames them as optional preparation - ‘Study for the Test: Prepare for the exam using the official guide and resources below’ - not as a mandatory course, and no provider approval scheme, hour count or completion certificate appears anywhere in the process. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the Process and Qualifications page (which enumerates all seven qualification items and all seven process steps), the FAQs page cost table (which itemizes only application fee, test fee, retake fee, bond and stamp - no course fee), the Resources & Forms page, the Study Guide and Handbook’s own list of commissioning requirements, and the S.B. 139 (2026) amendments announcement. None imposes a training requirement. NOTE the contrast a reader may expect from neighbouring states: unlike Texas, Utah has not moved to a state-run mandatory course.

Exam

Utah requires an exam.

Required of every applicant. Utah Code 46-1-3(6)(a), as reproduced in the state’s handbook: ‘Each applicant for a notarial commission shall take an examination that the lieutenant governor approves’, and the statute contemplates denial of a commission for ‘failure to pass the examination described in subsection (6).’ Administered online through the Lieutenant Governor’s notary application system - the applicant creates an account, then takes the test as step 2 of the process. Fee: the Process and Qualifications page states ‘After taking the test, be ready to pay the $95 administration fee immediately. Results are provided instantly upon payment.’ The FAQs page breaks that $95 into a $55 application fee and a $40 test fee, both non-refundable. Retakes: ‘If you fail, you must pay an additional $40 re-testing fee each time until you pass. (Note: this offer is valid for 30 days from the first test date.)’ The FAQs page adds that ‘If you take the test later than 30 days after the original test date you will be charged the full $95.00.’ PASSING SCORE AND FORMAT NOT PUBLISHED: no number of questions, time limit or passing score is stated by the Lieutenant Governor. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the Process and Qualifications page, the FAQs page, the Resources & Forms page, and the 43-page Study Guide and Handbook. The score also could not be checked against the statute or any administrative rule because le.utah.gov is unreachable.

Your surety bond

A $5,000 surety bond is required, and the commission does not take effect without it. Utah Code 46-1-4: ‘A notarial commission is not effective until: (1) the notary named in the commission takes a constitutional oath of office and files a $5,000 bond with the lieutenant governor that: (a) a licensed surety executes for a term of four years beginning on the commission’s effective date and ending on the commission’s expiration date; and (b) conditions payment of bond funds to any person upon the notary’s misconduct while acting in the scope of the notary’s commission; and (2) the oath and bond are approved by the lieutenant governor.’ So the bond term is coextensive with the four-year commission and is filed WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (not a county). The bond must be ’executed by a company authorized to write surety bonds’; the name on it must match the application exactly; and ‘If your bond is not signed, it will not be considered valid and your application will be returned to you.’ Bonds ‘must be dated within 90 days of when your commission is officially approved.’ THE BOND IS NOT INSURANCE FOR THE NOTARY. The Lieutenant Governor’s Notarial Bond page carries an ‘Important Liability Notice’: ‘A notary bond is not insurance for the notary, but protection for the public. A notary must repay the surety any funds the surety company pays out on the notary’s behalf.’ ERRORS-AND-OMISSIONS INSURANCE IS NOT REQUIRED AND IS NOT MENTIONED AT ALL. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: Utah Code 46-1-4 and the commissioning requirements of 46-1-3 as reproduced in the handbook, the dedicated Notarial Bond & Oath of Office page, the Process and Qualifications page, the FAQs cost table, and the RON application page. E&O appears in none of them; the RON step raises the SURETY BOND to $10,000 and does not add an insurance policy. REMOTE NOTARIES: bond coverage must be increased to $10,000 total. The RON page gives two routes - ‘Option 1: Obtain a rider or adjustment for your current notarial bond increasing the amount to $10,000’ (the state’s recommended route), or ‘Option 2: Take out an additional, separate $5,000 bond’, with the caveat that the second bond ‘is tied to your original commission date; both bonds will need to be renewed when you renew your commission, regardless of how long the remote bond has been in effect.’ The state does not recommend surety companies: ‘The Utah Notary Office does not have any preferred or recommended companies.’

Fees

PAID TO THE STATE (FAQs cost table and Process and Qualifications page, both current as of 2026-08-12): Application fee $55.00, non-refundable. Test fee $40.00, non-refundable. Total initial cost $95.00, described by the state as ‘Paid to the state’ and collected as a single ‘$95 administration fee’ immediately after the exam is taken. Retake fee $40.00 each time the test is failed, valid within 30 days of the first test date; after 30 days the full $95.00 is charged again. REMOTE ONLINE NOTARY: $50.00 application fee, billed after the Lieutenant Governor’s office reviews the submitted documents (‘you will receive an email with instructions on how to pay the $50.00 application fee’). The state states explicitly that ‘The $50.00 RON application fee is separate from the initial notary application fee.’ PAID TO THIRD PARTIES, not the state: the four-year notarial bond, which the state’s FAQ estimates at approximately $50.00 paid to a surety company, and the notary stamp, estimated at approximately $25.00 paid to a vendor. The state supplies neither: ‘you must purchase a notarial stamp and journal through a third-party company. The notary office does not provide stamps or journals.’ Journal cost is not estimated by the state. NO COUNTY RECORDING FEE: nothing in the sources read routes any part of a Utah notary application, oath or bond through a county clerk or recorder - the oath and bond are filed with and approved by the Lieutenant Governor under 46-1-4. CAUTION ON THE BOND AND STAMP FIGURES: the ~$50 bond and ~$25 stamp are the state’s own estimates of private-market prices, not state-set fees, and the state disclaims any preferred vendor.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

Four years. Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(a)(i), as reproduced in the state’s Study Guide and Handbook: an individual the lieutenant governor commissions ‘may perform notarial acts in any part of the state for a term of four years, unless the individual resigns or the commission is revoked or suspended under section 46-1-19.’ The term runs from the COMMISSION’S EFFECTIVE DATE, and the bond must be executed ‘for a term of four years beginning on the commission’s effective date and ending on the commission’s expiration date’ (46-1-4(1)(a)). But the commission is not effective at issuance: under 46-1-4 it ‘is not effective until’ the oath is taken and the bond filed AND both are approved by the lieutenant governor - so qualification, not the office’s decision alone, starts the clock. Utah has no light-touch renewal: an expiring notary must re-apply from the beginning. Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(b), as reproduced in the handbook: ‘(i) After an individual’s commission expires, the individual may not perform a notarial act until the individual obtains a new commission. (ii) An individual whose commission expires and who wishes to obtain a new commission shall submit a new application, showing compliance with the requirements of this section.’ Because 46-1-3(6) requires ‘Each applicant for a notarial commission’ to take the approved examination, a renewing notary sits the exam and pays the $95 again, posts a new bond and takes a new oath. A new official seal is also mandatory on renewal: 46-1-16(3)(a) - ‘A notary shall obtain a new official seal: (i) When the notary receives a new commission; or (ii) If the notary changes the notary’s name of record at any time during the notary’s commission.’ REMOTE NOTARIES must re-apply for RON separately at every renewal: ‘You must reapply for a Remote Notary commission each time you renew your Notary Public commission.’ Early/overlap rule from the bond FAQ: a reapplying notary whose old commission has not expired puts the OLD COMMISSION’S EXPIRATION DATE on the new bond, and the state warns ‘Ensure your commission dates do not overlap.’ Bonds must be dated within 90 days of commission approval. NO GRACE PERIOD is published; the statute bars notarial acts the moment the commission expires. NO CONTINUING EDUCATION IS REQUIRED IN UTAH. Renewal is instead a fresh application with a fresh examination: Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(b)(ii) requires an individual whose commission expires to ‘submit a new application, showing compliance with the requirements of this section’, and 46-1-3(6)(a) requires ‘Each applicant for a notarial commission’ to take the approved examination - so the re-testing IS Utah’s competence-refresh mechanism, in place of CE hours. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the Process and Qualifications page (all seven steps), the FAQs page cost table and process section, the Resources & Forms page, the 43-page Study Guide and Handbook (the phrase ‘continuing education’ does not occur in it), the 2026 Study Guide Supplement, and the S.B. 139 amendments announcement. No CE requirement, hour count or approved-provider scheme appears in any of them. NOT VERIFIED AGAINST: any Utah administrative rule, because the state code and rule portal at le.utah.gov could not be reached at any rung.

Your seal or stamp

A seal is REQUIRED on every notarization, and Utah specifies its ink colour - which is unusual and is the fact most often gotten wrong. COLOUR: Utah Code 46-1-16(2)(c) - ‘Each official seal used for an in-person notarization shall be in purple ink’ and ‘Each official seal used for a remote notarization shall be rendered in black.’ REQUIRED ELEMENTS: 46-1-16(3)(b) requires the notary to affix the seal near the official signature and to produce ‘a sharp, legible, and photographically reproducible rendering of the official seal that consists of: (i) The notary public’s name exactly as indicated on the notary’s commission; (ii) The words “notary public,” “state of Utah,” and “my commission expires on (commission expiration date)”; (iii) The notary’s commission number, exactly as indicated on the notary’s commission; (iv) A facsimile of the great seal of the state; and (v) A rectangular border no larger than one inch by two and one-half inches surrounding the required words and official seal.’ So Utah mandates a RECTANGULAR stamp with a maximum size and requires the state’s great seal - it does not offer an embosser alternative in the text read. SEAL MAY NOT TRAVEL ALONE: 46-1-16 - ‘A notary may not use a notarial seal independent of a notarial certificate.’ The handbook glosses this: ‘Every notarization is required to have the notary’s seal (stamp), notarial language, and notary’s signature. A notary’s seal may not be used unless there is notarial language and a signature in place.’ EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY / NO SHARING: the seal ‘is the exclusive property of the notary’ and ‘may not be used by any other person.’ The handbook lists ‘Leaving the notary seal and certificate with the employer upon termination of employment’ among the top notary mistakes. Under S.B. 139 (2026), ‘unauthorized use or possession of a notary seal or journal’ is a crime. ON EXPIRY OR NAME CHANGE: a new seal must be obtained on a new commission or on any change to the notary’s name of record (46-1-16(3)(a)). Under 46-1-20, a notary must act ‘Within 30 days after the day on which a notary changes the’ name or address, including a bond policy rider. OBTAINING A SEAL is regulated at the vendor end: 46-1-17 - ‘a person may not provide an official seal to an individual claiming to be a notary, unless the individual presents a copy of the individual’s notarial commission, attached to a notarized declaration’ in the statutory form. ELECTRONIC-MESSAGE EXCEPTION: 46-1-16(8) provides that a notarial certificate on an electronic message or document ‘is considered complete without the notary’s official seal’ if the notary’s name and commission number ‘appear exactly as indicated on the notary’s commission’, together with the words ‘a notary public commissioned in Utah’ and the commission expiration date.

Keeping a journal

Utah requires a notary journal.

REQUIRED, BUT ONLY FOR COMMISSIONS ISSUED OR RENEWED ON OR AFTER MAY 6, 2026 - this is a brand-new Utah duty and is the single most likely stale fact on any older page. S.B. 139 - Notary Amendments was ‘signed into law and will take effect on May 6, 2026’; the Lieutenant Governor’s April 15, 2026 announcement states ‘The most significant change this bill makes is requiring the use of notary journals for new and renewing notaries on or after May 6, 2026.’ TRANSITION RULE, in the state’s own words: ‘Notaries who have a current commission are not required to keep a journal until they renew their commission after May 6, 2026. Notaries who chose to keep a journal before May 6, 2026 are still subject to the journal retention requirements and inspection procedures outlined in this bill.’ FORM: physical, not electronic, for ordinary notaries. The state’s 2026 Study Guide Supplement: ‘A journal is a physical journal of notarial acts performed by the notary, organized chronologically. Only remote online notarizations may be recorded in an electronic journal.’ Remote notaries are required to keep a secure electronic journal (Utah Code 46-1-13). The journal must be kept in a secure location. WHAT MUST BE RECORDED - an entry is required for every ‘(a) Notarization performed by the notary. (b) Refusal by the notary to perform a notarization. (c) Inspection of a journal entry allowed by the notary.’ Each entry records: the date and time; the type of notarization (jurat, signature acknowledgement, signature witnessing or copy certification); the title or description of the document; an indication of the satisfactory evidence of identity used - if an ID, its type, issuing agency, last four digits, issuing date and expiration date (noting ‘Notaries can only accept unexpired IDs’); if a credible individual was used, an indication of the administered oath, a statement that the credible individual personally knows the notary or the signer, that individual’s printed name, address and signature and the required information about their ID; an indication of any oath or affirmation administered; the signature, printed name and address of the signer; and ‘The fee, if one was charged.’ INSPECTION: ‘Journals may be viewed under court order or by law enforcement. Additionally, anyone may request to view a journal entry if they provide the following information about the entry: (a) The type of notarization. (b) The title or a description of the notarized document. (c) The month and year of the notarization. (d) The name of the signer.’ RETENTION AND DESTRUCTION: ‘Journals must be kept by the notary for 10 years after the last recorded act, even if the individual is no longer a notary. After 10 years, the journal must be destroyed.’ Note that Utah requires DESTRUCTION rather than surrender to the state - no surrender-to-authority duty appears in the sources read. EMPLOYMENT EXEMPTION: ‘A notary who is employed by an attorney, law firm, or title agency is not required to record notarizations performed as a part of their job in a journal. Any records of such notarizations are not subject to disclosure.’

Online (remote) notarization

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

Remote online notarization is authorized and requires a SEPARATE registration on top of the traditional commission. STATUTORY BASIS: remote notarization is built into the Notaries Public Reform Act rather than a standalone act - Utah Code 46-1-2(8) defines ‘in the presence of the notary’ to include communication ‘by means of an electronic device or process’ allowing simultaneous sight and sound and complying with rules under 46-1-3.7; 46-1-2(6) defines the electronic seal by reference to rules under 46-1-3.7(1)(d); 46-1-3.6(3) governs remote notarization; and 46-1-13 imposes the electronic journal on remote notaries. PREREQUISITE: ‘To become a Remote Notary, you must already be a commissioned Notary Public in the State of Utah.’ THE VENDOR RULE IS UNUSUAL AND IS A REAL ELIGIBILITY GATE, not a shopping choice: ‘To become a remote notary, you must be hired or contracted by an approved vendor.’ The Lieutenant Governor maintains the approved-vendor list and the vendor supplies the credential: ‘Each vendor provides a unique electronic signature and seal. You must obtain this from your vendor to submit with your application.’ ‘Every electronic seal must have a timestamp or a digital tracking method to verify when it was signed.’ STEPS: find an approved vendor; increase the notarial bond to $10,000 (rider preferred, or a second $5,000 bond tied to the original commission date); obtain the vendor’s electronic seal and signature; submit the application with the notarized Remote Online Notary Oath and Affirmation, the $10,000 bond or rider, and a PDF containing the electronic signature and seal; then pay the $50.00 fee after the office reviews the documents. On approval ‘you will be marked as a “remote notary” in the system.’ REMOTE-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES ONCE COMMISSIONED: the seal is rendered in black rather than purple (46-1-16(2)(c)(ii)); the maximum fee per act rises to $25 (46-1-12(1)(b)); an electronic journal is required; and identity may additionally be proven by ‘Dynamic knowledge-based authentication’ or ‘Analysis of the individual’s biometric data, which may include facial recognition, voiceprint analysis, or fingerprint analysis’ under rules made pursuant to 46-1-3.7. RENEWAL: RON status does not ride along with the base commission - ‘You must reapply for a Remote Notary commission each time you renew your Notary Public commission.’ SEAL GUARDIANSHIP: 46-1-16(2)(d) lets a remote notary allow the electronic-seal provider to act as ‘guardian’ over the seal, with the guardian required to store it so that no one but the guardian and the named notary can access it, and permitted to use it only to complete that notary’s notarization, to comply with storage duties, or under court order. NOT ESTABLISHED: the effective date of the act that first authorized Utah RON could not be read, because the Utah Legislature’s site is unreachable from every rung. The state’s RON application page is undated as to the underlying enactment.

What you may charge

Utah caps notarial fees by statute. Utah Code 46-1-12(1)(a), as reproduced in the state’s Study Guide and Handbook: ‘Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), the maximum fees a notary may charge for notarial acts are: (i) For an acknowledgment, $10 per signature; (ii) For a certified copy, $10 per page certified; (iii) For a jurat, $10 per signature; (iv) For an oath or affirmation without a signature, $10 per person; and (v) For each signature witnessing, $10.’ REMOTE ACTS ARE CAPPED HIGHER: 46-1-12(1)(b) - ‘The maximum fee a remote notary may charge for an item described in subsection (1)(a) that the remote notary performs as a part of a remote notarization is $25.’ TRAVEL FEE ALLOWED, CAPPED, AND CONDITIONAL: 46-1-12(2) - a notary ‘may charge a travel fee, not to exceed the approved federal mileage rate, when traveling to perform a notarial act if: (a) The notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the travel fee is separate from the notarial fee in subsection (1) and is neither specified nor mandated by law; and (b) The notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the travel fee in advance.’ IMMIGRATION-FORM CAP: 46-1-12(4)(a) - ‘A notary may not charge a fee of more than $10 per individual for each set of forms relating to a change of that individual’s immigration status’, and ‘(b) The fee limitation described in subsection (4)(a) applies regardless of whether the notary is acting as a notary but does not apply to a licensed attorney’. POSTED SCHEDULE REQUIRED: 46-1-12(3) - ‘A notary shall display an English-language schedule of fees for notarial acts and may display a non-English-language schedule of fees.’ NO DUTY TO CHARGE, AND NO PICKING AND CHOOSING: the handbook summarises 46-1-8 as meaning a notary serving the general public ‘may require a $10 fee for clients or non-clients’ but ‘may not require more than $10 per signature notarized’, and ‘may not “pick and choose” which documents or customers will be served when the notary is serving the general public (unless the transaction is unlawful).’ STALENESS CAVEAT: these figures are quoted from the Lieutenant Governor’s own Study Guide and Handbook, which is dated 5-16-2022. They could not be re-read against the live code because le.utah.gov is unreachable at every rung. The state’s April 2026 S.B. 139 announcement lists that bill’s changes and does NOT include any fee change, but its list is introduced as ‘Additional changes made in this bill include’ and is therefore not necessarily exhaustive.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

NOT PUBLISHED BY THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN THE SOURCES REACHABLE ON 2026-08-12. Utah’s notary office does not publish an ex officio list - no provision naming county clerks, judges, court clerks or other officials as authorized to notarize without a commission was found. Tiers searched: the Study Guide and Handbook’s reproduction of Utah Code chapter 46-1 (the strings ’ex officio’ and ‘judge’ do not occur in the 43-page document), the Process and Qualifications page, the FAQs page, the Resources & Forms page, the 2026 Study Guide Supplement, and the S.B. 139 amendments announcement. The tier that could NOT be searched is the decisive one: the full text of Utah Code Title 46 Chapter 1 and any Utah Administrative Code rule, because le.utah.gov is unreachable from this vantage AND from a US GitHub runner. An exemption provision sitting in a section the handbook does not reproduce would therefore not have been seen. Treat this field as UNSEARCHED AT THE STATUTORY TIER rather than as a negative finding. MILITARY: 10 U.S.C. 1044a (military officers with general powers of a notary) is a federal provision and is not addressed by any Utah source read; this record makes no claim about how Utah treats it. WHAT IS ESTABLISHED about the boundary of the commission: an expired commission confers nothing - ‘After an individual’s commission expires, the individual may not perform a notarial act until the individual obtains a new commission’ (46-1-3(5)(b)(i)); and a Utah notary may not notarize for an individual physically outside the state except through a proper remote notarization (46-1-3(5)(a)(ii)). ALSO ESTABLISHED, though a recordkeeping rather than a commissioning exemption: a notary employed by an attorney, law firm or title agency need not journal notarizations performed as part of that job.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Utah - Notary Office. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Utah

State of Utah - Notary Administration (Office of the Lieutenant Governor) publishes a public license search , searchable by First Name, Last Name, Business City, Business Zip Code, Languages, Commission Effective Date Range (starting and ending date), Filter: only notaries who are also licensed attorneys, Filter: only notaries who are also licensed escrow agents or Filter: only notaries who are also remote. It covers Registered/commissioned Utah notaries public. The portal states it ‘only validates the notaries public current commission by the state of Utah, and is not responsible for the validity of the notary public representing self as a licensed attorney or a licensed escrow agent’, directing users to the Utah State Bar Member Directory and the Utah Insurance Department agent search to confirm those overlays. Business address is the public field - the state warns at account creation that ‘The business address will be made public on notary.utah.gov’. The remote filter makes RON authorization publicly verifiable.

Records come from State of Utah - Notary Administration (Office of the Lieutenant Governor)’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 Utah notary commission last?

Four years. Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(a)(i) provides that a commissioned notary ‘may perform notarial acts in any part of the state for a term of four years, unless the individual resigns or the commission is revoked or suspended.’ The term runs from the commission’s effective date, and under 46-1-4 the commission ‘is not effective until’ the notary takes the constitutional oath and files the $5,000 bond and the lieutenant governor approves both.

Does Utah require an exam to become a notary?

Yes. Utah Code 46-1-3(6)(a) requires that ‘Each applicant for a notarial commission shall take an examination that the lieutenant governor approves.’ It is taken online through the state’s notary application system. The Lieutenant Governor’s office charges $95 immediately after the test is taken - a $55 application fee plus a $40 test fee, both non-refundable - and results are provided instantly upon payment. A failed test costs $40 to retake within 30 days of the first test date; after 30 days the full $95 applies again. The state does not publish the passing score or the number of questions.

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

$95 to the state to start: a $55 application fee and a $40 test fee, both non-refundable. Beyond that the state’s FAQ estimates approximately $50 for the four-year surety bond, paid to a surety company, and approximately $25 for the notary stamp, paid to a vendor - neither is a state fee and the Utah Notary Office states it has no preferred or recommended companies. Remote online notary authorization costs an additional $50.00, which the state states is ‘separate from the initial notary application fee.’

Does a Utah notary need a bond, and is errors-and-omissions insurance required?

A $5,000 surety bond is required and the commission does not take effect without it - Utah Code 46-1-4 states the commission ‘is not effective until’ the notary files the bond, executed by a licensed surety for a four-year term matching the commission, and the lieutenant governor approves it. Errors-and-omissions insurance is NOT required and is not mentioned in the statute, the bond page, the process page, the fee table or the RON page. The state stresses the difference: ‘A notary bond is not insurance for the notary, but protection for the public. A notary must repay the surety any funds the surety company pays out on the notary’s behalf.’ Remote notaries must raise the surety bond to $10,000 - that is still a bond, not insurance.

Do Utah notaries have to keep a journal?

Yes, for commissions issued or renewed on or after May 6, 2026, when S.B. 139 took effect. The Lieutenant Governor’s office states that ‘Notaries who have a current commission are not required to keep a journal until they renew their commission after May 6, 2026.’ The journal must be a physical book kept chronologically and in a secure location; only remote online notarizations may be recorded electronically, and remote notaries must keep a secure electronic journal under 46-1-13. An entry is required for every notarization, every refusal to notarize, and every journal inspection the notary allows. Journals must be kept 10 years after the last recorded act - even if the person is no longer a notary - and then destroyed. A notary employed by an attorney, law firm or title agency need not journal notarizations performed as part of that job.

What must a Utah notary seal look like?

Utah specifies the ink colour, which few states do: under 46-1-16(2)(c) the seal used for an in-person notarization ‘shall be in purple ink’, while a seal used for a remote notarization ‘shall be rendered in black.’ The impression must be sharp, legible and photographically reproducible and must contain the notary’s name exactly as on the commission; the words ’notary public’, ‘state of Utah’ and ‘my commission expires on (date)’; the commission number exactly as on the commission; a facsimile of the great seal of the state; and a rectangular border no larger than one inch by two and one-half inches. A new seal is required whenever the notary receives a new commission or changes their name of record, and the seal may never be used independent of a notarial certificate.

How much can a Utah notary charge?

Utah Code 46-1-12(1)(a) caps fees at $10 - per signature for an acknowledgment, jurat or signature witnessing, per page for a certified copy, and per person for an oath or affirmation without a signature. For acts performed as part of a remote notarization the cap is $25. A travel fee is allowed but may not exceed the approved federal mileage rate, and only if the notary explains that it is separate from the notarial fee and ‘is neither specified nor mandated by law’ and the parties agree on it in advance. A notary must display an English-language schedule of fees. A separate cap of $10 per individual applies to each set of forms relating to a change of immigration status, and that cap applies whether or not the person is acting as a notary.

Can Utah notaries perform remote online notarizations?

Yes, with a separate registration. A remote notary must already hold a Utah notary commission, must be ‘hired or contracted by an approved vendor’ from the Lieutenant Governor’s list, must increase the notarial bond to $10,000 (by rider or by a second $5,000 bond), must obtain an electronic signature and seal from the vendor with a timestamp or digital tracking method, and must submit a notarized Remote Online Notary Oath and Affirmation. The fee is $50.00, billed after the office reviews the documents. RON status must be re-applied for at every renewal of the underlying commission, and remote notaries must keep a secure electronic journal.

How do I verify that a Utah notary's commission is current?

Use the state’s Registered Notary Search at secure.utah.gov/notary/search.html, operated by Utah Notary Administration. It searches by first name, last name, business city, business zip code, language and commission effective-date range, and has filters for notaries who are also licensed attorneys, licensed escrow agents, or remote notaries. The state cautions that the site ‘only validates the notaries public current commission by the state of Utah’ and is not responsible for attorney or escrow-agent claims, pointing users to the Utah State Bar Member Directory and the Utah Insurance Department agent search.

Is there continuing education, and how does renewal work in Utah?

There is no continuing education requirement in Utah. Instead, renewal is a fresh application: Utah Code 46-1-3(5)(b) provides that after a commission expires the individual ‘may not perform a notarial act until the individual obtains a new commission’ and ‘shall submit a new application, showing compliance with the requirements of this section’ - which means sitting the examination and paying the $95 again, posting a new bond and taking a new oath. A new official seal is also required on a new commission, and remote notaries must re-apply for RON separately.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Utah.

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.