How to Become a Notary in Wisconsin — Requirements & Fees

Q: What can a Wisconsin notary charge, and does Wisconsin require a journal?

The statutory maximum is $5 -- Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(9)(e) allows 'the same fees as are allowed to other officers for similar services, but the fee per document shall not exceed $5', with parallel $5 caps for protests and notices and a per-folio rule for drawing affidavits. The handbook summarises it as 'no more than $5 for performing most in-person notarial acts.' No journal is required: 'Keeping a notarial logbook, or journal, is not required in Wisconsin, although you are encouraged to do so.' What is mandatory is surrendering whatever official records you do keep -- s. 140.02(7) requires a notary leaving office (or the personal representative of a deceased notary) to deposit 'official records and papers with the department', with a forfeiture of $50 to $500 for neglecting it for three months.

How to become a notary public in Wisconsin: a 4-year commission, remote online notarization — verified from Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI).

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI), Division of Corporate and Consumer Services -- Notary Section (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

For the ordinary four-year commission, DFI's own checklist (from the 'Notary Public Forms' and 'File Online' pages, with the '4yr / Permanent' applicability markers DFI prints beside each item): (1) Application form -- 'After printing complete with stamp and signatures' (4yr / Permanent). (2) Oath of Office form -- 'After printing complete in front of a current notarial officer with stamp and signatures' (4yr / Permanent). (3) Bond form -- 'After printing complete signature #1 and send to bonding company to complete #7-#13' (4yr only). (4) 'Have passed the notary exam (print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying' (4yr only). (5) 'You will need to purchase a $500 bond' (4yr only). (6) 'You will need to purchase an engraved official seal or official rubber stamp that contains "State of Wisconsin," "Notary Public" and your printed name that must include your full current last name. No title such as "Dr.", "CPA", "Esq." or "Atty." should appear before or after your name' (4yr only). (7) For attorneys only, 'Purchase a Certificate of Good Standing from the Wisconsin Supreme Court (this will cost $3 from the Clerk of the Supreme Court) that must be dated within 2 months of submission of your notary application' (Permanent only). (8) Submit everything with the fee, by mail with a check or money order or through the online portal (which needs a MY Wisconsin ID login). ORDER MATTERS IN WISCONSIN, and it is the reverse of most states: the stamp must exist BEFORE the application, because an imprint of it is part of the application. DFI's FAQ says so directly -- 'In Wisconsin, a notary applicant must have a seal/stamp prior to applying for a commission' and 'A sample of the seal/stamp is required as part of the Notary Public application process.' Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(e) is the source: 'The qualified applicant shall file his or her signature, post-office address, and an impression or imprint on a tangible record of his or her official stamp, with the department.' AUTHORITY BEGINS ONLY ON NOTICE FROM DFI: 'An individual may NOT perform a notarial act until the applicant receives notice that the WDFI has issued the applicant a notary commission', and 'A notary who is applying for the first time or renewal will usually receive a certificate within two weeks of sending the forms and fee.' Statutory sequence at s. 140.02(1)(d): 'Qualified applicants shall be notified by the department to take and file the official oath and execute and file an official bond in the sum of $500, with a surety executed by a surety company and approved by the department.'

Legal basis

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI), Division of Corporate and Consumer Services – Notary Section commissions notaries public in Wisconsin. 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 credential is an APPOINTMENT or COMMISSION, not a licence – Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(a) says ‘The department shall appoint notaries public’, s. 140.02(1)(f) issues ‘A certificate of appointment as a notary public’, and the handbook defines a notary public as ‘an individual issued an appointment by the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions’. ‘Notary licence’ and ’notary certification’ are folk terms; Wisconsin’s own words are appointment, commission and reappointment. The commissioning body is a folk-term trap of its own: Wisconsin notaries are NOT commissioned by the Secretary of State – they are appointed by the Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI/DFI), and the handbook attributes the appointment to ’the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions’, an agency-head title that is easily misread as the Secretary of State. ‘Permanent commission’ is a real Wisconsin term of art, not a marketing phrase, and it means specifically an attorney’s non-expiring commission under s. 140.02(2). ‘Remote online notary’ / ‘RON’ is the state’s own label and appears as a flag on DFI’s public notary database. Estate-planning remote acts are a distinct statutory category, sometimes loosely called RON but governed by s. 140.147, not s. 140.145. ‘Notary signing agent’ and ’loan signing agent’ are private vendor credentials; Wisconsin issues no such credential and no DFI source read mentions one – DFI does warn that ’notary bond mailing or internet sites that offer “one-step” notary commissions… may charge an applicant much more than is necessary to become a notary.’ ‘Notario publico’ is not an alternative name for this credential in Wisconsin and its use in advertising is separately regulated by statute.

Types of notary commission

Four-year notary public commission — Any United States resident at least 18 years old who meets the Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(b) conditions. This is the ordinary commission; non-attorneys have no other route. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(f): ‘A certificate of appointment as a notary public for a term of 4 years stating the expiration date of the commission shall be issued to applicants who have fulfilled the requirements of this subsection.’ Requires the $20 fee, a passing exam certificate (90% or better, earned within one year of applying), a $500 surety bond, the official oath, and an imprint of the official stamp filed with the department. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(h): ‘A notary shall be entitled to reappointment.’
Permanent notary public commission (attorneys only) — A United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and in good standing. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(2)(a): ‘any United States resident who is licensed to practice law in this state is entitled to a permanent commission as a notary public upon application to the department and payment of a $50 fee. The application shall include a certificate of good standing from the supreme court, the signature and post-office address of the applicant and an impression or imprint on a tangible record of the applicant’s official stamp.’ NO BOND and NO EXAM apply to this route – the DFI forms page marks both ‘a passing exam certificate’ and the ‘$500 bond’ as ‘4yr only’. It is not automatic on admission to the bar: the handbook answers ‘DOES AN ATTORNEY BECOME A NOTARY PUBLIC AUTOMATICALLY UPON QUALIFYING TO PRACTICE LAW?’ with ‘No, attorneys do not become notaries public upon qualifying to practice law in Wisconsin.’ The commission dies with the law license: s. 140.02(2)(c) makes the supreme court’s notice of surrender, suspension or revocation ‘deemed a revocation of said commission’, and s. 140.02(2)(am) then lets the person take a four-year commission instead, with reappointment ‘for 4-year increments’.
Remote online notary (RON) authorization — A commissioned Wisconsin notary (either commission type) who wants to notarize for remotely located individuals. Not a separate DFI application and not a separate fee. The notary enrolls with an approved communication technology provider and the PROVIDER notifies DFI: ‘Wisconsin commissioned notaries can choose to register with any number of the approved Technology Providers … Once a notary signs up with a provider and is approved by them they may begin using the provider platform immediately. The provider will inform DFI of the RON registration and it will be noted that the notary is now a RON on the notary search.’ The underlying statutory duty is Wis. Stat. s. 140.145(7), which requires the notary to notify the department before the first remote act and identify the technologies to be used.
Remote notarization of estate planning documents (s. 140.147 procedure) — A Wisconsin notary performing a remote notarial act on a will, codicil, trust document, power of attorney, marital property agreement, health-care declaration or similar instrument. A parallel and materially different regime, not a subset of RON. Wis. Stat. s. 140.145(10) removes these documents from the ordinary RON section entirely, and s. 140.147 supplies its own procedure. DFI’s guidance: ‘Unlike other remote notarial acts, remote notarization of estate planning documents does not require the notary to use a communication technology provider that has been approved by the Remote Notary Council’; instead the notary must ‘Ensure that the signing is supervised by a Wisconsin-licensed attorney in good standing. The supervising attorney may serve as the notary public’, the notary must attest to being physically located in Wisconsin, the signer must attest to being physically located in Wisconsin, the document must indicate ’that it is being executed pursuant to section 140.147 of the Wisconsin Statutes’, and the supervising attorney must complete an affidavit of compliance.

Who can be commissioned

Two different eligibility tracks. FOUR-YEAR COMMISSION – Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(a): ‘The department shall appoint notaries public who shall be United States residents and at least 18 years of age. Applicants who are not attorneys shall file an application with the department and pay a $20 fee.’ s. 140.02(1)(b): ‘The department shall satisfy itself that the applicant has the equivalent of an 8th grade education, is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public and, subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, does not have an arrest or conviction record.’ DFI restates the four conditions as: ‘(1) are at least 18 years old, (2) have the equivalent of an 8th grade education, (3) are familiar with the duties and responsibility of a notary public, and (4) do not have an arrest or conviction record that affects their ability to hold a position of public trust and otherwise carry out the duties of a notary public. The fourth requirement exists, in part, because notaries function as credible witnesses to signatures and other acts – and under Wisconsin rules of evidence, a witness’s conviction record may be used in court proceedings to impeach their credibility (see Wis. Stat. s. 906.09).’ Note that Wisconsin requires US RESIDENCE, not Wisconsin residence, and s. 140.02(6m) confirms mobility: ‘A notary public does not vacate his or her office by reason of his or her change of residence within the United States.’ There is no state-citizenship or in-state-employment nexus in the statute. CRIMINAL HISTORY IS A REVIEWED DISCLOSURE, NOT A FLAT BAR, and the cross-references to Wis. Stat. ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335 (the fair-employment conviction-record provisions) are what make it so. The handbook: ‘If you are applying for a four-year commission and have an arrest or conviction record that includes (1) any felony, or (2) a misdemeanor involving fraud, forgery, or similar offenses, you must answer “yes” on the notary application and provide a brief explanation … Your papers will be reviewed to determine if you are eligible to be granted a Notary commission. If you wish, you may submit your court papers for an eligibility review prior to submitting your application forms. That would save you the cost of buying a bond and seal if you are later found to be ineligible.’ PERMANENT COMMISSION – s. 140.02(2)(a) requires a United States resident ’licensed to practice law in this state’, with a Wisconsin Supreme Court certificate of good standing dated within two months of submission. No minimum age or education test is stated separately for this route. No English-language requirement appears in s. 140.02 or in any DFI source read.

Requirements

For the ordinary four-year commission, DFI’s own checklist (from the ‘Notary Public Forms’ and ‘File Online’ pages, with the ‘4yr / Permanent’ applicability markers DFI prints beside each item): (1) Application form – ‘After printing complete with stamp and signatures’ (4yr / Permanent). (2) Oath of Office form – ‘After printing complete in front of a current notarial officer with stamp and signatures’ (4yr / Permanent). (3) Bond form – ‘After printing complete signature #1 and send to bonding company to complete #7-#13’ (4yr only). (4) ‘Have passed the notary exam (print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying’ (4yr only). (5) ‘You will need to purchase a $500 bond’ (4yr only). (6) ‘You will need to purchase an engraved official seal or official rubber stamp that contains “State of Wisconsin,” “Notary Public” and your printed name that must include your full current last name. No title such as “Dr.”, “CPA”, “Esq.” or “Atty.” should appear before or after your name’ (4yr only). (7) For attorneys only, ‘Purchase a Certificate of Good Standing from the Wisconsin Supreme Court (this will cost $3 from the Clerk of the Supreme Court) that must be dated within 2 months of submission of your notary application’ (Permanent only). (8) Submit everything with the fee, by mail with a check or money order or through the online portal (which needs a MY Wisconsin ID login). ORDER MATTERS IN WISCONSIN, and it is the reverse of most states: the stamp must exist BEFORE the application, because an imprint of it is part of the application. DFI’s FAQ says so directly – ‘In Wisconsin, a notary applicant must have a seal/stamp prior to applying for a commission’ and ‘A sample of the seal/stamp is required as part of the Notary Public application process.’ Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(e) is the source: ‘The qualified applicant shall file his or her signature, post-office address, and an impression or imprint on a tangible record of his or her official stamp, with the department.’ AUTHORITY BEGINS ONLY ON NOTICE FROM DFI: ‘An individual may NOT perform a notarial act until the applicant receives notice that the WDFI has issued the applicant a notary commission’, and ‘A notary who is applying for the first time or renewal will usually receive a certificate within two weeks of sending the forms and fee.’ Statutory sequence at s. 140.02(1)(d): ‘Qualified applicants shall be notified by the department to take and file the official oath and execute and file an official bond in the sum of $500, with a surety executed by a surety company and approved by the department.’

Training

Wisconsin does not require a training course.

No mandatory pre-commission education course. The state publishes a free online tutorial and recommends rather than requires it: the handbook says ‘We would also like to recommend that you take the free online notary public educational tutorial course. The tutorial includes specific instructions for and examples of the proper execution of notarial acts, knowledge quizzes and a final assessment exam.’ What IS mandatory for a four-year commission is the outcome, not the coursework – DFI’s checklist requires only that the applicant ‘Have passed the notary exam (print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying’, and the statutory condition at s. 140.02(1)(b) is that the department ‘satisfy itself that the applicant… is familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public.’ No hours are prescribed, no approved-provider list exists, and no fee is published for the tutorial (the handbook calls it ‘free’). HONEST LIMIT: DFI hosts the tutorial and the exam as one application at apps.dfi.wi.gov/apps/notarytutorialexam/, and that host did not respond to any fetch rung from this vantage on 2026-08-12, so whether the exam can be reached without stepping through the tutorial chapters could NOT be verified –. Attorneys taking the permanent commission are outside all of this: DFI marks the exam item ‘4yr only’. RON is separate again: DFI’s guidance requires provider-specific onboarding rather than state training – ‘Each approved provider has an onboarding process for new users to learn how to perform notarial acts using the provider’s technology. Notaries should not perform remote online notarizations until they have been trained on (and feel comfortable using) their chosen technologies.’ Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02 in full, the September 2024 official Notary Public Handbook (NOT70P, 20 pp.), the DFI Notary Forms page, the DFI File Online page, the DFI Notary FAQ, the DFI Bond Information page, and the March 2024 DFI ‘Guidance for Notaries Seeking to Perform Notarial Acts for Remotely Located Individuals’ (NOT71P, 14 pp.). Not read: ch. DFI-CCS 25 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Exam

Wisconsin requires an exam for some commission types.

Required for the four-year commission; NOT required for an attorney’s permanent commission. DFI’s application checklist states the standard exactly: ‘Have passed the notary exam (print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying’ – marked ‘4yr only’. The exam is administered by the state itself, online, as the final assessment of DFI’s own Notary Public Tutorial/Exam application; the handbook describes the tutorial as including ‘knowledge quizzes and a final assessment exam’ and calls the course free. The passing score is 90 percent and the certificate has a one-year shelf life relative to the application date. The certificate is printed (paper filers) or downloaded (online filers) by the applicant and submitted with the application – the DFI Bond Information page lists the package as ‘an application form, the application fee, the completed bond form, a passing exam certificate, and oath of office form’. The exam must be retaken at every reappointment: DFI’s FAQ answer to ‘How do I renew my commission?’ is ‘You will need to complete the Notary Tutorial Exam and obtain the Completion Certificate and the Four Year Notary Public Application.’ NOT SOURCED, and named rather than guessed: the number of questions, the time limit, whether retakes are limited, and whether any separate exam fee exists. DFI publishes no exam fee anywhere in the sources read and calls the tutorial free, but the exam application at apps.dfi.wi.gov could not be opened from this vantage on 2026-08-12 to confirm the exam’s own screens. Tiers searched: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02, the September 2024 handbook, the DFI Notary Forms page, File Online page, FAQ and Bond Information page.

Bond & insurance

A $500 surety bond is REQUIRED for every four-year commission and NOT required for an attorney’s permanent commission. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(d): qualified applicants shall be notified ’to take and file the official oath and execute and file an official bond in the sum of $500, with a surety executed by a surety company and approved by the department.’ The handbook: ‘A $500 surety bond is required for all applicants applying or reapplying for a four-year notary public commission. The surety bond is an insurance agreement making the surety legally liable to the party who is harmed, for up to $500 in damages caused by a notary’s misconduct or neglect in executing notarial acts’ – and, flatly, ‘No bond is required for permanent commissions.’ A BLANKET BOND DOES NOT COUNT: ‘A “blanket bond” issued for employment purposes does not fulfill this obligation. A separate, specific bond in the amount of $500 is required by Wisconsin statutes.’ Once filed the bond is locked to the commission: ‘Once filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, your bond cannot be cancelled and will expire in four years with your notary commission.’ The $500 is a ceiling on the surety’s exposure, not on the notary’s: ‘If you are sued for misconduct or neglect in your notarial duties, any damages beyond $500 are your personal responsibility’ – consistent with s. 140.02(8), ‘If any notary public shall be guilty of any misconduct or neglect of duty in office the notary public shall be liable to the party injured for all the damages thereby sustained.’ The bond must come from ‘an insurance/surety company licensed to write surety bonds in the State of Wisconsin’, and ‘The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions cannot provide bonding and cannot recommend companies who sell bonds.’ E&O IS SEPARATE AND OPTIONAL – Wisconsin says so in its own words and draws the distinction this cluster most often gets wrong: ‘An Errors and Omissions policy is optional insurance that could help you pay legal fees and damages if you are sued for acts taken as a notary public. It’s different than your bond, which protects the public (not you). Most companies that sell notary bonds will have Errors and Omissions policies available. Errors and Omissions policies are not filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Keep them in your own personal records.’ Wisconsin therefore requires a bond and merely permits E&O; any statement that both are mandatory is false. DFI also publishes a standing consumer alert warning applicants off bundled vendor packages – see fees.

Fees

STATE FEES. Four-year commission application: $20 – Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(a), ‘Applicants who are not attorneys shall file an application with the department and pay a $20 fee’, matched by the handbook (‘submit all forms to the WDFI with the required $20 fee’) and the FAQ (‘Mail all completed paperwork to DFI with $20 check or money order’). Statute and agency agree; there is no code-versus-form divergence in Wisconsin. Attorney permanent commission: $50 – s. 140.02(2)(a), ‘upon application to the department and payment of a $50 fee’, matched by the handbook’s ‘The completed permanent application and $50 filing fee should be submitted to the WDFI.’ Rejected applications are refunded: s. 140.02(1)(c), ‘If an application is rejected the fee shall be returned.’ Replacement commission certificate: $10 – ‘A new certificate may be ordered by submitting a written request and $10 fee to the Department of Financial Institutions.’ Name/address/seal change: no fee – FAQ, ‘you may do so for no additional fee.’ RON: no state fee at all; the notary registers with a private approved technology provider, not with DFI. NON-STATE COSTS THE STATE PUBLISHES. Certificate of good standing from the Clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (permanent commissions only): ’this will cost $3 from the Clerk of the Supreme Court’ and it ‘must be dated within 2 months of submission of your notary application.’ The $500 bond is bought on the open market and DFI publishes the price range and a warning: ‘PRICES VARY GREATLY – from approximately $25 to more than $100 – for a $500, four-year notary bond. Some insurance companies include other products in their sales packages, such as notary stamps, extra insurance, or magazine subscriptions to their association. Please be aware that a notary applicant does not need to “join” a notary association in order to become a notary public in Wisconsin … You are encouraged to be wary of notary bond mailing or internet sites that offer “one-step” notary commissions. These companies may charge an applicant much more than is necessary to become a notary.’ The seal or stamp is likewise bought privately and its price is not state-set. DFI summarises the total: ‘The costs of becoming a notary depends on the type of official notarial seal or stamp you purchase and the cost of the surety bond you obtain. Additionally, you must pay a $20 application filing fee.’ There is no county filing, recording or qualification fee – Wisconsin commissions are issued and recorded entirely by DFI, and a Wisconsin commission is valid in every county.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 for the ordinary commission; PERMANENT for a Wisconsin-licensed attorney who takes that route. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(f): ‘A certificate of appointment as a notary public for a term of 4 years stating the expiration date of the commission shall be issued to applicants who have fulfilled the requirements of this subsection.’ Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(2)(a) gives an attorney ‘a permanent commission as a notary public’, and s. 140.02(2)(b) requires that ‘The certificate shall state that the notary commission is permanent or is for 4 years.’ The term runs from issuance by DFI – there is no separate county qualification or recording step, and the handbook fixes the start of authority at notification: ‘You may begin to perform in-person notarial acts after you have been notified by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions via email or USPS that your commission has been issued.’ A permanent commission is not unconditional: it ‘is valid as long as the attorney remains a United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin’, and under s. 140.02(2)(c) the supreme court’s notice of surrender, suspension or revocation of the law license ‘shall be deemed a revocation of said commission.’ Every four years, as a reappointment rather than an automatic renewal, and the exam must be passed again. Handbook: ‘IS A NOTARY COMMISSION RENEWED AUTOMATICALLY? No, but notaries may be reappointed. The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions will send notice of an upcoming commission expiration by email or mail. The reappointment procedure is the same as the initial appointment.’ The statutory notice duty is s. 140.02(1)(g): ‘At least 30 days before the expiration of a commission the department shall provide notice of the expiration date to the holder of a commission’, and s. 140.02(1)(h) guarantees the right to come back: ‘A notary shall be entitled to reappointment.’ WINDOW: six months. FAQ – ‘You may renew your four year commission within 6 month period prior to the expiration of your most recent commission. However, we recommend that you accurately submit your application at least three weeks prior to the expiration of your previous commission to avoid any lapses in commission appointments. If you renew after the previous commission expires be sure to refrain from notarizing any documents between the expiration date and the date of the new commission.’ The Bond Information page states the same six-month lead time. WHAT MUST BE REDONE: the exam (‘You will need to complete the Notary Tutorial Exam and obtain the Completion Certificate and the Four Year Notary Public Application’), the $500 bond (‘required for all applicants applying or reapplying’), the oath, and the $20 fee. WHAT NEED NOT BE REDONE: the stamp – DFI’s consumer alert says ‘a renewing notary does not need to buy a new stamp every four years, unless the current seal or stamp is worn out.’ Permanent attorney commissions have no renewal cycle at all; they persist with the law license. A name change mid-term does not force a renewal: ‘You may continue to use your current signature and notary stamp/seal until the commission expires’, though a new stamp plus the Address/Name/Seal Change form may be filed at no fee, and ‘The bond and oath will be valid through the expiration date of your current commission.’ None as continuing education, but Wisconsin is not a state where you simply pay to stay: every four-year reappointment requires passing the state exam again at 90 percent or better. DFI’s FAQ, ‘How do I renew my commission?’ – ‘You will need to complete the Notary Tutorial Exam and obtain the Completion Certificate and the Four Year Notary Public Application.’ There is no hours-based CE obligation: no CE requirement appears in Wis. Stat. s. 140.02, in the handbook’s ‘MAINTENANCE’ section or its renewal answer (‘The reappointment procedure is the same as the initial appointment’), in the DFI FAQ, or on the DFI Forms and File Online checklists. Attorneys holding permanent commissions have neither CE nor a re-exam, since their commission does not expire. RON carries its own non-state training obligation instead of CE – DFI: ‘Notaries should not perform remote online notarizations until they have been trained on (and feel comfortable using) their chosen technologies’, with the training supplied by the approved provider. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02 in full, the September 2024 handbook, the DFI Notary FAQ, Forms, File Online, Bond Information and RON pages, and the March 2024 RON guidance. Not read: ch. DFI-CCS 25 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which the handbook names alongside ch. 140 as governing notaries – a CE or training condition sitting only in that rule cannot be excluded from the sources read.

Your seal or stamp

An official stamp or engraved seal is MANDATORY, must be obtained BEFORE applying, and must be affixed to every tangible-record notarial act – including for attorneys. Handbook: ‘It is your responsibility to provide an engraved official seal or official rubber stamp prior to completing the application form … The seal or stamp may be of any size or shape, but must state the words “Notary Public,” “State of Wisconsin,” and your name which must include your legal last name. You may use initials, or a shortened first name if you wish, but you must use your current legal last name in full.’ DFI adds a prohibition on credentials in the name: ‘No title such as “Dr.”, “CPA”, “Esq.” or “Atty.” should appear before or after your name.’ The commission expiration date is OPTIONAL on the stamp – the FAQ says the stamp ‘may include your commission expiration date’ – but the expiration must appear somewhere on the certificate: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(4)(b) requires a notary to ‘include on the certificate either the day, month, and year when the notary public’s commission expires or that such commission is permanent. This information may be part of the official stamp affixed to or embossed on the certificate, written on the certificate if it is a tangible record, or attached to or logically associated with the certificate.’ USE IS UNIVERSAL: ‘Wisconsin Statutes require all notaries public, including attorneys, to affix their official notarial seal or stamp every time a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed. This includes records that are transmitted and signed electronically.’ FILING: s. 140.02(1)(e) requires the applicant to file the signature, post-office address and ‘an impression or imprint on a tangible record of his or her official stamp’ with the department, and s. 140.02(3)(a) requires every notary to ‘provide an official stamp that satisfies the requirements under s. 140.17.’ An illegible imprint on the application does not void it – FAQ: ‘You may imprint or stamp the seal on a clean white paper, until you get a clear sample or print, and then attach this paper to the application.’ TWO DEVICES ARE ALLOWED with prior filing: ‘You may use both a rubber stamp and an engraved seal (embosser) provided that samples of each are on file in the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions prior to use … Before using the new seal/stamp, send samples to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions along with your signature, commission expiration date, and future date of intended use.’ NAME CHANGE: the change form must be filed ‘PRIOR to using your new name and seal for notary purposes’; until then ‘it is permissible to continue to perform notarial acts using a previous name so long as you continue to sign your name as stated on your seal or rubber stamp’, because ‘For notarization purposes, your signature must always exactly match the name indicated on your official notary seal or stamp.’ At the next appointment the old name is gone: ‘When you apply for another commission after your current term expires, you may not apply under an old or previous name. Each commission must be applied for and issued in your current legal last name.’ LOSS OR THEFT: ‘Notify the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions in writing immediately. Then, order a new seal or stamp that has a different appearance than your previous one. When the new seal/stamp is received, send samples to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions before using it. The WDFI will notify you when the new stamp/seal may be used.’ ON EXPIRY: no source read for this record imposes a destroy-the-stamp duty on a Wisconsin notary; what the statute does require on leaving office is deposit of official records with DFI (s. 140.02(7)) – see journal_requirement.

Keeping a journal

Wisconsin recommends a journal but does not require one.

No journal is required. Handbook: ‘AM I REQUIRED TO KEEP A NOTARIAL LOG BOOK? Keeping a notarial logbook, or journal, is not required in Wisconsin, although you are encouraged to do so. Depending on the amount and types of documents you are handling, recording your notarial acts in a journal may prove useful later if you need to recall specifics of a particular case. If you decide to keep a notarial log book, include items such as date and type of notarial act, names and signatures of persons involved, and numbers from identification cards and driver’s licenses presented.’ WHAT IS MANDATORY IS DIFFERENT AND OFTEN MISSED – Wisconsin requires whatever official records a notary DOES keep to be surrendered to the state on leaving office, on pain of forfeiture. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(7): ‘When any notary public ceases to hold office, the notary public, or in case of the notary public’s death the notary public’s personal representative, shall deposit the notary public’s official records and papers with the department. If the notary or personal representative, after the records and papers come to his or her hands, neglects for 3 months to deposit them, he or she shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500. If any person knowingly destroys, defaces, or conceals any records or papers of any notary public, the person shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500, and shall be liable for all damages resulting to the party injured. The department shall receive and safely keep all such papers and records.’ THE RON RECORDING IS A SEPARATE, LONGER AND MANDATORY DUTY: Wis. Stat. s. 140.145(3)(c) requires that ‘The notary public, or a person acting on behalf of the notary public, creates an audio-visual recording of the performance of the notarial act’, and s. 140.145(6) requires it be retained ‘for a period of at least 7 years after the recording is made’ – seven years, not the five that several other states use. DFI’s guidance repeats it (‘which the notary or the notary’s agent must retain for at least seven years’) and warns that the retention burden depends on the vendor: ‘Some retain recordings on the notary’s behalf for the full seven years, while others may require the notary to download and retain the recordings themselves.’ A guardian, conservator, agent or personal representative may hold the recording or designate a repository (s. 140.145(6)). Wisconsin also imposes a broad confidentiality duty on notaries and technology providers alike under s. 140.02(5m), with a forfeiture of ’not more than $500 for each violation’.

Online (remote) notarization

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

Authorized since 2019 Wisconsin Act 125, and the registration path is unusual: the notary registers with a state-APPROVED PRIVATE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER, and the provider – not the notary – tells DFI. DFI’s RON page: ‘Remote Online Notarization (RON) was authorized in Wisconsin for the first time when on March 3, 2020 Governor Evers signed bipartisan legislation Wisconsin Act 125. Act 125 created the five-member Remote Notary Council and established several requirements to safeguard the integrity of the notarial process … the law requires notaries performing remote online notarizations to utilize technologies that have been approved under the standards of the Remote Notary Council and DFI. Act 125 does not permit the use of unapproved technologies in performing remote online notarizations.’ And the mechanic: ‘Wisconsin commissioned notaries can choose to register with any number of the approved Technology Providers (list updates as new providers are approved). Once a notary signs up with a provider and is approved by them they may begin using the provider platform immediately. The provider will inform DFI of the RON registration and it will be noted that the notary is now a RON on the notary search.’ The statutory duty behind that is s. 140.145(7): ‘Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarial act under this section, the notary public must notify the department that the notary public will be performing notarial acts with respect to remotely located individuals and identify the technologies the notary public intends to use.’ DFI’s guidance builds in a self-check: ‘If a notary’s profile is not updated to indicate that they are a “remote online notary” within 14 days of completing training with an approved technology provider, the notary’ should follow up. NO STATE FEE is published for RON registration in any source read; provider pricing varies (‘The providers also use different fee structures to support their operations, and some providers make their services available only to organizations rather than individual notaries’). SUBSTANTIVE RON REQUIREMENTS, s. 140.145(3): personal knowledge, a credible witness, or ‘satisfactory evidence of the identity of the remotely located individual by using at least 2 different types of identity proofing’; ability to confirm the record is the same one the signer acted on; and an audio-visual recording, retained at least seven years (s. 140.145(6)). The certificate must say so – s. 140.145(5)(b) accepts ‘This notarial act involved the use of communication technology.’ Jurisdiction follows the notary: s. 140.145(1m), ‘For purposes of determining the jurisdiction in which a notarial act is performed for a remotely located individual, the location of the notary public shall be determinative’, and the handbook adds ‘You may perform notarial acts in all counties of the State of Wisconsin, but you must be physically present in the State. This is true regardless of whether the notarization is in-person or remote.’ Depositions are carved out: s. 140.145(3) opens ‘Except for the administration of an oath before a witness at a deposition’. Signers abroad are allowed under s. 140.145(3)(d) if the record relates to a US matter or US property and the act ‘is not prohibited by the foreign state in which the remotely located individual is located.’ Only DFI’s approved identity-proofing types may be used; DFI’s guidance states that ’the Remote Notary Council and the Department have thus far approved two types of identity proofing’, beginning with ‘credential analysis of government-issued identification’. THE BIG EXCLUSION: s. 140.145(10) removes estate-planning transactions from the RON section entirely – wills, codicils, testamentary trusts, living trusts and trust amendments for personal use, powers of attorney (other than a limited financial POA for a real estate transaction), marital property agreements, and powers of attorney for health care, declarations to physicians (living wills) and PHI authorizations. Those run on s. 140.147 instead, which requires supervision by a Wisconsin-licensed attorney in good standing (who may serve as the notary), an attorney affidavit of compliance, a statement on the document that it is executed under s. 140.147, and BOTH the notary and the signer physically located in Wisconsin – DFI: ‘remote notarization of estate planning documents may only be performed for individuals who are physically located in Wisconsin during the signing.’ That path does NOT require a Council-approved technology provider.

What you may charge

$5, but Wisconsin sets it as an itemised schedule rather than a single number, and it is a per-DOCUMENT cap for acknowledgments. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(9): ‘Except when the department has established different fees as provided in s. 140.27 (1) (a) 1., a notary public shall be allowed the following fees: (a) For drawing and copy of protest of the nonpayment of a promissory note or bill of exchange, or of the nonacceptance of such bill, not more than $5 in the cases where by law such protest is necessary, but in no other case. (b) For drawing and copy of every other protest, not more than $5. (c) For drawing, copying and serving every notice of nonpayment of a note or bill, or nonacceptance of a bill, not more than $5. (d) For drawing any affidavit, or other paper or proceeding for which provision is not herein made, not more than $5 for each folio, and for copying the same 12 cents per folio. (e) For taking the acknowledgment of deeds, and for other services authorized by law, the same fees as are allowed to other officers for similar services, but the fee per document shall not exceed $5.’ The handbook simplifies it to ‘You may charge no more than $5 for performing most in-person notarial acts. (Refer to s.140.02(9) of the Wisconsin Statutes for further information.)’ – note the handbook’s own hedges, ‘most’ and ‘in-person’. Two consequences a page must not flatten: (i) para. (d) is priced PER FOLIO, not per act, and carries a separate 12-cents-per-folio copying charge; (ii) the whole schedule is subject to an opening exception, ‘Except when the department has established different fees as provided in s. 140.27 (1) (a) 1.’ NOT SOURCED, and named rather than guessed: whether DFI has in fact established different fees under s. 140.27(1)(a)1., which would displace the $5 schedule for the acts it covers. s. 140.27 was not retrieved – docs.legis.wisconsin.gov refused every connection from this vantage on 2026-08-12 and the two sections quoted here came from Internet Archive captures, which do not include s. 140.27. Tiers searched: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02 (in full), the September 2024 handbook, the DFI FAQ, Forms, File Online, Bond Information and RON pages, and the March 2024 RON guidance. TRAVEL FEES: not addressed by any Wisconsin source read; s. 140.02(9) contains no travel or mileage provision and neither the handbook nor the FAQ mentions one. A separate advertising rule interacts with the cap: a notary who advertises in a language other than English must state ‘The fees that a notary public may charge under sub. (9)’ in the advertisement (s. 140.02(1)(i)4.b.).

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

WHO CAN NOTARIZE WITHOUT A COMMISSION: Wisconsin’s statute contemplates other notarial officers but this record does not enumerate them, because the section that would is unread – Wis. Stat. s. 140.01(8) defines ‘Notarial officer’ as ‘a notary public or other individual authorized to perform a notarial act’, and s. 140.04(1) provides that ‘A notarial officer may perform a notarial act authorized by this chapter or by law of this state other than this chapter’, but the provisions naming those other individuals (and any Wisconsin analogue to military notarial authority under 10 U.S.C. 1044a) sit outside ss. 140.01, 140.02, 140.145 and 140.147, which are the only sections that could be retrieved. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12: the statute (s. 140.01, s. 140.02, s. 140.145 and part of s. 140.147 read via Internet Archive captures; the rest of ch. 140 unreachable because docs.legis.wisconsin.gov refused every connection from this vantage at rungs 1, 2, 3 and 4), the September 2024 official handbook cover to cover, the DFI Notary FAQ, Forms, File Online, Bond Information and RON pages, and the March 2024 RON guidance. Not searched: ch. DFI-CCS 25 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. No claim is made here about ex officio notarial officers in Wisconsin. WHAT A COMMISSIONED WISCONSIN NOTARY MAY NOT DO, which is well sourced: vital records are absolutely off limits – ‘You are strictly prohibited from making copies, certified or uncertified, of “vital records,” which include certificates of birth, death, divorce, annulments, marriage, etc. Never notarize photocopies of vital records that a person may bring you. Preparing or issuing anything that carries the appearance of an original or copy of a vital record could cause you to be fined not more than $10,000, imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.’ Self-interest voids the act: Wis. Stat. s. 140.04(2), ‘A notarial officer may not perform a notarial act with respect to a record to which the officer or the officer’s spouse or domestic partner is a party or in which either of them has a direct beneficial interest. A notarial act performed in violation of this subsection is voidable.’ Non-attorney notaries may not practise law – ‘A Notary Public, who is not an attorney, may not engage in the practice of law – which includes the preparation of legal papers, such as wills, contracts, deeds, powers of attorney, etc.’ A Wisconsin commission does not travel: ‘As a Wisconsin Notary Public, you may perform notarial acts only when located in the State of Wisconsin.’ Weekend and holiday acts are fine: ‘There is no section of the Wisconsin Statutes that makes it unlawful for a notary to act on a Sunday or holiday.’

How to apply

Applications are handled by Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI), Division of Corporate and Consumer Services – Notary Section. Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions publishes a public license search , searchable by Not enumerated – apps.dfi.wi.gov refused every connection attempt on 2026-08-12 (connections timed out before any page was served), so the live field list could not be read. DFI links this URL as ‘Notary Public Search’ from its notary pages and dfi.wi.gov/apps/NotarySearch/SearchCriteria.aspx 302-redirects to it.. It covers Wisconsin commissioned notaries public. DFI’s March 2024 RON guidance establishes that the database also flags remote authority: ‘Each approved technology provider is required to notify the Department of Financial Institutions when a Wisconsin notary completes training and becomes authorized to use its platform. After it sends that notification, the Department’s public notary database will be updated to indicate that the notary is a “remote online notary” authorized to perform remote notarial acts using an approved communication technology.’ DFI’s RON page says the same: ‘The provider will inform DFI of the RON registration and it will be noted that the notary is now a RON on the notary search.’ So the portal answers both ‘is this person commissioned’ and ‘may this person notarize remotely’.

Records come from Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions’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 in Wisconsin?

Not the Secretary of State. Wisconsin notaries are appointed by the Department of Financial Institutions (WDFI/DFI), Division of Corporate and Consumer Services. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(a): ‘The department shall appoint notaries public who shall be United States residents and at least 18 years of age’, with ‘department’ defined at s. 140.01(2) as ’the department of financial institutions.’ The official handbook describes a notary public as ‘an individual issued an appointment by the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions’ – that is the agency head, not the Secretary of State.

Does Wisconsin require a notary exam?

Yes, for the four-year commission, and it must be passed again at every reappointment. DFI’s checklist requires that the applicant ‘Have passed the notary exam (print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying’, marked ‘4yr only’. The exam is the final assessment in DFI’s own free online Notary Public Tutorial/Exam. Attorneys taking the permanent commission are exempt from the exam, as they are from the bond.

How much does it cost to become a Wisconsin notary?

The state fee is $20 for a four-year commission (Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(a)) or $50 for an attorney’s permanent commission (s. 140.02(2)(a)). On top of that a four-year applicant must buy a $500 surety bond – DFI publishes the market range, ‘from approximately $25 to more than $100’ – and an official stamp or engraved seal at their own cost. Attorneys additionally pay $3 for a Wisconsin Supreme Court certificate of good standing. A replacement commission certificate costs $10. If an application is rejected, s. 140.02(1)(c) requires that ’the fee shall be returned.’

Does Wisconsin require a notary bond, and is insurance required too?

A $500 surety bond is required for a four-year commission and not for an attorney’s permanent commission. Errors and omissions insurance is NOT required. DFI draws the line itself: ‘An Errors and Omissions policy is optional insurance that could help you pay legal fees and damages if you are sued for acts taken as a notary public. It’s different than your bond, which protects the public (not you) … Errors and Omissions policies are not filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.’ A workplace blanket bond does not satisfy the requirement – ‘A separate, specific bond in the amount of $500 is required by Wisconsin statutes.’

How long does a Wisconsin notary commission last?

Four years for everyone except attorneys who choose the permanent route. Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(f) issues ‘A certificate of appointment as a notary public for a term of 4 years stating the expiration date of the commission.’ A Wisconsin-licensed attorney is ’entitled to a permanent commission’ under s. 140.02(2)(a), which lasts as long as the attorney remains a US resident licensed in Wisconsin; if the law licence is suspended or revoked, the supreme court’s notice to DFI ‘shall be deemed a revocation of said commission.’ Four-year notaries get at least 30 days’ expiration notice from DFI and are ’entitled to reappointment.’

Do I buy the notary stamp before or after I get my commission?

Before. Wisconsin reverses the usual order because an imprint of the stamp is part of the application: Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(1)(e) requires the applicant to file ‘an impression or imprint on a tangible record of his or her official stamp’ with the department, and DFI’s FAQ states ‘In Wisconsin, a notary applicant must have a seal/stamp prior to applying for a commission.’ The stamp may be any size or shape but must show ‘Notary Public’, ‘State of Wisconsin’ and your name including your full current legal last name, with no titles such as ‘Dr.’, ‘CPA’, ‘Esq.’ or ‘Atty.’ The commission expiration date on the stamp is optional, but it must appear somewhere on the certificate.

Can a Wisconsin notary perform remote online notarizations, and how do you sign up?

Yes. RON was authorized by 2019 Wisconsin Act 125, signed March 3, 2020. The sign-up is unusual: you do not file a form with DFI. You enroll with one of the technology providers approved by DFI and the Remote Notary Council, complete that provider’s training, and the provider notifies DFI – ‘it will be noted that the notary is now a RON on the notary search.’ DFI advises checking the public database within 14 days of finishing training. Unapproved technologies may not be used. Every remote act must be audio-visually recorded and the recording kept at least seven years.

Can a Wisconsin notary remotely notarize a will or a power of attorney?

Only under a different and stricter procedure. Wis. Stat. s. 140.145(10) excludes wills, codicils, testamentary trusts, personal living trusts and amendments, powers of attorney (other than a limited financial POA for a real estate transaction), marital property agreements, health-care powers of attorney, living wills and PHI authorizations from ordinary remote online notarization. Those run under s. 140.147, which requires that the signing be supervised by a Wisconsin-licensed attorney in good standing, that the document state it is executed under s. 140.147, that the attorney complete an affidavit of compliance, and that the signer as well as the notary be physically located in Wisconsin. That path does not require a Council-approved technology provider.

What can a Wisconsin notary charge, and does Wisconsin require a journal?

The statutory maximum is $5 – Wis. Stat. s. 140.02(9)(e) allows ’the same fees as are allowed to other officers for similar services, but the fee per document shall not exceed $5’, with parallel $5 caps for protests and notices and a per-folio rule for drawing affidavits. The handbook summarises it as ’no more than $5 for performing most in-person notarial acts.’ No journal is required: ‘Keeping a notarial logbook, or journal, is not required in Wisconsin, although you are encouraged to do so.’ What is mandatory is surrendering whatever official records you do keep – s. 140.02(7) requires a notary leaving office (or the personal representative of a deceased notary) to deposit ‘official records and papers with the department’, with a forfeiture of $50 to $500 for neglecting it for three months.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Wisconsin.

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.