How to Become a Notary in Oklahoma

Applying to be a Notary

Check that you fulfill all the eligibility requirements. You must be a citizen of the United States, and either be a legal resident or employed in Oklahoma. You have to be at least 18 years old, have no felony convictions on record, and be able to read and write English. You’ll have to include your home or work address when applying to verify that you are living or working in Oklahoma.

Go to the Oklahoma Secretary of State website and make an account. Once on the Oklahoma Secretary of State mainpage, select Notary Filing from the side bar. Then, under the section labeled “Notary Online Registration,” select New Commission. The website will direct you to make an account.

Fill out the Oklahoma Notary Public Application once you have an account. They will ask you about your name, your address and residency status, as well as contact information. Be sure to include an email address you use frequently, because you will receive your commission by email.

Mail your application to the Secretary of State, alternatively. Find the application online by visiting the Oklahoma Secretary of State website, clicking on “Notary Filing,” and then clicking on “Application and Instructions.” Print out the application and fill it out in pen, or type it up. Address your application to: Secretary of State, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd, Room 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4897.

Pay a $25 application fee. Regardless of whether you are applying to be a notary online or by mail, the fee is the same. Pay online if applying online. If applying by mail, include a check in the envelope you are mailing. It should be made payable to the Secretary of State.

Filing Your Commission

Receive your commission from the Secretary of State’s Office. If your application is in order, they will mail you your commission, an information brochure, a blank bond, and an oath of office and loyalty oath. If you applied online you should receive an email within 2 weeks if you are approved. If you applied by mail, look out for an envelope from the Secretary of State in the next 2 weeks. If you need to correct something, they will instead return your application with a letter of application.

Buy your seal once you receive your commission. Your seal can either be a metal seal which leaves an embossed impression or a rubber stamp that you use with a stamp pad and ink. It must contain your name and the words “State of Oklahoma” and “Notary Public.” You can order your seal from any business that sells custom-made seals. Be sure to keep your stamp or seal in a secure location, like a lock box.

Get a $1000 surety bond. The price of obtaining the bond is a small percentage of the $1000, usually around $50. Oklahoma requires every notary to buy a bond. Purchase the bond from an insurance agency or bonding company or use individual sureties. The bond should start on the date that it’s issued and end on the expiration date of your commission. Notary commissions last 4 years. It’s optional, but recommended, to also buy errors and omissions insurance.

File your bond within 60 days of receiving your commission. Along with a $10 filing fee, you’ll have to send in your surety bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature, and the impression of your seal. Send all these papers to the Secretary of State, as you did with the notary application.

Begin performing notarizations once you’ve been approved. Notarize for people who are signing important documents like property deeds, wills, prenuptials, and powers of attorney. As an Oklahoma Notary, you’ll be able to act as an official witness for any member of the public in Oklahoma who meets requirements. You have to be impartial and aren’t allowed to notarize in a situation where you have a personal self-interest. You can’t notarize your own signature.

Renew your notary application no more than 6 weeks before it expires. When you renew your commission, you’ll have to submit the same application as the previous time, though you will have to include your previous commission number and the fee will be cheaper. Obtain a new $1000 bond and file your information again. If you don’t renew your commission, it will expire after 4 years.