How to Become a Notary in Missouri

How do I renew my notary commission in Missouri?

There are no statutory provisions in the Missouri notary statute for renewals. Missouri notaries can renew their notary public commissions no earlier than six weeks before their current commissions expire. No person is automatically reappointed as a notary public. The notary public must follow the same procedures as for the initial application for appointment as a notary public. To renew his or her commission, the notary public must:

1. Meet the qualifications of becoming a notary public.
2. Review the Missouri Notary Public Handbook.
3. Re-take the Online Notary Training Course or the Written Notary Training Course when the current notary public commission term expires.
4. Submit a signed and completed Application for a Commission as a Notary Public form.
5. Pay the application filing fee of $25.
6. Purchase a notary surety bond.
7. Qualify at his or her county clerk’s office in the county in which the individual has been commissioned.
8. Update personal information on his or her notary application.
9. Purchase a new official notary seal with the new notary public commission.

A notary public may begin the renewal process before his or her commission expires by clicking on the Missouri Secretary of State website at: https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Business/Notary/reappointments.

Who appoints notaries in Missouri?

The Missouri Secretary of State receives applications for appointment as a notary public or renewing notary, processes the applications for electronic notaries public and remote online notaries public, administers the commissioning process, and maintains the database of all notaries public. Contact information for the Missouri Secretary of State is as follows:

Missouri Secretary of State
Notaries & Commissions Unit
Kirkpatrick State Information Center
PO Box 784 
(600 West Main Street, Room 322)
Jefferson City, MO 65102 
Toll free: 1-866-223-6535
Telephone: 573-751-2783
Fax: 573-751-8199
Email: commissions@sos.mo.gov
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/business/Notary/

Can a non-resident of Missouri apply for a commission as a notary public?

Yes. A non-resident of Missouri may apply for a Missouri notary public commission. A non-resident must meet certain legal requirements in order to qualify:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Work in Missouri and use the notary seal in the course of his or her employment in Missouri.
3. Have a work address in the county in which he or she is applying to be commissioned.
4. Be able to read and write English;.
5. Pass the examination required in Section 486.630.
6. Not have had a commission revoked in any state during the past five years.
7. Not have been found guilty (or entered a pleas of guilty or nolo contendere) in a criminal prosecution under the laws of any state or of the United States of any felony or any offense involving dishonesty or moral turpitude during the past five years.
8. Authorize the Missouri Secretary of State as his or her agent and representative to accept service of any process or service of any notice or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon him or her.

Note: Any person is eligible to apply for a commission as a notary public if he or she is a permanent resident alien under Section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If the applicant qualifies under Section 245, the applicant must send a copy of his or her “green card” with a completed application to the Secretary of State.  If a non-resident notary public becomes a legal resident of Missouri, the non-resident notary public may immediately be appointed and commissioned as a Missouri notary public upon becoming a Missouri resident. The non-resident notary public must return his or her non-resident notary commission certificate with a request to resign that commission, along with a completed application as a resident, proof of training, and the $25 fee for issuing another commission. To apply for a non-resident notary public commission, visit the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.

How long is a notary public's commission term in Missouri?

The commission term of a Missouri notary public is four years commencing with the date specified on the notary public commission (RSMo §486.610). However, a notary’s commission may be rendered void:

1. By resignation, death, or revocation.  
2. When a notary public ceases to be a resident of Missouri during the notary’s commission term.
3. When a non-resident notary public ceases to have a place of work or business in Missouri.
4. When a notary public loses the ability to read and write English.
5. When a notary public ceases to reside legally in the United States.
6. When a notary public has been convicted of a felony offense and the notary’s civil rights have not been restored.

Is notary training or an exam required to become a notary or to renew a notary commission in Missouri?

Yes. All new applicants and renewing notaries public seeking a Missouri notary public commission are required to:

1. Read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook.
2. Complete an online notary training course of study or take a written notary training course provided by the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.
3. Take the online examination administered by the Secretary of State prior to being issued a notary public commission.

The content of the online notary training course and the basis for the written examination required by Section 486.630 are based on notarial laws, procedures, and ethics (RSMo §486.630.3). For information regarding the online training and online examination administered by the Secretary of State, go to: https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Business/Notary/newNotary.

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

A Missouri notary applicant’s expenses may include the following:

1. A $25 fee to process an application for appointment or reappointment as a notary public.
2. The cost of a $10,000 surety bond.
3. The fee required to take an online training course of study approved by the Secretary of State.
4. The price of a notary stamp.
5. The cost of a notary journal.
6. The fee for an E&O insurance policy if a notary wishes to purchase one for his or her personal protection against liability.

Do I need a notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy to become a notary in Missouri?

A Missouri errors and omissions insurance policy is optional in Missouri. It is not mandatory to have an E&O insurance policy when applying for appointment or reappointment as a notary public. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that Missouri notaries public obtain an errors and omissions insurance policy for their personal protection against liability. Errors and omissions insurance is designed to protect notaries public from liability against unintentional notarial mistakes or omissions that result in financial or other types of loss to the public or from a client who sues a notary public for recovery. An E&O insurance policy customarily covers legal fees and damages based on the coverage a Missouri notary public selects. To purchase an E&O insurance policy, please visit the American Association of Notaries website, or call 713-644-2299.

Do I need a notary bond to become a notary in Missouri?

A Missouri notary bond in the amount of $10,000 is required for new and renewing notaries public (§486.615). Each notary bond shall be presented to the county clerk of the county in which a person has been commissioned. Upon approval of the county clerk, a notary public must mail his or her oath and notary bond to the Secretary of State with a postmarked date not exceeding seven days from the date of the oath. The surety on any such bond shall be a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Missouri. The notary bond shall be executed by a licensed Missouri surety for a term of four years commencing on the commission’s issue date and terminating on its expiration date. The surety for a notary bond must report all claims against the bond to the Missouri Secretary of State. The notary’s fitness to serve the remainder of the commission term is determined by the Secretary of State. To purchase a Missouri notary bond, visit the American Association of Notaries website, or call 713-644-2299.

Do I need to order a notary stamp in Missouri?

The Missouri notary statute requires every Missouri notary public to use either an engraved embosser seal or a black inked rubber stamp seal near the notary's official signature on each paper notarial certificate (RSMo §486.730).

Dimensions: A notary’s official seal must have a border in a rectangular or circular shape no larger than one sixteenth of an inch surrounding the required words.

Required Elements: A notary public must affix a sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible image of the official seal that includes the following elements:

1. The name of the notary public exactly as stated on the commission.
2. The identification number of the notary public’s commission.
3. The words "Notary Public".
4. The words "State of Missouri".
5. The words "Notary Seal".
6. “My commission expires (commission expiration date)”.

Illegible information within a notary’s official seal impression may be typed or printed legibly by the notary public adjacent to but not within the impression, or another impression may be legibly affixed nearby. An embossed seal impression that is not photographically reproducible may be used in addition to, but not in place of, the official seal described in Section 486.730. In addition, an official seal must not be affixed over printed or written matter. The embosser seal, the black inked rubber stamp seal, and the electronic stamped seal must be obtained from a registered manufacturer. To order a Missouri notary stamp, notary seal, complete notary package, and notary supplies please visit the American Association of Notaries website, or call 713-644-2299.

How much can a Missouri notary public charge for performing notarial acts?

Missouri notary fees are set by statute (RSMo §486.685). The maximum allowable fees that a Missouri notary public may charge for notarial acts are listed below:

1. Acknowledgments - $5.00 per signature
2. Administering an oath or affirmation - $5.00
3. Jurats - $5 per signature
4. Signature witnessing - $5 per signature
5. Certified copies - $1.00 per page certified with a minimum total charge of $3.00
6. Electronic notarizations - $25

Note:  A notary may charge a travel fee to perform a notarial act if:

1. The notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the travel fee in advance of the travel.
2. The notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the travel fee is separate from the notarial fee prescribed in Section 486.685 and neither specified nor mandated by state notary law.

A Missouri notary public shall not  charge a fee for notarizing the signature on any absentee ballot or absentee voter registration.

Notaries public who charge for their notarial services must conspicuously display in their regular place of work or business, or present to each principal outside their regular place of work or business, an English-language schedule of fees for notarial acts, as specified in Section 486.685. Any fees paid to a notary public prior to performance of a notarial act shall be nonrefundable if:

1. The notarial act was completed.
2. In the case of travel fees paid in compliance with Section 486.685, the notarial act was not completed after the notary public traveled to meet the principal because it was prohibited pursuant to Section 486.645, or because the notary public knew or had a reasonable belief that the notarial act or the associated transaction was unlawful.

Is a notary journal required in Missouri?

Every Missouri notary public is required to keep a chronological journal of notarial acts in a permanently bound journal with numbered pages. A notary public shall maintain only one active permanently bound journal at the same time. Section 486.705 provides the prescribed journal contents that a notary public is required to record in his or her journal at the time of notarization. A notary public must safeguard his or her journal and all other notarial records and surrender or destroy them only by court order or at the direction of the Secretary of State. 

If the notary’s journal is not in use, the journal shall be kept in a secure area under the exclusive control of the notary public and shall not be used by any other notary public, nor surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment. Within ten days after a notary's journal is discovered to be stolen, lost, destroyed, damaged, or otherwise rendered unusable or unreadable, the notary public, after informing the appropriate law enforcement agency in the case of theft or vandalism, shall notify the Secretary of State by any means providing a tangible receipt, including certified mail and electronic transmission, and also provide a copy or identification number of any pertinent police report. Upon resignation, revocation, or expiration of a notary commission, or death of the notary public, the journal and notarial records shall be delivered to the Secretary of State by any means providing a tangible receipt, including certified mail and electronic transmission (RSMo §486.715).

To order a Missouri notary journal, please visit the American Association of Notaries website, or call 713-644-2299.

Where can I perform notarial acts in Missouri?

A Missouri notary public has statewide jurisdiction and may perform notarial acts anywhere within the geographic borders of the state of Missouri.

What notarial acts can a Missouri notary public perform?

A Missouri notary public is authorized to perform the following notarial acts whether with respect to a tangible or electronic record (RSMo §486.640):

1. Acknowledgments
2. Oath and affirmations
3. Jurats
4. Signature witnessing
5. Copy certifications
6. Any other act authorized by laws of Missouri

Can I perform electronic notarizations in Missouri?

Yes. The Missouri 100th General Assembly (2020) passed House Bill 1655, which includes a provision authorizing a notary public to perform notarial acts with respect to electronic documents only if the principal is in the presence of the notary public at the time of the notarization (RSMo §§486.900 to 486.1010). House Bill 1655 was signed by the Governor on July 6, 2020 and became effective on August 28, 2020. In addition, the State of Missouri has adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (RSMo Chapter 432) that includes the provision on notarization and acknowledgments, which authorizes electronic signatures used by Missouri notaries public. Section 486.925 states, “The following notarial acts may be performed electronically:

1. Acknowledgment
2. Jurat
3. Signature witnessing
4. Copy certification."

Moreover, the Missouri Secretary of State has established standards and practices for the performance of electronic notarial acts by adopted administrative rules in the Missouri Code of State Regulations, Title 15, Division 30, Chapter 110, “Notary Use of Electronic Signatures and Seals.” All the same rules, standards, practices, and regulations that apply to a traditional paper notarization also apply to an electronically signed document including, but not limited to, the personal appearance before the notary public. Prior to performing electronic notarial acts, a person must apply to be a commissioned notary public and register as an electronic notary public with the Secretary of State at the same time.

What is the process to become a Missouri electronic notary public?

Before an individual performs the initial electronic notarial act with respect to an electronic document, he or she must:

1. Be commissioned as a Missouri notary public.
2. Read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook.
3. Complete an electronic notarization course of study approved by the Secretary of State.
4. Pass an online examination based on the electronic notarization course.
5. Sign, complete, and submit a “Registration for Commission as an Electronic Notary Public” electronically with the Secretary of State.
6. Register the capability to perform electronic notarial acts with the Secretary of State.
7. Describe each separate means that he or she will use to produce an electronic signature and electronic notary seal by listing the software or names of any licensed authorities issuing the means.
8. Make sure that the capability the notary public intends to use to perform electronic notarizations conforms to the standards developed by the Missouri Secretary of State by adopted rules.
9. Permit the Secretary of State to access the notary’s electronic journal upon a lawful investigation so that it may be viewed, printed, and copied.

The term of registration of an electronic notary public begins on the registration starting date set by the Secretary of State and continue as long as the notary's commission remains in effect or until registration is terminated (RSMo §486.915). Within five business days after the change of an electronic notary public’s email address, the notary must electronically transmit to the Secretary of State a notice of the change secured by a registered electronic signature of the electronic notary public (RSMo §486.980.1). An electronic notary public must report to the Secretary of State within ten days any change or addition to the data on the electronic registration as described in Section 486.920, including any change to an electronic journal’s access instructions. Section 486.990 states, “Any revocation, resignation, expiration, or other termination of the commission of a notary public immediately terminates any existing registration as an electronic notary.”

A notary public’s decision to terminate registration as an electronic notary public shall not automatically terminate the underlying commission of the notary public. A Missouri notary public who terminates registration as an electronic notary public must notify the Secretary of State in writing and dispose of any pertinent software, coding, disk, certificate, card, token, or program as described in Section 486.995. If the commission of an electronic notary public expires or is resigned or revoked, or terminates, or if an electronic notary dies, the notary or the notary’s duly authorized representative must permanently erase or expunge the software, coding, disk, certificate, card, token, or electronic signature and electronic seal within thirty business days.

If a former electronic notary public’s previous commission expires and he or she is recommissioned and registered as an electronic notary public within three months after expiration, and if the electronic notary will be using the same registered means for producing electronic notary seals and signatures, then the former notary public is not required to destroy his or her electronic signature and notary seal (RSMo §486.995). 

To download the Registration for a Commission as an Electronic Notary Public form, visit the Missouri Secretary of State at: https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Business/Notary/FormsForNewNotary.

Can I perform remote online notarizations in Missouri?

Yes. The Missouri 100th General Assembly (2020) passed House Bill 1655, which includes the remote online notarization provisions. House Bill 1655 was signed into law on July 6, 2020 and became effective on August 28, 2020. House Bill 1655 authorizes Missouri notaries public to perform notarial acts for remotely located individuals using communication technology that complies with the standards developed by the Missouri Secretary of State.

House Bill 1655 allows a remotely located individual to appear before a remote online notary public using communication technology. This act requires a remote online notary public to be located in the State of Missouri to perform notarial acts using communication technology for remotely located individuals. House Bill 1655 also authorizes the Secretary of State to adopt permanent regulations to implement the remote online notarization provisions codified in Title XXXII, Chapter 486, Sections 486.1100 to 486.1205 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, including developing and maintaining the standards for credential analysis and identity proofing by rule. Section 486.1140 states that the following remote online notarial acts may be performed using communication technology in accordance with Sections 486.1100 to 486.1205, and by no other method:

1. Acknowledgment
2. Jurat.

Prior to performing remote online notarial acts, a person must apply to be a commissioned notary public and register to be commissioned as a remote online notary public with the Secretary of State at the same time. Before a notary public performs the initial notarial act for a remotely located individual, he or she must notify the Missouri Secretary of State that he or she will be performing notarial acts with respect to remotely located individuals using communication technology.

How do I become a remote online notary in Missouri?

Before an individual performs the initial remote online notarial act with respect to a remotely located individual, the individual must:

1. Satisfy the qualification requirements for commission as a notary public under RSMo Chapter 486.
2. Be commissioned as a Missouri notary public.
3. Read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook;
4. Complete a state-approved remote online notarization course of study.
5. Pass an online examination based on the remote online notarization course.
6. Sign, complete, and submit a “Registration for Commission as an Electronic Notary Public” electronically with the Secretary of State.
7. Register the technology to perform remote online notarial acts with the Secretary of State.
8. Describe each separate means that he or she will use to produce an electronic signature and electronic notary seal by listing the software or names of any licensed authorities issuing the means, which requires the Secretary of State to approve the software to be used in remote online notarial acts.
9. Make sure the technology the remote online notary public will use to perform remote online notarizations conforms to any rules adopted by the Missouri Secretary of State.
10. Permit the Secretary of State to access the notary’s electronic journal upon a lawful investigation so that it may be viewed, printed, and copied.

The Secretary of State may deny registration to any applicant submitting an electronic registration form that contains a material misstatement or omission of fact. The term of registration of a remote online notary public begins on the registration starting date set by the Secretary of State and continues as long as the notary's commission remains in effect or until registration is terminated (RSMo §486.1135). A remote online notary public may perform a remote online notarization only if the principal is in the presence of the remote online notary public utilizing live audio-video conferencing technology at the time of the notarization. A remote online notary public shall perform a remote online authorized in Sections 486.1100 to 486.1205 only while the remote online notary public is physically located within the State of Missouri (§486.1155). A remote online notary must keep an electronic journal of remote online notarial acts in Section 486.1190 and a record of remote online notarial acts in the permanently bound journal.

Upon resignation, revocation, or expiration of a notary commission, or upon death of the remote online notary public:

1. The journal and notarial records shall be delivered to the Secretary of State in accordance with Section 486.795 or 486.800 by any means providing a tangible receipt, including certified mail and electronic transmission, allowing that an electronic journal may be delivered on disk, printed on paper, or transmitted electronically, in accordance with the requirements of the Secretary of State.
2. In the case of an electronic journal and its backup copy on disks or other physical storage media that is not required to be surrendered, no further entries shall be made in the journal and its backup, both of which shall be safeguarded until both shall be erased or expunged after ten years from the date of the last entry by the remote online notary public or the remote online notary's personal representative.

To download the Registration for a Commission as an Electronic Notary Public form, visit the Missouri Secretary of State at: https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Business/Notary/FormsForNewNotary.

Do I need an electronic notary stamp to notarize electronically in Missouri?

Yes. Sections 486.940 and 486.1170 requires an electronic notary public and/or a remote online notary public who performs notarial acts with respect to an electronic document to attach to, or logically associate with, the electronic notarial certificate and/or the remote online notarial certificate a registered electronic signature and a registered electronic notary seal, or a registered single element in conformity with Sections 486.940 and 486.1170, in such a manner that the signature and the seal, or the single element, are attributed to the electronic notary public and/or the remote online notary public as named on the commission.

1. A registered electronic signature shall be:

• unique to the electronic notary;
• capable of independent verification;
• attached to or logically associated with an electronic notarial certificate in such a manner that any subsequent alteration of the certificate or underlying electronic document prominently displays evidence of the alteration; and
• attached to or logically associated by a means under the electronic notary's sole control.

1. At all times, the means for producing registered electronic notary seals, or registered single elements as legally described, must be kept under the sole control of the electronic notary public. 
2. An employer of an electronic notary public shall not use or control the means for producing registered electronic signatures and notary seals or registered single elements combining the required features of both. Nor shall an employer, upon termination of a notary's employment, retain any software, coding, disk, certificate, card, token, or program that is intended exclusively to produce a registered electronic signature, notary seal, or combined single element, regardless of whether the employer financially supported the employee's activities as a notary public.
3. A registered electronic signature may be used by the electronic notary for lawful purposes other than performing electronic notarizations, provided that neither the title "notary" nor any other indication of status as a notarial officer is part of the signature.
4. Neither a registered electronic notary seal nor a combined single element containing the seal shall be used by the electronic notary public for any purpose other than performing lawful electronic notarizations and remote notarizations.

To be legally recognized, the electronic notary seal must contain the requirements of Section 486.730:

1. The name of the notary public exactly as stated on the commission.
2. The identification number of the notary public’s commission.
3. The words "Notary Public".
4. The words "State of Missouri".
5. The words "Notary Seal".
6. “My commission expires (commission expiration date)”.

Note: The electronic notary seal must be obtained from a registered manufacturer. The electronic notary seal is the exclusive property of the electronic notary public and/or the remote online notary public and the electronic seal may not be used by any other person or surrendered to an employer upon termination of employment.

How do I update my address on my Missouri notary commission?

A Missouri notary public is required to notify the Secretary of State within ten days after a change in the notary’s residence, business, or mailing address (RSMo §486.780). The notary public is required to send to the Secretary of State by any means providing a tangible receipt, including certified mail and electronic transmission, the following:

1. A signed and completed Change of Address form.
2. The notary’s old and new addresses.
3. A filing fee of five dollars either by check or money order made payable to the State Director of Revenue.

If the address of the regular place of work or business is changed, the notary public shall not perform a notarial act until:

1. The signed and completed Change of Address form has been delivered or transmitted to the Secretary of State.
2. A confirmation of the notary's address change has been received from the Secretary of State.
3. The surety for the notary’s bond has been informed in writing. A notary public’s official seal contains the county in which the notary was commissioned, so the notary public must also purchase a new official seal with the notary’s new county of residence if that has changed.

To download the Change of Address in Same County form, visit the Secretary of State website at: https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Business/Notary/ReferenceForms

A non-resident Missouri notary public must follow the aforementioned procedures if he or she has a change of employment in the same county or in a different county during his or her commission term.

How do I change my name on my notary commission in Missouri?

A Missouri notary public is required to notify the Secretary of State within ten days after the change of a notary’s name by court order or marriage (RSMo §486.785). The notary public is required to send to the Secretary of State by any means providing a tangible receipt, including certified mail and electronic transmission, the following:

1. A signed and completed Change of Name form.
2. The notary’s former name and new name.
3. A copy of any official authorization for such name change.
4. A filing fee of five dollars either by check or money order made payable to the State Director of Revenue.

After the Secretary of State receives all of the required materials and processes the requested name change, the Secretary of State will forward the amended notary public commission directly to the notary public at his or her residence address. A notary public may not perform notarial acts using the new name until the notary:

1. Purchases a new seal bearing the notary’s new name as commissioned.
2. The surety for the notary’s bond has been informed in writing of the notary’s new name.

To download the Change of Name form, click here.

Revised:

November 2020