How to get ohio notary license

You cannot notarize your own signature or perform a notarization if you have a conflict of interest. A reasonable travel fee can be charged, but only if the signer and Notary agree to it in advance.

You must inform the Ohio Secretary of State of any name or address or name changes within 30 days. Your commission will be emailed to you. The renewal process in Ohio is similar to the process to become a new Notary. You can start the process three months prior to your current commission's expiration date. You must first hold an existing commission as a traditional Notary Public to qualify.

As soon as you're commissioned, you can follow the steps in this guide to become an OH remote Notary. If you're not quite ready to get started, we have additional resources where you can learn what a Notary is , what they do and why you should become a commissioned Notary.

Home Ohio. To become an Ohio Notary, you must complete the following steps: Make sure you meet all of the state's requirements see below. When you get your BCI report, make sure there are no disqualifying offenses. The new notary law removed the responsibilities of notary application processing and notary commissioning from the common pleas court clerks.

To contact the Ohio Secretary of State, use the following information:. Ohio Secretary of State Notary E. Broad St. A nonresident attorney who is licensed to practice law in Ohio by the Ohio Supreme Court with a principal place of business or primary practice in Ohio may apply for an Ohio notary public commission.

Attorney applicants seeking a notary public commission are:. Each notary public, except an attorney admitted to the practice of law by the Ohio Supreme Court, shall hold office for the term of five years unless the notary public commission is revoked.

An attorney admitted to the practice of law in Ohio shall hold office as a notary public as long as the attorney is a resident of Ohio or has the attorney's principal place of business or primary practice in Ohio, the attorney is in good standing before the Ohio Supreme Court, and the notary commission is not revoked.

All first-time notary applicants submitting an online notary application on or after September 20, are required to complete a three-hour educational program and pass a related test demonstrating knowledge of the notary statutes, rules, what constitutes a legal notarial act, and other relevant notarial issues.

All renewing notaries are required to complete a one-hour continuing education class prior to submitting their online renewal applications. The Secretary of State does not provide training on how to be a notary public in Ohio. An attorneys licensed to practice in Ohio and in good standing with the Ohio Supreme Court seeking to be appointed as a notary public is exempt from the examination requirement.

However, attorneys are required to complete an educational program to become Ohio notaries public. Click here to contact an authorized education and testing provider.

A notary errors and omissions insurance policy is optional. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that Ohio notaries public obtain errors and omissions insurance for their personal protection against liability. Errors and omission insurance is designed to protect notaries public from liability against unintentional notarial mistakes or omissions that result in financial damages to the public or a document signer. All new applicants seeking an appointment as a notary public and renewing notaries are not statutorily required to purchase a notary bond to obtain their Ohio notary public commissions.

Section Note: The name of the notary public may, instead of appearing on the seal, be printed, typewritten, or stamped in legible, printed letters near the notary's signature on each document signed by the notary public. To order an Ohio notary stamp , notary seal , complete notary package , and notary supplies please visit the American Association of Notaries website , or call The maximum allowable fees that an Ohio notary public may charge for notarial acts are listed below:.

An Ohio notary may charge a reasonable travel fee, as agreed to by the notary and the principal prior to the notarial act. The Secretary of State may adopt rules to increase the maximum allowable notarial fees. A notary public who charges or receives a notarial fee greater than the amount prescribed by law may be removed and be ineligible for reappointment to the office of notary public. The Ohio notary statute does not require Ohio notaries public to record the notarial acts they perform in a journal.

A Notary commission can open the door to more than a dozen additional money-making opportunities. How far back does a background screening go?

A background check covers 10 years of federal, state and county records. Your background checks must be no older than one year days at the time the Department issues your initial credential. A public notary is a public officer that must be a practicing solicitor or lawyer — appointed for life by a State or Territory Supreme Court.

Skip to content How do I become a notary in Akron Ohio? How many questions are on the Ohio notary exam? The exam lasts for 50 minutes and has 30 multiple-choice questions. How much does a loan signing agent make in Ohio? How much money can you make as a mobile notary? Do Notaries charge money? What background check do I need for notary in Ohio?

Do both parties have to be present to notarize a title in Ohio? How long does it take to get a notary license? Is it hard to become a notary in Ohio? The Ohio Notary Application Process: Becoming a notary in Ohio is a straightforward process, and as long as you satisfy the eligibility requirements listed below, you can apply to become an Ohio notary.

Can Ohio notaries certify copies? How much does it cost to get a notary license? The new notary law has also established fixed fees across the state for acquiring or renewing notary commissions. The fee schedule is as follows:. Still have questions?

Call us at or visit www. Ohio Notary Services, LLC is a unique, joint venture by the Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo and the Ohio State bar associations to help you meet all your notary education and testing requirements under the new law.