How to Become a Notary Public in Oregon

There is a $40 fee to apply for a Notary Public commission. Additional costs for Notary tools and education courses vary depending on vendors.

Supply package prices vary among vendors. New Notaries may need more how-to assistance than experienced Notaries. Books, training and live expert assistance are often must-haves for most new Notaries.

Some vendors may package items with additional fees — processing fees for example. Training can be included in package prices for new Notaries, although the quality of education can vary. Some providers offer their own Notary courses while others do not have the on-staff expertise to develop and support educational content. Several vendors offer Notaries live question and answer support, and others are not able to offer such assistance.

It can take four to six weeks to become commissioned as an Oregon Notary Public. This depends on your availability and the time the Secretary of State needs to process your application.

The term of an Oregon Notary commission is four years.

A Notary Public applicant in Oregon must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a resident of or have a place of employment or practice in Oregon
• Be able to read and write English
• Not have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit during the 10-year period preceding the date of application
• Not have had a Notary commission revoked during the 10-year period preceding the date of application

In addition, you must not have been convicted of 1) acting as or otherwise impersonating a Notary as described in ORS 194.990, 2) obstructing governmental or judicial administration under ORS 162.235(1)(b), or 3) engaging in the unauthorized practice of law as described in ORS 9.160. You also must not have been found by a court to have practiced law without a license in a suit under ORS 9.166 or engaged in an unlawful trade practice described in ORS 646.608(1)(vvv).

Applicants who do not already have a commission are required to have completed a training course within the last six months. You'll be asked to select the name of your education training provider and provide your education training number before you can take the exam and apply online.

Starting January 1, 2025, Notaries who apply to renew an active commission will also be required to take the course before taking the exam and submitting the application. A list of certified Notary education providers is available on the Secretary of State’s website.

Yes, you must pass an online, open-book exam that includes true-false and multiple-choice questions based on the Notary Public Guide, live seminars and online tutorials. The exam is part of the online application on the Secretary of State’s website.

Starting on January 1, 2025, all applicants who take the exam must have completed the state-required training course within six months leading up to their exam date.

Oregon Notaries must use a rubber stamp ink seal and a journal for all notarial acts for paper documents. You may use an embosser in addition to the rubber stamp, but the inking stamp must be used as the official seal. The seal must contain the following information:

• The words "Official Stamp"
• Your name as it appears on your commission
• The words "Notary Public – Oregon"
• The words "Commission No." followed by your commission number
• The words "My Commission Expires _____ (date)" (month must be spelled out completely, two digits for the date and four digits for the year)

When shopping for seal stamps, quality and durability can vary greatly among vendors. Stamps should not bleed during or after use, as this can cause county officials to reject documents due to smudging.

Every Oregon Notary must keep one or more Notary Public chronicles of their notarial acts in a journal. This must be a true and perfect record of their official acts. The Notary must retain this public record for 10 years after the last notarial act was chronicled in the journal. When purchasing a journal, there are important features to which you must pay close attention. A journal with tamper-proof sewn construction allows Notaries to identify missing pages in their journals, which becomes extremely helpful if you're ever named in a lawsuit.

Supplies are sold by most vendors in packages, which can sometimes provide savings. However, not all vendor packages are created equal — they can vary greatly in terms of quality and content. If you are a new Notary or renewing your commission, the types and quantity of notarizations can require different tools of the trade.

Oregon Notaries are not required to purchase a surety bond. A surety bond is a financial guarantee that the Notary will fulfill their obligations to notarize in compliance with state laws. This Notary bond specifically protects the public and not the Notary.

Notaries can insure themselves against possible legal costs or damages by purchasing a separate, optional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy. Though not required by law, an E&O policy covers a Notary's legal fees and damages up to the amount of the policy.

The Oregon Office of Secretary of State, Corporation Division - Notary Section, located in Salem, OR, is responsible for issuing Notary Public commissions.

Yes. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to become an Oregon Notary Public. You must, however, be a legal resident of the state or work in the state legally and meet all other application requirements.

An Oregon Notary can perform notarial acts anywhere within the state's borders.

Any member of the public, as long as the request meets all statutory requirements for notarization. You're prohibited from notarizing your own signature or for your spouse. While the law doesn't specifically prohibit you from notarizing for your relatives, the state strongly advises against it.

Oregon Secretary of State sets the maximum fee Notaries can charge at $10 per notarization. An additional fee for travel may be charged as long as the signer agrees to it in advance and understands the fee is separate from the notarial act. If you charge any fees, you must display an English-language fee schedule in your place of business or present it to signers if you're outside your place of business.

Any changes to your address or name must be reported to the Secretary of State within 30 days of the change. Complete the Notary Information Change – Address/Fee Waiver or Notary Information Change – Name/Signature form from the Secretary's website, get it notarized and return it to the office. There is no fee to update your record.

The renewal process is identical to the initial application process with one exception. Current Notaries who apply for renewal of an active commission and take the exam before January 1, 2025, are exempted from the training requirement. Notaries who take the exam and apply for renewal on or after January 1, 2025, must have taken the state-required training within the past six months.

Renewal applications and exams should be submitted no earlier than 30 days before the commission expiration date.

Electronic notarizations are in-person notarial acts that involve digital documents and electronic signatures. To become an OR electronic notary, you must first hold an existing commission as a traditional Notary Public. Then, complete the Electronic Notarization Notice form and include a sample of your official stamp, electronic signature and electronic notarial certificate in a PDF-A format. Send the form and attached document in an email with the subject line "Electronic Notarization Notice" to program-services.sos@oregon.gov.

Starting on June 15, 2021, Oregon Notaries with an active commission can apply to perform remote online notarizations (RONs). Completing an online course and form are required steps of the application process. Get more details in this guide on becoming a remote online Notary in Oregon.

If you're not quite ready yet, we have additional resources where you can learn what a Notary is, what they do and why you should become a commissioned Notary.