To become a notary in Florida for the first time, you have to pass the Florida notary test, which is a short assessment built into a mandatory three-hour education course approved by the Governor’s office. The course and exam are not found in Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes; they come from the Governor’s office as part of the appointment process. You must finish both within one year before submitting your application, and the resulting certificate of completion has to travel with the rest of your application package or the Governor’s office will not process your commission.
Who Has to Take the Test
The exam requirement applies to first-time applicants only. If you are renewing an existing commission without a lapse, you skip the course and the test entirely. Let the commission expire and reapply later, and the state treats you as a new applicant, which means retaking everything.
Before the test matters, you need to meet the baseline qualifications for appointment. You must be at least 18, a legal resident of Florida (permanent resident aliens can qualify by filing a recorded Declaration of Domicile), able to read, write, and understand English, and willing to submit a sworn affidavit of good character from an unrelated person who has known you for at least a year. A felony conviction does not automatically disqualify you, but you must disclose it and show that your civil rights have been restored.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
Where to Take the Course and Exam
The Florida Department of State offers a free online course and exam through its Notary Education Program, administered on behalf of the Governor’s office.2Executive Office of the Governor. Notary You create an account, work through the three-hour module, and take the assessment on the same platform. For most applicants this is the simplest route.
Private vendors and bonding agencies also offer state-approved versions of the course, often bundled with the surety bond and application filing. These cost money, but they let you handle everything in one transaction. The underlying exam content is the same.
How the Exam Works
The exam sits at the end of the course and is open to you as soon as you finish the material. If you submit incorrect answers, you get one chance to review the relevant section and resubmit.3Florida Department of State. Notary Education Program Passing generates the certificate of completion that your application needs.
That certificate is only good for one year. If more than twelve months pass between finishing the course and submitting your application, you have to take the course and exam again.
What the Test Covers
Course and exam content comes straight out of Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes, which governs what a commissioned notary can and cannot do.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 117 – Notaries Public A few topics do most of the work.
Types of Notarial Acts
You need to recognize the difference between administering oaths and affirmations, taking acknowledgments, attesting to the authenticity of copies, and verifying signatures through jurats. Each act has its own certificate wording, and using the wrong one can invalidate the document.
Identifying Signers
A large share of the material covers signer identification. Florida law gives you two paths: personal knowledge of the signer, or acceptable identification. The statute lists what qualifies, including a Florida driver license or state ID, a U.S. passport, a foreign passport stamped by U.S. immigration authorities, an out-of-state driver license, or a military ID card. The document must be current or issued within the past five years and carry a serial or identifying number.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Unlawful Use, Notary Fee, Seal, Duties, Employer Liability, Name Change, Advertising, Photocopies, Penalties
If a signer has none of those documents, the law allows two credible witnesses, or one witness who personally knows you, to vouch for the signer through a sworn written statement. This fallback trips up most people, which is why it tends to show up on the exam.
Prohibited Conduct
Expect questions on what you cannot do. You cannot notarize your own signature. You cannot notarize a document if you have a financial interest in the underlying transaction, with narrow exceptions for employees notarizing employer documents and attorneys notarizing client documents. You cannot give legal advice or act as an immigration consultant without a separate license.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.107 – Prohibited Acts
Electronic Notarization
Section 117.021 lets you notarize electronic documents using an electronic signature that is unique to you, independently verifiable, under your sole control with password protection, and attached to the document in a way that reveals later tampering. The electronic signature must include your full name, commission number, expiration date, and the words “Notary Public State of Florida” in place of a physical seal.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.021 – Electronic Notarization
Notary Journals
One point surprises many applicants: Florida does not require traditional notaries to keep a journal. The Governor’s Reference Manual calls it a protective measure worth considering, but it is not legally mandated.8Florida Executive Office of the Governor. Governor’s Reference Manual for Notaries Public State of Florida Remote online notaries must keep electronic records, but that is a separate commission.
What to Submit After You Pass
Your certificate of completion is one piece of a larger application package. You also need a signed and notarized application form, a $7,500 surety bond, and the oath of office, in which you swear that you have read Chapter 117 and understand the duties, limitations, and powers of a notary.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
State fees total $39:
- Application fee: $25
- Commission fee: $10
- Education surcharge: $4
Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more are exempt from the commission fee. The $7,500 bond is not $7,500 out of pocket; you pay a premium to a bonding company, typically $35 to $50 for the full four-year term. Processing by the Department of State usually takes several weeks.
The Separate Test for Remote Online Notaries
A standard Florida notary commission authorizes only in-person and electronic notarizations. If you want to notarize remotely using audio-video technology, Remote Online Notary (RON) registration is a separate layer on top of your commission. It has its own education course and certificate, and it requires you to contract with an approved RON technology provider and carry errors and omissions insurance.10Florida Division of Corporations. Remote Online Notary Public (RON) Passing the standard Florida notary test does not satisfy the RON training requirement.
Keeping Your Commission So You Do Not Retake the Test
A Florida notary commission lasts four years.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath If you renew on time, you file a fresh application and bond but skip the course and exam. If the commission lapses, you start over as a first-time applicant, which means another three hours of coursework and another exam. Acting as a notary after your commission expires is a second-degree misdemeanor, so the renewal calendar is worth tracking closely.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Unlawful Use, Notary Fee, Seal, Duties, Employer Liability, Name Change, Advertising, Photocopies, Penalties