To become a notary in Florida, you complete a three-hour state-approved education course, buy a $7,500 surety bond, and submit an application with a $39 fee through a state-approved bonding agency. The Governor appoints every Florida notary, and your commission runs for four years.1Executive Office of the Governor. Notary From the day you sign up for the course to the day your commission arrives, plan on a few weeks.
Who Qualifies
Florida law sets five baseline requirements. You must be at least 18, a legal resident of Florida, and able to read and write English. Residency has to hold for the full four-year term, not just the day you apply. Permanent resident aliens qualify but must file a recorded Declaration of Domicile with the application.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
A felony conviction is not an automatic bar. You have to disclose it on the application and provide proof that your civil rights have been restored.3Florida Senate. Florida Code Chapter 117 – Notaries Public The Governor has broad discretion over approval, and an unresolved felony without restoration of rights will stop the application.
Take the Three-Hour Education Course
Every first-time applicant must complete three hours of interactive or classroom instruction covering notary duties and electronic notarization before applying.4Executive Office of the Governor. Notary Education Most people take it online through a state-approved private vendor. The course covers the legal duties of the office, how to identify signers properly, and the consequences of mistakes. You get a signed certificate of completion that goes into your application package. If you are renewing a commission later, you skip this step. The education requirement applies only the first time.
Assemble the Application Package
Once you have the certificate, you need four things: a surety bond, the application form with an oath of office, an affidavit of character, and the filing fee.
The $7,500 Surety Bond
Every Florida notary must carry a $7,500 surety bond for the full term.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath The bond protects the public, not you. If someone suffers a loss because of your error or misconduct, the claim gets paid out of the bond, and the surety then comes after you for reimbursement. You buy the bond from a surety company licensed in Florida, and it gets filed with the Department of State as part of your application.
Application Form, Oath, and Affidavit
The application asks for your full legal name, contact information, and disclosure of any felony convictions or professional license history. You sign an oath of office on the application itself, swearing that you have read Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes and understand the duties and limitations of the position. The affidavit of character is a separate section, completed by someone who is not a relative and has known you for at least a year. That person vouches for your honesty and fitness for the role.
The Filing Fee and Bonding Agency
The state filing fee is $39, paid by check or money order to the Department of State.5Florida Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Certifications / Apostilles You do not file directly with the state. Florida requires you to work through a state-approved bonding agency, sometimes called a notary processor, which collects your package and submits it electronically to the Department of State.6Florida Department of State. Notaries Most agencies bundle the $39 state fee with their own service charge, the bond, and a notary seal into a single package that runs roughly $75 to $150.
After Approval: Your Commission and Seal
Processing usually takes several weeks while the state reviews your materials and runs a background check. Once the Governor approves the appointment, you get a commission certificate listing the start and end dates of your four-year term.
Your seal must be a rubber stamp and must include four elements: your name exactly as commissioned, the words “Notary Public–State of Florida,” your commission expiration date, and your commission number. It has to produce photographically reproducible black ink. You may also use an embosser as a secondary seal, but the rubber stamp is your official one and an embosser alone cannot replace it.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties Most bonding agencies include the stamp with the application package. The seal is your personal property. If you leave a job, it goes with you even if your employer paid for it.
Florida does not require a journal for traditional in-person notarizations, but keeping one is good practice. If a dispute surfaces years later, a contemporaneous entry is your best defense.
What You Can Do and Charge
Your commission authorizes you to acknowledge signatures on documents like deeds and contracts, administer oaths for affidavits and depositions, and supervise and attest certified copies, as long as the original is not a vital record or a public record a government custodian can copy. Florida notaries can also officiate marriages, with the fee capped at whatever the clerk of the circuit court charges for the same service.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code Chapter 117 – Notaries Public
For other notarial acts, the ceiling is $10 per act.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties One service you must provide for free: witnessing a vote-by-mail ballot when a voter asks.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties
How to Keep Your Commission
A commission is easy to earn and easy to lose. The Governor can suspend you for a material false statement on your application, unauthorized practice of law (including drafting legal documents or preparing immigration forms, whether or not you charge), overcharging, letting your bond lapse, failing to report changes to your information, misleading advertising such as translating “Notary Public” into another language or using titles like “notario público,” and ignoring a Department of State investigation.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
Some conduct carries criminal exposure. Notarizing under a name that is not your legal name is a third-degree felony. Impersonating a notary or continuing to perform notarial acts after your commission has expired is a second-degree misdemeanor.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties Notarizing your own signature also carries felony penalties.
Errors and omissions insurance is optional and separate from your bond. The bond pays claimants; E&O covers your own defense costs and any judgment against you for unintentional mistakes. Standard annual premiums start around $25 and rise with coverage and term.
Remote Online Notarization Is a Separate Registration
A standard commission does not let you notarize for people appearing by video. If you want to do that, Florida requires a separate remote online notarization (RON) registration on top of your commission.11The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 117.265 – Online Notarization Procedures You will need a two-hour online course on remote procedures, a separate $25,000 surety bond for online acts, a $25,000 E&O policy, a contract with an approved RON technology provider, and a RON application filed with the Department of State along with a $10 fee. Every online act must be recorded, and you must keep a secure electronic journal for at least 10 years.12Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.245 – Electronic Journal of Online Notarizations RON notaries cannot officiate marriages over video.
Renewing and Updating Your Information
The commission expires after four years. The renewal window opens six months before expiration, and you should start several weeks early to avoid a gap. Renewal mirrors the initial application, with a new bond, a new application through a bonding agency, and a new $39 fee, but you do not retake the three-hour course.4Executive Office of the Governor. Notary Education Keep using your current seal until that commission actually expires; you cannot switch to a new seal before the new term begins.
During the term, you have to notify the Department of State in writing within 60 days of any change to your home address, business address, phone number, or criminal record.10Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath A legal name change requires an amended commission request submitted with your current commission certificate. Keep notarizing under your former name until the updated stamp and amended certificate arrive. Failing to report any of these changes is itself a ground for suspension.