To become a notary public in Minnesota, you file a mail-in application with the Secretary of State along with a $10,000 surety bond and a $120 fee, then record your approved commission with your county for $20 and buy a compliant stamp before performing any notarial act. There is no exam and no required training. A commission runs until January 31 of the fifth calendar year after it is issued, which gives most notaries close to a full five-year term.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.02 – Term
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a resident alien. Minnesota residency satisfies the geographic requirement for most applicants.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.01 – Commission
You do not have to live in Minnesota. Residents of Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, or South Dakota can apply if they designate the Secretary of State as their agent for service of process and identify the Minnesota county where the commission will be recorded.2Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.01 – Commission That designation routes legal correspondence about your notarial acts through the state rather than across state lines.
Minnesota does not require a training course or written exam. The Secretary of State publishes a list of organizations that offer voluntary training, which is worth considering if you have never performed notarial acts before.
What to Gather Before You Apply
Download the application form from the Secretary of State’s website. Use your full legal name, and make sure it matches every other document you submit, including the surety bond. Name mismatches are one of the most common reasons applications get returned.3Minnesota Secretary of State. Become a Notary
The $10,000 surety bond protects the public if you make a negligent mistake or commit misconduct during a notarization. It is not insurance for you. If a claim is paid, the bonding company reimburses the claimant and you owe the bonding company back. Bonding companies and insurance providers typically sell these for a one-time premium of roughly $50 to $100 for the full commission term.
Errors and omissions insurance is a separate product that covers your own legal defense and any resulting claim up to the policy limit, with no obligation to repay. Minnesota does not require E&O coverage, but notaries handling high-value work like real estate closings often carry it voluntarily.
The application also includes a certification authorizing the Department of Commerce to run a background check, and an oath swearing to support the U.S. and Minnesota constitutions and to faithfully discharge your duties.4Minnesota Secretary of State. Notary Commission Application Providing false information on the application can lead to criminal charges.
Submitting the Application
Minnesota takes new applications by mail, not through an online portal. Send the completed form, the surety bond, and a check or money order for $120 payable to the Office of the Secretary of State. The fee is non-refundable.3Minnesota Secretary of State. Become a Notary
If you have never held a Minnesota notary commission, or your current one is still active, you apply as a new applicant. If a prior commission has already expired, you use the same form but check the re-appointment box.3Minnesota Secretary of State. Become a Notary
Once the Secretary of State approves the application, you receive a commission certificate. That certificate proves your appointment, but it does not yet give you authority to notarize anything.
Recording Your Commission at the County
Your commission is not legally active until it is recorded with the county. Resident notaries record at the local registrar’s office or the county department assigned notary duties in the county where they live. Non-residents record in the Minnesota county they designated on their application.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.061 – Record of Commission
At recording, you provide two signature samples: one matching your name exactly as it appears on the commission and stamp, and a second in the style you will actually use when notarizing. Both go into a permanent county record used to verify your notarizations later.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.061 – Record of Commission The county recording fee is $20.6Minnesota Secretary Of State. Notary Commission Guide
Skip this step and you cannot legally notarize. Any notarial act performed before county recording has no legal force, and performing notarial duties while disqualified is a misdemeanor.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 2025, Chapter 359 – Notaries Public
Getting a Compliant Stamp
Once the commission is recorded, buy a notary stamp from a stamp manufacturer or office supply store. Minnesota requires a specific format: rectangular, no larger than three-quarters of an inch tall by two and a half inches wide, with a serrated or milled edge border. The stamp must include the official seal of Minnesota, your name exactly as it appears on your commission, the words “Notary Public,” and your commission expiration date.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.03 – Specifications
A stamp that was compliant when issued remains valid for the rest of your term even if the state later changes the specifications.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.03 – Specifications Self-inking stamps that meet the requirements typically run $25 to $35 from online vendors. Your stamp and journal are your personal property, even if your employer paid for them.
Term Length and Renewal
A commission runs until January 31 of the fifth year after the year it was issued. A commission issued in 2026, for example, expires January 31, 2031.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.02 – Term
The renewal window opens August 1 and closes January 31 of the year your commission expires. Renewals can be filed online or by mail, and the fee is the same $120.9Minnesota Secretary Of State. How to Renew Your Commission Renew before expiration and the new term begins the day after the old one ends, so there is no gap.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 359.02 – Term Miss the window and you can still apply for re-appointment, but you will go through the full application process again, re-record at the county, and have a gap during which you cannot notarize.
What You Can Charge
Minnesota caps notary fees. Most common acts top out at $5:10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 357.17 – Notaries Public
- $5 per oath or affirmation administered.
- $5 per folio for an affidavit or other document not specifically listed, plus $1 per folio for copies.
- $5, including the copy, for a protest of nonpayment on a note or bill of exchange.
- $5, including the copy, for a notice of nonpayment or nonacceptance.
- $5 per folio for recording an instrument the notary is required by law to record.
- For acknowledgments of deeds and other authorized services, the same fees allowed to other officers for comparable services.
These are maximums. You can charge less or nothing. Many employer-sponsored notaries perform services for free as part of their job. Independent mobile notaries are bound by the $5 cap on the notarial act itself but can separately charge reasonable travel fees.
Adding Remote Online Notarization
Minnesota lets notaries perform notarizations remotely using audio-video technology, but it requires a separate registration. You must already hold an active Minnesota commission, then submit a Remote Online Notarization Authorization Registration Form to the Secretary of State.11Minnesota Secretary Of State. Remote Online Notarization Authorization FAQ
A few requirements differ from in-person work:
- You must be physically located in Minnesota during a remote notarization, though the signer can be anywhere.
- You must use credential analysis and identity proofing, including automated checks of government-issued IDs and knowledge-based authentication questions.
- Each session must be captured on audio and video and stored for at least ten years, along with an electronic journal of the transaction.
- Remote notarizations are subject to the same fee caps in section 357.17.
What Can Cost You the Commission
Notarizing after your commission has expired, or while you are otherwise disqualified, is a misdemeanor.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 2025, Chapter 359 – Notaries Public A notary is also not a lawyer. You cannot draft legal documents, advise signers on the contents of a document, or represent anyone in a legal proceeding. Crossing that line is unauthorized practice of law regardless of whether anyone asks you to do it.
Minnesota does not legally require traditional notaries to keep a journal of their official acts, but the Secretary of State considers it prudent.13Minnesota Secretary Of State. Notary FAQ If a notarization is later challenged, the journal is your strongest evidence that you did the work correctly.