To become a notary public in Florida, you must be at least 18, a Florida resident, pass a background check, complete a three-hour education course, buy a $7,500 surety bond, and file your application with $39 in state fees through an approved bonding agency. The Governor issues the commission, and it runs for four years. Most applicants finish the whole process in a few weeks.
Who Qualifies
Florida law sets five baseline qualifications. You must be at least 18 years old, a legal resident of Florida, and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath Permanent resident aliens must file a recorded Declaration of Domicile with their application. You also need the ability to read, write, and understand English. Residency isn’t a one-time check; you must maintain it for the entire four-year term, and moving out of state means resigning.
A felony conviction disqualifies you unless your civil rights have been fully restored. The application requires you to disclose any felony history, including the nature of the offense and proof of restoration.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
Step 1: Complete the Three-Hour Education Course
Every first-time applicant must complete at least three hours of notary education before applying. The course covers your legal duties, prohibitions, and the basics of electronic notarization.2Florida Department of State. Notary Education Program The Governor’s Office and the Department of State offer the course free through the Department of State’s website. Private providers offer approved courses too, typically around $25. Either way, you receive a certificate of completion that goes to your bonding agency with your application.3Florida Department of State. Notary Education Program Instructions
Watch the shelf life. Your certificate is only valid if you completed the course within one year before your application date. Sit on it for 14 months and you’ll be taking the course again.
Step 2: Buy Your $7,500 Surety Bond
Florida requires every notary to carry a $7,500 surety bond for the full four-year commission term.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath The bond protects the public, not you. If someone suffers a financial loss because of your mistake or misconduct, they can file a claim against your bond to recover damages. You buy the bond from a licensed surety or insurance company, and the premium for a $7,500 bond is modest, often $30 to $50 for the entire four-year term.
Errors-and-omissions insurance is a separate, optional policy. Where the bond reimburses the person you harmed and the bond company then comes after you to recoup, E&O insurance protects your own assets by covering legal defense and settlement costs if you’re sued over a notarial act. If you plan to notarize regularly, especially for real estate closings or loan signings, it’s a practical safeguard.
Step 3: Complete the Application Forms
Your application packet consists of two forms: DS-DE 77, the notary public application, and DS-DE 76, the notary bond form.4Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. Downloading Notary Forms You can download both from the Florida Department of State website or get them from your bonding agency. The application asks for your full legal name, home and business addresses, date of birth, Social Security number, and driver’s license number.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
The form includes an affidavit of good character that must be completed by someone who is not a relative and has known you for at least one year. Pick someone credible. The application also contains an oath of office that you sign and have notarized by a current Florida notary public. Every field needs to be legible and complete; missing signatures or blank sections get the application returned.
Step 4: Submit Through a Bonding Agency and Pay $39
Florida’s process differs from what you might expect: you do not mail anything to the state yourself. You submit the completed DS-DE 77, the DS-DE 76 bond form, and your education certificate to an approved bonding agency. The agency collects the $39 state fee and forwards everything to the Division of Corporations.5Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. Notary Commissions and Apostille/Certification Sections
The $39 breaks down into a $25 application fee, a $10 commission fee, and a $4 surcharge for notary education programs.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath The bonding agency will charge its own service fee on top of that, plus the bond premium. Processing typically takes a few weeks. Once the Governor approves the appointment, your commission certificate is sent to the bonding agency, which forwards it to you.
Step 5: Order Your Notary Seal
You can’t perform notarial acts without a proper seal. Your rubber stamp seal must include the words “Notary Public-State of Florida,” your name exactly as it appears on your commission, your commission expiration date, and your commission number.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Seal, and Notary Fee You must use photographically reproducible black ink. An embossing seal can be used as an extra measure, but the rubber stamp is your official seal.
Order your seal from a notary supply vendor after you receive your commission certificate, since you need your commission number and expiration date to place the order. On every notarized document, you must also print, type, or stamp your name exactly as commissioned below your signature. A typo on the seal creates documents that can be challenged, so verify every detail before you order.
What You Can Charge
Florida caps notary fees at $10 per notarial act for traditional in-person notarizations, including acknowledgments, jurats, and oaths.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Seal, and Notary Fee That’s per act, not per document. A single document requiring two separate notarizations means two fees. One explicit exception: you cannot charge anything for witnessing a vote-by-mail ballot, and you must perform that service on request from any voter.
Remote online notarizations and marriage solemnizations have separate fee provisions under different statute sections, so the $10 cap does not apply to those. Travel fees for mobile notary work are separate from the notarial fee and not regulated the same way, but disclose them upfront to avoid disputes.
Rules to Stay Commissioned
Once commissioned, you have ongoing obligations. If you change your home address, business address, phone number, or acquire a criminal record, you must notify the Department of State in writing within 60 days.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath A legal name change starts the same 60-day clock, and you’ll need to request an amended commission from the Secretary of State plus a new seal.
Move out of Florida at any point during your term and your commission is over. The statute requires you to resign by sending a signed letter to the Governor and returning your commission certificate.
Florida notaries who are not attorneys cannot practice law, and the state lists this as an explicit ground for suspension. You can’t explain documents to signers, advise them on which documents to sign, or help fill in legal forms beyond what’s needed for the notarization itself. You also cannot notarize a document for someone who doesn’t understand English unless the document has been translated into a language they understand, and you cannot notarize your own signature or any document in which you have a financial interest.
Adding Remote Online Notarization
Florida lets commissioned notaries register as remote online notaries, which allows you to notarize for signers who appear via live audio-video communication. This is an add-on to your existing traditional commission, not a separate one.
To register, you complete an additional two-hour education course covering remote identification, technology provider requirements, and recording and storage rules. You also carry a larger $25,000 surety bond that replaces your standard bond and covers both traditional and online acts.7Florida Department of State. Application Registration for Online Notary Public The bond limits liability to $7,500 for traditional acts and provides $25,000 of coverage for online notarizations.
You’ll need a computer with a webcam, microphone, and secure internet connection supporting two-way audio and video, plus an approved online notarization platform that handles identity verification, digital signatures, electronic seals, and session recording. Remote online notaries are required to maintain an electronic journal and backup records; the platform typically handles this automatically, but you’re responsible for making sure records are properly stored.
Renewing in Four Years
Florida notary commissions last four years.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath Renewal follows the same process as the initial application with one welcome difference: you do not need to retake the three-hour education course. You’ll still need a new $7,500 surety bond, a completed application, and the $39 state fee submitted through an approved bonding agency. Start well before your commission expires to avoid a gap. If you let your commission lapse for 15 years or more, the state treats you as a first-time applicant and the education requirement comes back.