How to Become a Notary Public in Oklahoma: Bond, Oath, and Seal

To become a notary public in Oklahoma, you apply to the Secretary of State, pay the $50 filing fee, and then within 60 days of your commission being issued, file your surety bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature, and seal impression. The commission lasts four years and gives you statewide authority once every post-approval step is complete.¹

Who Can Apply

Oklahoma sets five basic qualifications. You must be at least 18, a United States citizen, able to read and write English, and either a legal resident of Oklahoma or a non-resident employed within the state.²

A felony conviction is disqualifying. Under Oklahoma law, a felony is grounds for both removal from office and a permanent bar from applying for or renewing a notary commission.³

Step 1: File Your Application With the Secretary of State

The application is available through the Secretary of State’s online notary filing system or as a paper form you can mail in. You will provide your legal name, residential address, and contact information. Non-residents list their Oklahoma employment address.

The filing fee for a new commission is $50. If you file in person and want same-day processing, add another $50 for expedited service. Paper applications go to the Secretary of State, Notary Division, 421 N.W. 13th, Suite 210, Oklahoma City, OK 73103.¹

Processing typically takes two to four weeks. The office runs a criminal history check as part of the review. Once approved, you receive your commission certificate, but you are not authorized to notarize anything yet. Several steps still stand between you and your first notarial act, and the clock on them starts now.

Step 2: Get Your $1,000 Surety Bond

Oklahoma requires a $1,000 surety bond payable to the State of Oklahoma. The bond protects the public if you make an error or engage in misconduct while performing notarial acts. It must be signed by a licensed Oklahoma insurance agent, an attorney-in-fact acting on behalf of an insurance company, or one or more individual property owners in the county where you live or work. The bond must cover the full term of your commission, from the effective date to the expiration date. Filing the bond with the Secretary of State costs an additional $25.¹

The premium a bonding company charges for a $1,000 bond is usually modest, often under $50 for the full four-year term. Shop around with a few surety companies or insurance agents before committing.

Step 3: Take Your Oaths

You must take both an oath of office and a loyalty oath. These must be administered by another notary public or an authorized officer. The signed oaths are then filed with your bond and seal impression. Blank oath and bond forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website.²

Step 4: Order and File Your Seal Impression

Every Oklahoma notary must obtain an official seal containing three elements: the words “State of Oklahoma,” the words “Notary Public,” and your name exactly as it appears on your commission. The seal can be either a metal embosser that leaves a raised impression or a rubber ink stamp.³

Seals are available from office supply stores and online vendors. Order yours promptly, because the seal impression is one of the items you must file with the Secretary of State inside the 60-day window.

You will also need to include your commission number and the expiration date of your commission on every notarial certificate going forward. These can be printed as part of the seal itself or handwritten next to your signature. Failing to include the expiration date is technically a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $50, though it does not affect whether the document can be recorded.²

The 60-Day Deadline That Ties It All Together

Within 60 days after your commission is issued, you must file all of the following with the Secretary of State: your oath of office, your loyalty oath, your official signature, an impression of your official seal, and your surety bond. Miss that window, and you cannot perform notarial acts. You may need to restart the process.²

A notary public cannot perform any notarial act until the bond, official seal, oath of office, and loyalty oath have all been received and approved. Jumping the gun is the single most common mistake new notaries make, and it can invalidate every document you touch.

When You Can Start Notarizing, and What You Can Charge

Once the Secretary of State has your bond, oaths, seal impression, and signature on file, you have statewide authority to notarize in any county for the remainder of your four-year term. Oklahoma caps the fee for each in-person notarial act at $5. Notarizing an official absentee ballot affidavit must always be free of charge.³

If you go on to offer remote online notarization, which Oklahoma has allowed since January 1, 2020, you or a person acting on your behalf may charge up to $25 per act. Remote work requires an approved communication technology platform and additional identity-verification procedures beyond what an in-person notarization involves.²

A Few Rules to Know Before You Start

You cannot notarize your own signature. Unless you are a licensed attorney or otherwise authorized by law, you cannot hold yourself out as having expertise in immigration or citizenship matters, and Oklahoma law prohibits translating “notary public” into Spanish as “notario público” or “notario,” because those terms carry a different legal meaning in many Latin American countries. Oklahoma law also does not explicitly bar notarizing for family members, but the general duty of impartiality applies: a direct financial interest in a transaction creates a conflict that can expose you to liability.²

Oklahoma does not require most notaries to keep a journal of their acts, but the Secretary of State recommends it, and experienced notaries treat it as standard practice. A journal is your best defense if a notarization is later challenged. One situation makes a log mandatory: if you notarize absentee ballot affidavits, you must maintain a log of every one and keep it for at least two years after the election date.⁴

Renewing Every Four Years

Oklahoma notary commissions last four years. When your term approaches its end, you can renew through the Secretary of State’s online filing system or by submitting a paper renewal application. The renewal fee is $45, and you will file a new bond as well, which carries the same $25 bond filing fee.¹

Don’t let your commission lapse and then try to notarize during the gap. If your commission expires before you complete the renewal, you have no notarial authority until the new commission and bond are approved. Start renewal at least a month before your expiration date to give yourself a buffer.

1
Oklahoma Secretary of State. Notary Filing
2
Oklahoma Senate. Oklahoma Statutes Title 49 – Notaries Public
3
Justia. Oklahoma Code Title 49 Section 49-5 – Notarial Seal – Authentication of Documents – Penalties – Fees – Exception
4
Oklahoma State Election Board. FAQ For Notaries Public