To check a Florida notary’s status, use the Division of Corporations’ free lookup at notaries.dos.fl.gov. Type the notary’s name into the search form, submit, and the results will show whether the commission is active, expired, suspended, or revoked. The search takes under a minute and is the authoritative way to confirm that whoever notarized your document actually held authority to do so. Florida commissions run for four years, so a stamp that looked official last year may be worthless today.
What You Need Before You Search
A name is enough. The database accepts any one of several fields: Notary ID, last name, first name, commission number, or zip code.1Florida Department of State. Notary Search
If you have the notarized document in front of you, the stamp usually gives you more to work with. A Florida notary seal typically shows the notary’s printed name, commission number, and expiration date. Any of that helps, especially if the name is common. A name-only search still works if the stamp is smudged or missing details.
Running the Search
Open notaries.dos.fl.gov. The form has fields for Notary ID, Last Name, First Name, Commission Number, and Zip Code. Fill in what you have and click Submit.1Florida Department of State. Notary Search
A last name alone can return hundreds of records for common surnames. Add a zip code, a first name, or the commission number to cut the list down to something you can scan.
Checking a Remote Online Notary
If your document was notarized over video rather than in person, that’s a remote online notarization, and it uses a different registry. Search at online-notary.sunbiz.org. That tool takes first name, last name, commission or appointment number, and notary ID or Florida Bar ID, and it lets you filter by notary type (traditional notary public, civil law notary, or commissioner of deeds).
A Florida notary must hold a standard commission first and then register separately for online notarization authority. Someone who appears in the traditional database but not in the online registry may not be authorized to notarize remotely, even if their regular commission is active.
Reading the Result
The results page returns the notary’s name, commission number, and a status. The status is the whole point of the search:
- Active means the commission is valid and the notary is authorized to perform notarial acts in Florida.
- Expired means the four-year commission has lapsed and the notary can no longer notarize anything.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Commission, and Term
- Suspended or Revoked means the Governor has taken disciplinary action stripping the notary’s authority. Only the Governor can suspend or revoke a Florida commission.3Florida Department of State. Question and Answer – Notary Education
- Updated flags a recent administrative change to the record, such as an address or name update. The commission itself should still be active.
Read the expiration date as carefully as the status. A commission can show Active today and expire next week. If a signing is scheduled for a future date, confirm the commission will still be valid then.
The status you care about is the status on the day the document was signed. A commission that is Active now but was Expired on the notarization date does not save a defective document, and a commission that has since expired does not invalidate a notarization performed while it was still active. Match the date on the stamp to the commission dates in the record.
If the Commission Was Not Valid
If the search shows the commission was expired, suspended, or revoked when the notary signed your document, the notarization is legally questionable and the fix depends on the document.
For real estate deeds, a defective notarization can stop a county recorder from accepting the document or cause a title insurer to refuse coverage. The usual remedy is to have all parties sign again in front of a notary with a valid commission, then re-record. That is simple in principle and difficult in practice once time has passed and parties are hard to reach.
For powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts, and similar documents, consequences vary. A court may refuse the document, or an opposing party may challenge it. Re-notarization by someone with an active commission is again the first move. If a party is deceased, incapacitated, or unreachable, talk to an attorney about your options.
Reporting a Notary
Suspected misconduct goes to the Notary Section of the Florida Governor’s office.4Florida Governor. Notary Public A useful complaint includes the facts of what happened, a copy of the improperly notarized document, and a description of the law you believe was violated. Type it or print clearly, and keep copies of everything you submit. The Governor’s office is the body that can suspend or revoke a commission based on a substantiated complaint. A notary who knowingly performs notarial acts after their commission has expired commits a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida law.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties If a defective notarization caused you real financial harm, an attorney can advise on a civil claim.