To become a notary public in Kansas, you file Form NO with the Secretary of State along with a $12,000 surety bond and a $25 filing fee. A Kansas notary public application is handled through the Secretary of State’s office at the Docking State Office Building in Topeka or through the office’s online notary portal, and the commission runs for four years from the date the Secretary of State sets. Before you touch the form, you need a notary stamping device and the surety bond in hand, because both feed directly into specific sections of the application.
Who Can Apply
Under K.S.A. 53-5a22, you must be at least 18 and either a Kansas resident or a resident of a bordering state who regularly works or practices a profession in Kansas.1Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 53-5a22 – Commission as Notary Public; Qualifications; No Immunity or Benefit The bordering-state provision covers commuters from Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, and Oklahoma. You also need to be able to read and write English, and you cannot have had a notary commission revoked in another state.
Kansas does not require a training course or a state exam. Once you meet the age and residency rules and have your stamp and bond ready, you can apply.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
What to Get Before You Fill Out Form NO
Your Stamping Device
K.S.A. 53-5a18 requires every notary to have an official stamp bearing your name exactly as it appears on your application, the words “Notary Public,” and “State of Kansas.”2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary The stamp may also show your commission expiration date, or leave a blank space where you write it in. Office-supply retailers and notary supply companies sell them. An impression of the stamp has to be submitted with your application, so order it first.3Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Handbook
Your $12,000 Surety Bond
You need a $12,000 surety bond from an insurance company licensed in Kansas.1Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 53-5a22 – Commission as Notary Public; Qualifications; No Immunity or Benefit The bond protects the public, not you. The bonding company fills in Section C of Form NO (or completes the standalone NO-S form if you file online), certifying that coverage is in place.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary Without that signature, the Secretary of State will not process the application.
The bond is not errors-and-omissions insurance. If someone makes a claim against your bond, the company pays and then comes after you for reimbursement. E&O coverage, which is optional in Kansas, pays your own costs from honest mistakes and is sold in amounts from $10,000 to $100,000 for terms of one to four years.
Completing Form NO
Form NO is a downloadable PDF on the Secretary of State’s website, and it bundles your personal information, the oath of office, and the surety bond certification into one document.4Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Public Appointment Form If you apply through the online portal instead, you’ll use Form NO-O for the oath and Form NO-S for the bond and upload them separately.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
Section A: Applicant Information
Enter your full legal name exactly as you want it printed on your commission and your stamp. If the name on the form doesn’t match the name on the stamp impression, the Secretary of State will flag the application. Provide your home address, business address, the county where you’ll primarily notarize, and your contact information. Check the box indicating whether you’re a Kansas resident or a bordering-state resident who works in Kansas.
Section B: Oath of Office
You swear or affirm the Kansas notary oath in front of another currently commissioned notary before submitting the form. That notary completes Section B, notarizes your signature, and applies their own seal.4Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Public Appointment Form If you take the oath remotely, you still need to supply a wet-ink signature with the application so the Secretary of State has a comparison sample for your future in-person work.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
Section C: Surety Bond
Your bonding company fills this out. Don’t complete it yourself. Hand the form to your insurance provider, or have them complete the standalone NO-S form if you’re filing online.
Stamp Impression
The form has a space for an impression of your stamping device. For paper applications, press the stamp directly onto the form. For online applications, upload an image of the impression.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
Submitting the Application and Paying the $25 Fee
The $25 fee is due with every application.4Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Public Appointment Form How you pay depends on how you file.
- By mail: send the completed Form NO with a $25 check to the Kansas Secretary of State, Docking State Office Building, 915 SW Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66612. Credit card payment is not available for mailed applications.4Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Public Appointment Form
- Online: upload the completed forms (either Form NO or the NO-O and NO-S combination) and your stamp image through the online notary portal, then pay the $25 fee by credit card.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
Filing online gives you immediate confirmation of receipt. If you mail the application, keep copies of everything you send.
After Your Application Is Approved
Once the Secretary of State verifies your bond, oath, and stamp, your name is added to the state’s online notary listing with your commission number, appointment status, and expiration date. The office then mails a commission certificate to the address on your application.2Kansas Secretary of State. General Services – Notary
This is the point most new notaries get wrong. You cannot notarize anything until your status shows as active on the online listing and your appointment expiration date is on file. Notarizing before then puts your commission at risk. Your four-year term starts on the date the Secretary of State sets, not the date you mailed the form.5Kansas Statutes. Kansas Code 53-5a22 – Commission as Notary Public; Qualifications; No Immunity or Benefit Check every detail on the certificate before you start performing notarial acts.
Adding Remote Online Notarization
Kansas authorized remote online notarization through SB 106 in 2021. RON lets you notarize for signers who appear by live audio-video connection instead of in person. To add RON to your commission, file Form NC through the online notary portal after your standard appointment has been approved.4Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Public Appointment Form The same form also covers in-person electronic notarization.
Your electronic stamp for RON or IPEN must show your name as it appears on your commission, the words “State of Kansas” and “Notary Public,” your commission number, and your commission expiration date.3Kansas Secretary of State. Kansas Notary Handbook The Kansas Notary Handbook has further technical guidance on acceptable platforms.
What Your Commission Does Not Let You Do
A Kansas notary commission authorizes you to witness signatures, administer oaths, and certify copies. It does not authorize you to give legal advice or draft legal documents unless you are separately licensed as an attorney.