How to Get a Notary License in Ohio: Course, BCI Check, and Seal

To get a notary license in Ohio, you must be at least 18, be an Ohio resident (or a non-resident attorney admitted by the Ohio Supreme Court with a primary office in the state), pass a BCI criminal background check, complete a three-hour education course and exam, and submit a $15 application through the Secretary of State’s online portal. The commission lasts five years. Most applicants finish the process in a few weeks, with scheduling the fingerprint appointment usually the slowest step.

Who Qualifies

Two basic conditions open the door: you’re at least 18 years old and you legally reside in Ohio. Attorneys who live outside Ohio can still qualify if the Ohio Supreme Court has admitted them to practice and their primary office is in the state.¹

A clean record is the other hurdle. Ohio defines a “disqualifying offense” as any felony, any misdemeanor involving violence, and any misdemeanor theft offense that involves a breach of trust or dishonesty. A conviction in any of those categories generally makes you ineligible, with one exception: a certificate of qualification for employment issued under Ohio law prevents the conviction alone from disqualifying you.² Anyone whose prior notary commission was revoked by the Secretary of State is also out.³

Step 1: Complete the Three-Hour Course and Pass the Test

Every applicant takes a three-hour course from an authorized provider covering Ohio’s notary laws, the types of notarial acts, and the ethical limits of the role. Non-attorneys must then pass a test; if you fail, you have to wait 30 days before retaking it. Attorney applicants take the same course but are not required to pass the test.⁴

Most providers offer the course as an on-demand video you watch at your own pace. The combined education and testing fee generally runs $75 to $130 depending on the provider.⁵ Save the certificates for both the course and the test as PDFs. You’ll upload them with your application.

Step 2: Get a BCI Background Check

You need a fingerprint-based criminal records check from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and it must be dated within six months of your application submission.¹ A simple name search won’t do.

To get fingerprinted, go to a WebCheck location; the Ohio Attorney General maintains a searchable directory. You only need the BCI check, not the FBI check, so confirm that when you book. Fees vary by location but typically fall around $30 to $40. Some sites take walk-ins, others require appointments, so call first.⁶

Have the report sent to your home address. When it arrives, verify that it references the correct statutory authority for notary applications, then save the PDF for the application. Ohio Peace Officers have an alternative: they may submit their Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy Certificate instead of a BCI report.⁷

Step 3: Submit the Online Application

Applications go through the Secretary of State’s notary portal. Create an account and enter your full legal name, mailing address, email, phone number, and date of birth. You’ll upload the following as PDFs:⁷

Your BCI criminal records check, dated within the last six months.
Your education course completion certificate.
Your test completion certificate (non-attorneys only).
A scanned image of your handwritten signature.

The application fee is $15, paid when you submit. The Secretary of State reviews the file and issues the commission if everything checks out. There’s no interview and no oath ceremony to attend.

Step 4: Order Your Seal

Before you perform any notarial act, you need an official seal. Ohio law requires the coat of arms of the state inside a circle between three-quarters of an inch and one inch in diameter, surrounded by the words “Notary Public” (or “Notarial Seal” or similar), your name, and “State of Ohio.” Ink stamps and embossers both qualify.⁸

One useful detail: your name doesn’t have to appear on the seal itself. You can instead print, type, or stamp it legibly near your signature on each notarized document. Order from any notary supply vendor after your commission is approved. Seals generally run $15 to $40.

What You Can Charge and the Lines You Can’t Cross

Ohio caps notary fees. For a standard in-person notarial act, the maximum is $5. For an online notarial act (if you’re authorized for that), the maximum is $30. Charging more than those amounts is a prohibited act under state law.⁹ You can also charge nothing; many notaries at banks, title companies, and law firms notarize as part of their regular duties.

A few prohibitions trip up new notaries quickly, and violating them can cost you the commission. Don’t notarize your own signature or any document you executed. Don’t notarize when you have a conflict of interest. Don’t notarize incomplete or blank documents. Don’t give legal advice: unless you’re also an attorney, you can’t tell a signer which type of notarial act to use, though you can explain the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat. Don’t certify copies of documents, which Ohio notaries are not authorized to do. And refuse any notarization where the signer appears incapable of understanding the document or seems to be signing under pressure.¹

Ohio also specifically prohibits notaries from advertising as immigration consultants or using terms like “notario” that may mislead Spanish-speaking individuals into believing a notary has legal authority similar to a “notario público” in Latin American countries.

Renewing Your Commission

Commissions last five years. To renew, complete a one-hour course from an authorized provider, obtain a fresh BCI background check dated within six months, and submit a renewal application with a $15 fee. The renewal window opens three months before your commission expires, so don’t file too early or too late.⁷

Adding Remote Online Notarization

Ohio offers an optional authorization to perform remote online notarizations, letting you notarize for signers who appear by live two-way audio and video rather than in person. It’s a separate application on top of your regular commission.¹

You must already hold an active Ohio commission and be an Ohio resident. From there you complete an approved course on online notarization, pass the exam, and file an application that describes the technology platform you plan to use. The filing fee is $20.⁷ You must be physically located in Ohio when performing an online notarization, though the signer can be anywhere. RON authorization also has its own renewal: a one-hour course and a $20 fee. If you let your underlying notary commission lapse, your RON authorization terminates automatically.

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 147 – Notaries Public and Commissioners
2
Ohio Secretary of State. Ohio Notary Disqualifying Offenses
3
Ohio Secretary of State. Ohio Notary Public Application Requirements
4
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code Rule 111:6-1-03 – Fee for Application, Education and Testing
5
Columbus Bar Association. New Ohio Notary Public Applications
6
Ohio Attorney General. Webcheck Community Listing
7
Ohio Secretary of State. File Notary Commission Applications and Updates
8
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.04
9
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.08