To become a notary public in Missouri, you need to meet the state’s eligibility rules, complete an approved training course, pass a state examination with a score of at least 80 percent, obtain a $10,000 surety bond, submit an application with a $25 fee to the Secretary of State, and then appear before your county clerk within 60 days to take the oath of office. The commission is good for four years and lets you perform notarial acts anywhere in Missouri.
Who Qualifies
Before you spend any time on training, confirm you meet all five eligibility requirements under Missouri law:
- You are at least 18 years old.
- You either live in Missouri or keep a regular place of work or business in the state. Non-residents who work in Missouri qualify if they will use the seal in that job.
- You are a legal resident of the United States.
- You can read and write in English.
- You pass the state examination.
You do not have to be a registered voter. The Secretary of State also reviews each applicant’s background, and a commission can be denied for prior revocations or criminal convictions involving dishonesty.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.605 – Notary Commission Issued, Qualifications, Denial of Application, When, Appeal, Rulemaking Authority
Complete the Training and Pass the Exam
Every applicant has to finish an approved training course first. You can take it online through the Secretary of State’s website, or work through a written version provided by the state. The material covers notarial laws, procedures, and ethics.2Missouri Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions
After the training, you sit for a state-administered examination. The passing score is 80 percent, and the questions come from the same material you just studied. No commission is issued until you pass.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.630 – Application, Contents, Declaration, Application Fee
Get Your Surety Bond and Submit the Application
With the exam behind you, two documents have to come together before you can file: your completed application and a $10,000 surety bond. The bond must come from a licensed Missouri surety and cover the full four-year commission term, running from the issue date to the expiration date.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.615 – Commission Effective, When, Bond Amount, Surety Duties, Suspension of Commission, When
The bond is there to protect the public: it covers payments to anyone harmed by your official misconduct as a notary. It is not insurance for you. If you want personal protection from legal costs, you can buy errors and omissions coverage separately. That coverage is optional.5Missouri Secretary of State. Notary Public Bond
The application itself requires a $25 processing fee and a certificate showing you completed the approved training.6Missouri Secretary of State. Resident Application Form Instructions You can file online through the Secretary of State’s website or submit everything by mail.7Missouri Secretary of State. Notaries and Commissions Plan on the bond being executed within 60 days after the application is approved.
Take the Oath Within 60 Days
Approval from the Secretary of State is not the final step. Once your commission is issued, you have 60 days to appear in person before the clerk of the county where you live or work. The clerk will administer the oath of office, take your surety bond, and collect a handwritten specimen of your official signature. That signature has to match the name on your commission certificate exactly.8Missouri Secretary of State. Missouri Notary Handbook
Miss that 60-day window and the clerk will mark your commission as not qualified and return it to the Secretary of State. You would have to reapply from scratch, and the Secretary of State can bar you from reapplying for anywhere from 30 days to one year.9Missouri Secretary of State. Notary Reappointments This step trips up more applicants than any other. Put the deadline on your calendar the day your approval letter arrives.
What It Costs
The fixed costs of becoming a Missouri notary are straightforward:
- Application fee: $25
- Surety bond: $10,000 coverage amount; the premium you pay varies by surety provider
- Training course: pricing depends on whether you use the state’s online or written course or a third-party provider
- Supplies: a required rubber-stamp seal and a bound journal, both of which you will need before performing any notarizations
Errors and omissions insurance is an extra cost if you choose to carry it, and the county clerk may charge nothing or a small amount to administer the oath depending on local practice.
What Your Commission Lets You Do
A Missouri notary commission authorizes you to perform several specific acts: acknowledgments, jurats, oaths and affirmations, copy certifications, and signature witnessings. For each one, the signer must be physically present, appear to understand what they are signing, and act voluntarily. You and the signer also have to communicate directly in a language you both understand, and the document has to be in a language you can read.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.645 – Limitation on Notarial Acts, Principal Requirements, Disqualification of Notary, When, Nonnotarial Fee Permitted, When
Missouri sets maximum fees for each type of act, with acknowledgments, jurats, and signature witnessings capped at $5 per signature and copy certifications at $1 per page with a $3 minimum. You can charge less; you cannot charge more.11Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.685 – Maximum Fees
A standard commission does not cover remote online notarization. If you want to notarize for signers appearing by audio-video technology, you need a separate commission type under sections 486.1100 through 486.1205 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, plus a technology platform that meets the Secretary of State’s standards. The notary still has to be physically located in Missouri during each remote act.12Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.1155 – Remote Online Notarization, Location Requirements
How Long the Commission Lasts and How to Renew
Your Missouri commission runs for four years from the issue date.13Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 486.610 – Notary, Term of Commission, Grandfather Provision To renew, you retake the training course no earlier than six weeks before your current commission expires, obtain a new $10,000 surety bond for the next term, and file a reappointment application. The reappointment bond should be executed within 90 days after you submit the application, and you again appear before your county clerk to take the oath and file the new bond.9Missouri Secretary of State. Notary Reappointments
If you let the commission lapse, you cannot perform notarial acts during the gap. Any notarization you perform after expiration is invalid and can expose you to liability, so start the renewal process well before your term runs out.