To look up a Wisconsin notary, use the free Notary Public Search maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). The database returns the notary’s commission dates, current status, and whether they are authorized to perform remote online notarizations.1Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. WI Notary Public Search Checking before you sign can prevent rejected filings and voided signatures.
The DFI appoints every Wisconsin notary and keeps their records under Wis. Stat. ch. 140.2Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Notary Statutes and Rules State law requires the department to maintain an electronic database so anyone can verify a notary’s authority to perform notarial acts.3Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 140.24
Running the Search
Open the DFI Notary Public Search page and enter the notary’s first and last name exactly as it appears on their stamp or seal. Spelling matters. A small typo returns zero results, so copy the name directly from the seal if you can.
If you have the commission number, use it. That is the fastest route and avoids the problem of common surnames pulling up long result lists. You can also filter by city, zip code, or county.1Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. WI Notary Public Search After the system returns matches, click an individual entry to see the full commission record. A reset button clears your entries when you need to look up a second notary.
What Each Field Means
Every record displays the notary’s full name, mailing address, commission date, expiration date, commission type, current status, and remote online notary indicator.4Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. WI Notary Public Search
The commission date is when authority began. The expiration date is usually the field that matters most. Any notarial act performed after that date was performed without authority, and Wisconsin law is explicit that an unauthorized notarial act is not saved by any other provision of the notary statutes.5Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 140 If you are checking a past notarization, compare the document date to the commission window shown in the search results.
The type field tells you which kind of commission the notary holds. Standard commissions run four years. Attorneys licensed in Wisconsin can hold a permanent commission that does not expire as long as they remain in good standing with the state supreme court.6Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 140.02 For a permanent commission, there is no expiration date to check.
Reading the Status
Status is the field to focus on before you hand over a document.
An Active status means the notary currently holds full authority to witness signatures, administer oaths, and perform other notarial acts in Wisconsin.
An Expired status means the commission has lapsed. The notary no longer has legal authority, and a notarization they perform carries no legal weight. A notary who keeps acting after expiration can be personally liable for damages to anyone harmed by the unauthorized act.6Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 140.02
A Revoked or Suspended status means the DFI took action against the commission. The department has authority to revoke, suspend, or restrict a commission when a notary has violated the notary statutes, refused to cooperate with an investigation, or is about to violate the law.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 140 – Section 140.27 A document notarized by someone in that status is likely to be rejected by courts, lenders, and the Register of Deeds.
Checking Remote Online Notary Authority
Wisconsin permits remote online notarization (RON), where the notary and signer connect by audio-visual technology instead of meeting in person. Not every commissioned notary is registered to perform remote acts, so look at the Remote Online Notary field in the record before scheduling a remote session.4Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. WI Notary Public Search
A notary performing a remote act must verify the signer’s identity using at least two different types of identity proofing, unless the notary personally knows the signer or a credible witness vouches for them. The notary must also confirm the document on screen matches what the signer is executing, and the entire session must be recorded as an audio-visual file.8Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 140.145 If a notary offering a remote session is not shown as RON-registered in the database, that session will not produce a valid remote notarization.
If the Lookup Shows a Problem
When the search tells you a notary is expired, revoked, suspended, or not RON-registered despite offering remote service, you have two things to do. Do not use that notary. And if you believe they are still holding themselves out as commissioned or performing acts without authority, report it to the DFI.
The department accepts complaints on Form NOT105, submitted by mail or email. You can reach the notary division at (608) 266-8915 or DFINotary@dfi.wisconsin.gov. Written complaints go to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, PO Box 7847, Madison, WI 53707-7847.9Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. DFI Report a Notary Violation Certain notary violations carry fines up to $10,000 or imprisonment up to nine months for a first offense, with repeat offenders facing up to six years.6Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 140.02