North Dakota commissions notaries aged 18 and up who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents able to read and write English, and who live or work in the state or in a qualifying border county; applicants file a $7,500 bond, an oath and a $36 fee through FirstStop. There is no course or exam. The Secretary of State reviews an impression of your stamp before it issues the four-year commission. Below: the steps, costs, stamp approval, journal rule and how North Dakota handles renewal.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the North Dakota Secretary of State notary pages and N.D. Cent. Code ch. 44-06.1. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | North Dakota answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Adults 18 or over who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents and can read and write English | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(2) |
| Residency or work | North Dakota resident, a place of employment or practice in the state, or a home in a border county of a state that extends reciprocity | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(2)(c) |
| Training or exam | None required | Not addressed in N.D. Cent. Code ch. 44-06.1 |
| How to apply | Online, in the FirstStop Portal | Secretary of State, Become a Notary Public |
| Application fee | $36 | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(1) |
| Bond | $7,500 on form SFN 19355, covering acts during the commission term | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(4); SFN 19355 |
| Oath | Signed before an existing notary and submitted with the application | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(3); Become a Notary Public |
| Stamp approval | Certificate of Authorization to buy a stamp, then an impression returned on the Verification form by its date | Secretary of State, Become a Notary Public |
| Commission term | Four years, from 12:00 a.m. on the start date to midnight on the expiration date | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(5); Become a Notary Public |
| Stamp or seal | Required, bordered, within set size caps. See the North Dakota notary stamp hub | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-16(1) |
| Journal | Required only for acts with remotely located individuals; kept ten years | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-16.1 |
| Renewal | Up to 60 days early; $36, a new $7,500 bond and a newly verified stamp | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(5); Maintain Notary Commission |
| Remote notary | Notify the Secretary of State before the first remote act and name the software provider | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-13.1(12); Maintain Notary Commission |
| Name or address change | Report within 60 days; a name change costs $10 and needs a bond rider | N.D. Cent. Code §§ 44-06.1-20(9), 44-06.1-27; Maintain Notary Commission |
For journal and remote notarization rules beyond North Dakota, compare the 54-jurisdiction journal table with the 54-jurisdiction remote notarization table.
Who can become a notary in North Dakota?
You can apply once you turn 18, provided your U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is in order, you read and write English, and you have a tie to the state: you live there, you have a place of employment or practice there, or you live in a qualifying border county.
The border county route is narrow. It covers people living in a county that borders North Dakota, in a state that extends reciprocity to notaries living in North Dakota's own border counties. Under N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20, a border county applicant appoints the Secretary of State as agent for service on matters relating to notarial acts.
How do you apply for a North Dakota notary commission?
You apply online in the FirstStop Portal with a bond, an oath and the fee. After approval, the Secretary of State authorizes you to buy a stamp, reviews its impression, and only then issues the commission certificate.
- Complete bond form SFN 19355. You and a representative of the surety company sign it in front of a notary other than you. The amount is $7,500.
- Sign the oath of office in front of an existing notary public.
- Apply in the FirstStop Portal, adding the bond and oath and paying the $36 fee. Sign the application the way you will sign notarial certificates, since the two must match.
- Receive the Certificate of Authorization to Purchase Notary Stamping Device once the application is approved, and take it to any stamp vendor.
- Send back an impression of the new stamp on the Verification of Notary Public Stamping Device form. The Secretary of State must receive it on or before the date printed on that form.
- Receive your commission certificate after the stamp is reviewed and approved.
- Begin notarizing on or after the commencement date on the certificate, never before.
The Become a Notary Public page lays out the same order. Note where the stamp step sits: in North Dakota the stamp comes before the commission certificate, not after it.
What will a North Dakota notary commission cost you?
The Secretary of State charges $36 to apply and the same $36 to renew. Your other costs are the premium on a $7,500 surety bond, which the surety sets, and the stamping device you buy with the Certificate of Authorization.
- Application: $36, fixed by N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-20(1).
- Bond: $7,500 of coverage; the state publishes no premium.
- Stamping device: bought from a vendor you choose.
- Renewal: $36, with a new $7,500 bond and a new stamp.
- Name change: $10, plus a bond rider.
Does North Dakota require notary training or an exam?
No. Chapter 44-06.1 sets no education or examination requirement, and the Secretary of State's application steps list none. Preparing is up to you, and the office's Notaries Public Info Sheet is a short official place to start.
The Info Sheet covers the types of notarial acts, becoming a notary, stamp requirements, certificate wording, the steps to notarize a document and the fees you may charge. Read it next to the statute itself, published by the Legislative Assembly as N.D. Cent. Code chapter 44-06.1.
How does the North Dakota notary bond work?
North Dakota requires a $7,500 surety bond on form SFN 19355, filed with your application. It must cover the notarial acts you perform during the commission term, and both you and the surety's representative sign it before a notary other than you.
Each bond is tied to one term. Every renewal needs a new $7,500 bond for the new term, and a legal name change needs a bond rider that shows the old name, the new name and the effective date.
What stamp should you order, and why must North Dakota approve it first?
Wait for the Certificate of Authorization before ordering, because the vendor works from that form and the impression goes back for review before the commission issues. A round stamp may be up to 1 5/8 inches across; a rectangle, up to 7/8 by 2 5/8 inches.
The face must read "Notary Public" and "State of North Dakota", show your name and commission expiration date exactly as the commission does, and sit inside a border, all under N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-16(1). No ink color is named. Our North Dakota notary stamp guide covers the wording and size caps in detail.
The device is your responsibility. The statute bars you from letting anyone else use it, and once the commission ends you must put it out of service, whether you destroy, deface, damage or erase it or lock it away so it cannot be used.
Does North Dakota require a notary journal?
Only for remote work. N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-16.1 requires a journal of every notarial act you perform for a remotely located individual, kept for ten years after the last entry. The chapter puts no journal duty on in-person acts.
On paper, the remote journal takes the form of a permanent bound register whose pages are numbered, and an electronic format is also permitted. Before your first remote act, notify the Secretary of State and name the software provider you plan to use. For in-person work a journal is optional, and a bound one keeps each act on record.
How long is a North Dakota commission, and how do you renew it?
North Dakota commissions run four years, starting at 12:00 a.m. on the commencement date and ending at midnight on the expiration date. You may renew up to 60 days early with a $36 fee, a new $7,500 bond and a newly approved stamp.
By statute, the Secretary of State notifies each notary at least 30 days before the commission expires. Renewal repeats the stamp step: a new Certificate of Authorization, a new stamping device and a fresh impression submitted for verification before you use it, as the Maintain Notary Commission page explains. The ESS guide to notary seal expiration dates shows where the date sits on the impression.
Which events must a North Dakota notary report to the Secretary of State?
North Dakota gives you 60 days to report a legal name change or any change of address. A lost or stolen stamping device must be reported promptly once you learn of it, and you request a new Certificate of Authorization for a replacement.
Address changes go through the FirstStop Portal. A name change costs $10 and needs the bond rider described above. For the replacement after a loss or theft, the Secretary of State suggests a different type of stamp, such as the other shape or a different ink color.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a North Dakota notary charge?
No more than $5 per notarial act under N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-28. A travel fee is allowed when you and the signer agree on it in advance, and for remote acts you may pass on technology fees you incurred if that is also agreed beforehand.
How long does it take to get commissioned?
The Secretary of State publishes no processing time. The stamp step sets much of the pace, and the Verification form carries a return date, so order your stamp as soon as the Certificate of Authorization arrives.
Does a North Dakota notary stamp show a commission number?
The statute does not call for one. Its list covers your name, the expiration date, "Notary Public", "State of North Dakota" and a border, within the size caps.
Can I use an embosser in North Dakota?
The notary chapter says nothing about embossers; the device the Secretary of State verifies is your official stamp. For a document filed with a recorder, the state's recording statute accepts a seal in stamped or imprinted form.
What do I do with my stamp if I resign?
Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of the resignation and give an effective date, then destroy the stamping device so it cannot be used again.
With your Certificate of Authorization in hand, pick a round or rectangular stamp inside the size caps, or a starter kit, from the ESS North Dakota stamps and seals collection. For wording rules beyond North Dakota, see our national guide to notary stamp requirements.
