To become a notary in Missouri, you must be at least 18, live or work in the state, read and write English, complete the Secretary of State's training and score 80 percent on its exam, apply with a $25 fee, then take the oath and file a $10,000 bond at your county clerk within 60 days. The commission lasts four years. Below are the steps, costs, bond, seal, journal and renewal rules.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the Missouri Secretary of State's Notaries and Commissions Unit and RSMo chapter 486. Sources read September 2026.
| Rule or step | What Missouri requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Age 18 or older, living or regularly working in Missouri, legally residing in the United States, and able to read and write English. | RSMo § 486.605.2 |
| Nonresidents | Eligible when employed in Missouri and using the seal in that job. The Secretary becomes agent for service of process. | RSMo § 486.605.3 |
| Training or course | Attest to reading the Missouri Notary Public Handbook or taking the Secretary's training, online or written (form Comm. 59). | RSMo § 486.630.3(1); Secretary of State, How to Become a Notary |
| Exam | A score of 80 percent or better on the Secretary's examination before a commission issues. | RSMo § 486.630.3(2) |
| How to apply | Online, or by mail on form Comm. 51 (resident) or Comm. 53 (nonresident), with proof of training. | Secretary of State, Forms for New Notary |
| Application fee | $25, nonrefundable. | RSMo §§ 486.630.5, 28.160 |
| Bond | $10,000, written for four years to match the commission dates and county. | RSMo § 486.615; Secretary of State, Notary FAQ |
| Oath and filing | In person at the county clerk within 60 days of issuance: present the bond, take the oath, sign a specimen. | RSMo § 486.620 |
| Commission term | Four years, statewide. | RSMo § 486.610 |
| Stamp or seal | Seven elements including a rectangular or circular border. A vendor must see your commission first. Seal details. | RSMo §§ 486.730.1, 486.735 |
| Journal | One permanently bound book with numbered pages, kept 10 years from the last entry. | RSMo § 486.700 |
| Renewal | New application and training no earlier than six weeks before expiration, then a new bond, oath and seal. | RSMo § 486.625; Secretary of State, Reappointments |
| Name or address change | Signed notice within 10 days with a $5 fee. | Secretary of State, Notary FAQ |
| Remote online notary | Open to commissioned notaries who register, train online and use approved software while physically in Missouri. | RSMo §§ 486.1115, 486.1155; Secretary of State, Electronic Notary Info |
Record keeping and remote acts differ widely by state. The Missouri rules sit beside every other jurisdiction in notary journal requirements by state and remote online notarization and the electronic seal.
Who is eligible to become a Missouri notary?
RSMo § 486.605.2 requires that you be at least 18, reside or have a regular place of work or business in Missouri, reside legally in the United States, read and write English, and pass the Secretary's examination. Nonresidents who work in Missouri may qualify for use on the job.
The Secretary's How to Become a Notary page adds detail by applicant type. Residents apply for the county where they legally live, and the page lists being a registered voter of that county or a resident alien. Nonresidents need an employee address in the county of commission and may use the seal only in the course of their Missouri employment.
The Secretary may deny an application for a material misstatement, a felony or an offense involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, or a prior revocation or suspension. After a conviction or a disciplinary action, § 486.605.4 bars a commission for five years.
What are the steps to get a Missouri notary commission?
Missouri puts the training and the exam ahead of the application, and the commission takes effect only after you post a bond and take the oath at the county clerk. The sequence below follows the Secretary's published steps and chapter 486.
- Read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook.
- Complete the Secretary's online training course or the written course on form Comm. 59. Before a commission issues, § 486.630.3 requires a score of 80 percent or better on the Secretary's examination.
- Apply online, or mail form Comm. 51 (resident) or Comm. 53 (nonresident) signed under oath, with your training certificate or completed written course and the $25 fee.
- Buy a $10,000 surety bond written for four years, covering the same dates and county as your commission.
- Watch for your commission. The Secretary sends it to the county clerk where you live or work and gives you notice to present the bond.
- Within 60 days of issuance, appear in person at the county clerk's office, present the bond, take the oath, and sign a handwritten specimen that matches the name typed on the commission.
- The oath and bond go to the Secretary's office within seven days of the oath date, and your status is updated once they are approved.
- Present your commission to a seal vendor and order your official seal.
Missing the 60 day window has a price. The county clerk marks the commission not qualified and returns it to the Secretary within 15 days, and you may have to reapply from the start.
How much does a Missouri notary commission cost?
The state charges a $25 nonrefundable application fee, made up of the $15 commission fee and a $10 charge on new and renewal commissions under RSMo § 28.160. Paying by card on a mailed form adds a $1.25 convenience fee.
The $10,000 is the amount of the bond, not a fee paid to the state. The Secretary's FAQ says the bond may be bought from a personal insurance agent, a bank or a bonding company, so price it separately. Each later name or address change costs $5.
Add the seal, which the state does not issue, and a permanently bound journal. Missouri law requires both.
What training and exam does Missouri require?
Every applicant must attest to having read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook or completed the Secretary's prescribed training, and must score 80 percent or better on the Secretary's examination. Both requirements sit in RSMo § 486.630.3.
The statute says the training and exam cover notarial laws, procedures and ethics. The Secretary offers an online course and a written one, form Comm. 59, and the application instructions ask for either a certificate of state approved training or the completed written form.
The requirement repeats at every renewal. The Secretary's reappointment page says to take the course no earlier than six weeks before your current commission expires.
How does the $10,000 notary bond work?
Under RSMo § 486.615, your commission does not take effect until you present the oath and a $10,000 bond to the county clerk. The bond runs four years, and payment on it is conditioned on your official misconduct as a notary.
The surety has to report every claim against the bond to the Secretary. If claims use up the full amount, the Secretary suspends your commission until you obtain a new bond and the Secretary decides you are fit to serve out the term.
Because the bond must match the commission's dates and county, each renewal needs a new one. A name change also means writing to the bonding company, as covered below.
How long is a Missouri commission, and how do you renew it?
A commission lasts four years under RSMo § 486.610 and is valid anywhere in Missouri, but only in Missouri. Renewal is a fresh application, because § 486.625 makes current notaries comply anew with the application, qualification and bond rules.
The reappointment page lays out the order: take the training no earlier than six weeks before expiration, file the reapplication online or on paper, buy a new four year bond, and qualify in person at the county clerk. The fee is again $25.
Watch the qualifying deadline. Section 486.620 gives 60 days from issuance to take the oath, while the reappointment page still mentions 90 days, so work to the shorter statutory window. You also need a new seal, because each new commission carries a new expiration date; our page on checking when a notary seal expires helps you confirm yours.
What seal do you order once you are commissioned?
Missouri ties the seal order to your commission: under RSMo § 486.735, a vendor may not supply a notary seal unless you present a commission issued by the Secretary. For a mail or online order, the vendor confirms your standing through the Secretary's website.
Section 486.730.1 fixes the face. It must show your name exactly as the commission states it and your commission identification number, plus four pieces of fixed wording: "State of Missouri", "Notary Public", "Notary Seal" and "My commission expires" with the date. A rectangular or circular border surrounds it all, and no overall size is set.
An embosser can only supplement the official seal, never stand in for it, and one embosser may be issued per commission on request alongside the one official seal. The vendor files an image of each seal with the Secretary within seven business days. Our Missouri notary seal requirements page covers each element.
What goes in a Missouri notary journal?
RSMo § 486.700 requires a permanently bound book with numbered pages, one active at a time, kept for at least ten years after the last entry. The Secretary's training form adds that a spiral notebook or a book with removable pages does not qualify.
Each entry records the date and time, the type of act, a description of the document or proceeding, the signature, printed name and address of each principal, the name and address of any requester of a fact, how you identified each principal, the fee, and the address where you performed the act.
What must you file after a name or address change?
Send the Secretary a signed notice within ten days, with a $5 fee, using a delivery method that gives you a tangible receipt. An address notice lists both the old and the new residence, business or mailing address.
A name change by court order or marriage takes more. The notice gives your former and new names with a copy of the official authorization. You must also tell your bonding company in writing and buy a new seal in the new name, and § 486.735 has the vendor ask for the Secretary's confirmation of the change.
Can Missouri notaries perform remote online notarizations?
Yes, once you hold a regular commission. RSMo §§ 486.1100 to 486.1205 authorize remote online notarization, and the Secretary requires a separate online registration and online training course, plus software chosen from the state's approved list.
The Secretary tests and certifies each remote platform before use under § 486.1115. During every remote session you must be physically located in Missouri, as § 486.1155 requires, though the signer may be elsewhere. Read the Secretary's electronic notary information before you register.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Missouri Notary Public Handbook required reading?
Reading it is one of two ways to meet the training attestation in § 486.630.3; the other is the Secretary's prescribed training. The application also asks you to confirm you have read the handbook, and a paper copy can be ordered through the Secretary's forms page for current notaries.
Can I notarize outside the county on my commission?
Yes. The Secretary's FAQ says a resident notary may notarize in any Missouri county. A nonresident notary may too, but only within the course of the Missouri employment that qualified them.
Can a Missouri notary notarize in another state?
No. Section 486.610 limits notarial acts to this state. That holds for remote online work as well, where you, the notary, must be physically in Missouri during the session.
Does the state provide my notary seal?
No. The Secretary's FAQ puts the responsibility on you. You buy the seal from a vendor after your commission issues, and the vendor must verify that commission before making it.
What if my seal is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary within ten days of finding it missing, using a method that gives a tangible receipt, and include a copy or number of any police report; theft or vandalism goes to law enforcement first. You then receive a replacement commission from the Secretary to show the seal vendor.
What do I do with my seal when the commission ends?
Destroy or deface it as soon as reasonably practicable after resignation or expiration, under § 486.725.5. If the commission is revoked, send the seal to the Secretary's office for disposal instead; failing to do so can bring a $500 fine.
After the county clerk swears you in, take your commission to our Missouri notary stamps and seals, where the rectangular and round seals are built around the elements § 486.730.1 lists. To compare Missouri with other states, read our state by state notary seal requirements.
