Utah commissions adults 18 and older who hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and have lived or worked in Utah for 30 days, once they pass the Lieutenant Governor's online exam and a background check and upload a $5,000 bond and a notarized oath. State fees total $95. A commission lasts four years and is never renewed; you apply again. Since May 6, 2026, new commissions also carry a journal duty. This guide covers each step, cost and supply.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the Utah Lieutenant Governor's notary pages and Utah Code Title 46, Chapter 1, including the S.B. 139 amendments effective May 6, 2026. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | Utah answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Adults 18 and up holding U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, who read, write and understand English and have lived lawfully or worked in Utah for 30 days before applying | Utah Code § 46-1-3; Lieutenant Governor, Process and Qualifications |
| Course | None required before applying. The office posts a study guide and a 2026 journal supplement | Lieutenant Governor, Process and Qualifications |
| Exam | An online exam approved by the Lieutenant Governor, taken by every applicant | Utah Code § 46-1-3(6) |
| Background check | Mandatory for all applicants since November 1, 2019 | Lieutenant Governor, Process and Qualifications |
| State fees | $95 in total: a $55 application fee and a $40 test fee, both nonrefundable | Lieutenant Governor, FAQs |
| Bond | $5,000 from a surety, covering the four-year term | Utah Code § 46-1-4 |
| Oath and filing | Constitutional oath, notarized, uploaded with the signed bond. The commission is not effective until both are filed | Utah Code § 46-1-4; Lieutenant Governor, Notarial Bond & Oath of Office |
| Commission term | Four years, valid in any part of the state | Utah Code § 46-1-3(5) |
| Stamp | Purple ink for in-person acts, rectangular border no larger than 1 by 2.5 inches, bought after approval. See the Utah notary seal guide | Utah Code § 46-1-16 |
| Journal | A physical journal for every commission issued on or after May 6, 2026, kept 10 years after the last entry | Utah Code § 46-1-13 |
| Renewal | No renewal. An expired commission is replaced by a new application | Utah Code § 46-1-3(5) |
| Remote notary | A separate certification with $5,000 of added bond coverage | Utah Code §§ 46-1-3.5, 46-1-4 |
| Name or address change | Report within 30 days. A name change also needs documentation and a bond rider | Utah Code § 46-1-20 |
For journal and remote notarization rules beyond Utah, compare the 54-jurisdiction journal table with the 54-jurisdiction remote notarization table.
Who can become a notary in Utah?
Utah looks for an adult with U.S. citizenship or permanent residency who reads and writes English and has lived lawfully in Utah, or held a job there, for at least 30 days before applying. The exam and a background check come next.
The residency test is either one or the other, so a person who lives across the border but works in Utah can apply. After the commission issues, Utah Code § 46-1-3(7) requires you to keep permanent residency or employment in the state for the whole term.
The Lieutenant Governor may turn down an application over a conviction involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, a prior license revocation or suspension, earlier official misconduct as a notary, or a failed exam. Since November 1, 2019, every applicant has had to submit a background check.
What are the steps to apply for a Utah notary commission?
The Lieutenant Governor lists eight steps in a fixed order: study, open an account, pass the exam, clear the background check, buy the bond, notarize the oath, upload both documents, and buy your stamp and journal after approval.
- Study the office's study guide, the 2026 journal supplement and the notary chapter of the Utah Code.
- Create your account in the Lieutenant Governor's online notary application.
- Take, pay for and pass the exam online.
- Complete the background check, which every applicant must submit.
- Obtain a $5,000 notarial bond from a surety, with your name spelled exactly as it is on the application.
- Have your oath of office notarized by another notary.
- Upload the signed bond and the notarized oath to your application.
- Buy a stamp and journal from a private supplier once the office approves you and your Certificate of Authority arrives.
The application moved to a new system on September 16, 2026, according to the Lieutenant Governor's notary news page. New applicants create an account there, and sitting notaries log in and link their current commission to the new account.
New applicants date the bond with the current date. The office requires the bond date to fall within 90 days of the day your commission is officially approved, and it rejects any bond that is unsigned.
How much does a Utah notary commission cost?
The Lieutenant Governor charges $95: a $55 application fee plus a $40 test fee, and neither is refunded. The bond premium, the stamp and the journal are paid to private companies, and the office's FAQ puts a four-year bond near $50.
- Application: $55, nonrefundable.
- Test: $40, nonrefundable.
- Retest: $40 if you sit again within 30 days of the first attempt. After 30 days, the full $95 applies again.
- Bond: the premium is set by the surety. The office names no preferred provider.
- Stamp and journal: bought from third parties, since the notary office supplies neither.
- Remote certification: an added fee and added bond coverage, covered in the remote section below.
Is there a Utah notary course or exam?
Utah sets no required course, but every applicant must pass an exam that the Lieutenant Governor approves, taken online through the application account. The office supplies the study materials, and a failed attempt can be retaken for $40 within 30 days.
The listed preparation materials are the Utah Notary Public Study Guide and Handbook, the 2026 study guide supplement on notary journals, the notary chapter of Title 46 and the office FAQ. The FAQ explains the four acts a Utah notary performs: acknowledgments, jurats, signature witnessing and copy certification.
The exam is not a one-time hurdle. Section 46-1-3(6) applies to each applicant for a commission, and because Utah has no renewal, a notary seeking another term is an applicant again.
How does the $5,000 Utah notary bond work?
A Utah commission needs a four-year, $5,000 notarial bond executed by a surety company and filed with the Lieutenant Governor, together with your constitutional oath. Under § 46-1-4, the commission has no effect until both are filed.
The bond exists to protect the public, not you. If the surety pays a claim caused by your misconduct, you must reimburse it. The bond and oath page adds two filing rules: the name on the bond must match your application exactly, and you must sign it as principal.
Surety companies usually include the oath form with the bond, and a blank form is also available from the office. Remote notaries carry a second layer: § 46-1-4 requires another $5,000 of coverage on top of the base bond.
Which stamp should you order after the Lieutenant Governor approves you?
Order a rectangular inked stamp no larger than 1 by 2.5 inches, in purple for in-person work, once your application is approved and the Certificate of Authority arrives. Its face repeats your commission details exactly.
Under Utah Code § 46-1-16(3)(b), the face shows your name and commission number exactly as the commission states them, the words state of Utah and notary public, the phrase my commission expires on with your expiration date, and a facsimile of the great seal of the state. Black ink is reserved for remote acts.
An embosser can add a second impression but never replaces the inked seal. The seal is your exclusive property, and S.B. 139 made unauthorized use or possession of a notary seal or journal a crime. Our Utah notary seal ink and size guide walks through each element.
What must a Utah notary journal record after S.B. 139?
Every notary commissioned on or after May 6, 2026 must keep a physical journal of each in-person act in a secure location, plus a secure electronic journal of remote acts. A notary commissioned earlier picks up the duty with the next commission.
The office's journal supplement lists what each entry holds:
- The date and time of the notarization and its type: jurat, acknowledgment, signature witnessing or copy certification.
- The document's title or a description of it.
- How the signer's identity was proven. For an ID, record its type, issuing agency, last four digits, and issue and expiration dates.
- For a credible witness, the oath given, the statement of personal knowledge, and the witness's printed name, address, signature and ID details.
- Whether an oath or affirmation was given, the signer's signature, printed name and address, and any fee charged.
Keep each journal for 10 years after its last recorded act, then shred it or otherwise make it illegible. Notaries employed by an attorney, a law firm or a title agency need not record acts done within that job. A bound book with numbered pages, the format § 46-1-13(1) has long described, keeps entries in order.
How long does a Utah commission last, and how do you get another one?
A Utah commission runs four years and covers the whole state. There is no renewal: once it expires you cannot notarize until you hold a new commission, which means a new application, exam, bond and oath.
A reapplying notary dates the new bond with the current commission's expiration date so the two terms do not overlap. Each new commission brings a new expiration date for the stamp face, so plan a new stamp for each term. Where that date sits on the impression is covered in our guide to reading a notary seal's expiration date.
A remote certification does not carry over by itself. The Lieutenant Governor's remote application instructions say you reapply for it at each new commission.
What do you report after a name change, an address change or a lost seal?
Send the Lieutenant Governor a new name or a new residential or business address within 30 days. A name change also needs official documentation of the change and a bond policy rider, both required by Utah Code § 46-1-20.
A lost, stolen, damaged or tampered seal is more urgent. On learning of it, notify law enforcement immediately and give the Lieutenant Governor written notice. The same duty covers your journal and any electronic notary materials.
If you stop living or working in Utah, you no longer meet the § 46-1-3(7) condition for holding the commission. A resignation goes to the Lieutenant Governor as a notice that states its effective date.
How do you become a remote notary in Utah?
A Utah notary, or an applicant, can apply for a separate remote notary certification. It calls for $5,000 of added bond coverage, a state-approved remote platform, and an electronic seal and signature, and remote seals print in black.
The office's remote application instructions set out the sequence: arrange work with an approved vendor, raise total bond coverage to $10,000 through a rider or a second $5,000 bond, obtain the electronic seal and signature, then submit the application with a notarized remote oath, proof of the bond and a PDF of the seal and signature. Those instructions list a $50 fee.
For notaries commissioned on or after May 6, 2026, remote acts go into a secure electronic journal under § 46-1-13(2), separate from the paper journal for in-person work.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Utah application process take?
The Lieutenant Governor publishes no processing time. The deadlines it does set are the 30-day window for a $40 retest and the rule that your bond be dated within 90 days of approval, so buy the bond close to the day you upload it.
Can a Utah notary work in any county?
Yes. Section 46-1-3(5) lets a commissioned notary perform notarial acts in any part of the state for the four-year term.
Do notaries commissioned before May 6, 2026 need a journal now?
Not yet. The mandatory journal applies to commissions received on or after that date, so an earlier notary starts with the next commission. Section 46-1-13(1) still lets current notaries keep a journal voluntarily.
What happens if I fail the Utah notary exam?
You can retest for $40 within 30 days of the original test date. Wait longer and the full $95 is charged again.
Can an embosser replace the inked Utah stamp?
No. An embosser impression is allowed only in addition to the purple inked seal, never in place of it.
Where do I buy Utah notary supplies?
From a private supplier. The notary office does not provide stamps or journals, and it directs you to buy both after approval and the Certificate of Authority.
With your Certificate of Authority in hand, choose a purple-ink stamp and a journal from the ESS Utah stamps and seals collection. To see how Utah's seal rules compare with the rest of the country, read our notary seal requirements by state.
