To become a notary in South Carolina, you must be a registered South Carolina voter who reads and writes English, sign the paper application and oath before a notary, have your county legislative delegation endorse it, and pay $25. South Carolina requires no bond, and § 26-1-15 lists no exam or course. Commissions last ten years, the longest term in the country. This page covers steps, costs, Clerk of Court enrollment, the seal and renewing.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the South Carolina Secretary of State's notary pages and S.C. Code Title 26, Chapter 1. Sources read September 2026.
| Item | South Carolina short answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | A registered South Carolina voter who reads and writes English, filing an application with no significant misstatement or omission. | S.C. Code § 26-1-15 |
| Training or course | None among the qualifications. The Secretary's seminars are free and optional. | S.C. Code § 26-1-15; Secretary of State, 2025 seminar notice |
| Exam | None for a paper commission. An exam applies only to electronic notary registration. | S.C. Code §§ 26-1-15, 26-2-30 |
| How to apply | Paper application, signature acknowledged by a person authorized to give oaths, mailed to your county legislative delegation office. | S.C. Code § 26-1-15; Secretary of State, Notaries |
| Endorsement | Half the county delegation, or your district's senator and representative, or the chair or secretary where authorized. | S.C. Code §§ 26-1-20, 26-1-25 |
| Application fee | $25 for issuance or renewal. Card payments add a $1.43 service fee. | S.C. Code § 26-1-30; Notary Public application form |
| Bond | Not required. | Secretary of State, FAQs about Notaries Public |
| Oath and filing | The constitutional oath is part of the application. Then enroll the commission with your county Clerk of Court within 15 days. | S.C. Code § 26-1-40; Notary Public Reference Manual |
| Commission term | Ten years. | S.C. Code § 26-1-10 |
| Stamp or seal | Name, "Notary Public" and "State of South Carolina", by ink stamp or embosser. Seal details. | S.C. Code §§ 26-1-5(18), 26-1-60 |
| Journal | Not required, though the Secretary strongly encourages one. | Secretary of State, FAQs about Notaries Public |
| Renewal | Same paper application and $25 fee. Send it 8 to 12 weeks before the term ends. | S.C. Code § 26-1-30; Notary Public Reference Manual |
| Name, address or county change | Change in Status request within 45 days, with a $10 fee. | S.C. Code § 26-1-130 |
| Electronic notary | Commissioned notaries may register after a course, an exam and a $50 fee. The signer must appear in person. | S.C. Code §§ 26-2-20, 26-2-30, 26-2-50(A) |
Record keeping and remote acts differ widely by state. The South Carolina rules sit beside every other jurisdiction in notary journal requirements by state and remote online notarization and the electronic seal.
Who qualifies for a South Carolina notary commission?
You must be a registered voter in South Carolina, able to read and write English, and your application must contain no significant misstatement or omission of fact. Those three conditions in S.C. Code § 26-1-15 make up the whole qualification list.
South Carolina ties eligibility to the voter rolls. Section 26-1-10 lets the Governor appoint notaries from the qualified electors, the application asks for your voter registration number, and your county delegation checks that registration before it forwards your file.
How do you apply for a South Carolina notary commission?
The application runs through your county legislative delegation, not straight to the Secretary of State. You complete the paper form, sign the oath in front of a notary, and mail the packet to the delegation office, which endorses it and passes it on.
- Print the current Notary Public Application and Renewal Application from the Secretary of State's notary page. The Secretary requires the paper form for new commissions and renewals alike.
- Fill it in, including your voter registration number.
- Sign in pen and ink, and sign the oath of office printed on the form in front of a notary, who acknowledges your signature.
- Choose how to pay the $25: check, money order or card. With a card, a payment link is emailed once the Secretary receives your file.
- Mail every page with original signatures to your county's legislative delegation office. Counties without one send it to the House of Representatives.
- The delegation verifies your voter registration and endorses the application, then forwards it to the Secretary.
- The Secretary mails your commission, which states your name and term expiration date.
- Enroll the commission with the Clerk of Court in the county where you live. The Secretary's manual says to do this within 15 days, bringing photo identification and a fee.
Each county delegation picks its endorsement method under § 26-1-20: signatures from half its members, or from the senator and representative for your district. Under § 26-1-25, members may also let the delegation chair or secretary sign for them.
What does a South Carolina notary commission cost?
The state fee is $25 for a new commission or a renewal, set by S.C. Code § 26-1-30. The current application adds a $1.43 service fee if you pay by credit or debit card. No bond premium applies, because no bond is required.
The Clerk of Court charges its own fee when you enroll the commission. The manual does not state an amount, so confirm it with your county's Clerk of Court. Later costs are small: a $10 Change in Status filing and, if you register as an electronic notary, a $50 fee under § 26-2-20.
Your seal is the main purchase. A journal is optional here, though the Secretary recommends keeping one.
Is there training, an exam or a bond for South Carolina notaries?
None of the three applies to a paper commission. The Secretary's FAQ states that South Carolina notaries are not required to be bonded, and the qualification list in § 26-1-15 contains no course or test. An exam comes in only if you later register as an electronic notary.
Free learning is available. The Secretary held free evening seminars in four counties in 2025, with attendance optional, and publishes the Notary Public Reference Manual. The seminar notice adds that once you are commissioned, keeping up the training your duties need is your responsibility.
How long does a commission last, and how do you renew?
South Carolina commissions run ten years under § 26-1-10. Renewal uses the same paper application and the same $25 fee, routed through your county delegation office, and the Secretary's manual advises sending it 8 to 12 weeks before your term expires.
Plan the seal around that date. The expiration date is not one of the three required seal items, so a stamp that omits it can carry over when your name is unchanged, while one that prints the old date will no longer show the right term. Our explainer on finding a notary seal's expiration date shows how to read yours.
What seal or stamp should you order once commissioned?
Order a seal that shows three things: your name, "Notary Public", and "State of South Carolina". Section 26-1-5(18) defines the seal that way and allows an ink stamp or an embosser, and § 26-1-60 requires it on your notarial acts.
A county is not among the required items, and the manual calls the expiration date optional on the seal. The date still has to appear, because § 26-1-60 has you show your expiration date below your signature. No size, shape, border or ink color is set.
The manual points out that rubber stamp impressions show up more clearly than embossing when a document is scanned. Ordering after your commission arrives lets you copy your name as the Secretary issued it. Our South Carolina notary seal requirements page has the full breakdown.
Should you keep a notary journal in South Carolina?
South Carolina does not require one, but the Secretary of State's FAQ says a journal is strongly encouraged. With no journal rule to follow for a paper commission, the format and the entries you record are your choice.
A dated record of each act gives you something to consult if a document you notarized is questioned later, and a bound book with numbered pages makes gaps easy to spot.
How do you report a change of name, address or county?
File a Change in Status request with the Secretary of State within 45 days of the change, with a $10 fee, under § 26-1-130. It covers a new name, a new address and a move to another county, and it can be filed through the Online Notary Portal.
A name change reaches your seal too, since the seal must carry your name. Once the Secretary records the new name, order a replacement stamp or embosser that shows it.
Can South Carolina notaries notarize electronically or remotely?
Electronic notarization is available, but only in person. Under the South Carolina Electronic Notary Public Act, § 26-2-50(A) requires the signer to appear before the electronic notary at the time of notarization.
To register, you must already hold a commission, complete an approved course, pass an exam and pay $50 under §§ 26-2-20 and 26-2-30, then pick an approved technology vendor through the Online Notary Portal. The Secretary's 2022 announcement said remote notarization was not legal in South Carolina, and its current notary page describes only in person electronic notarization.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the South Carolina Notary Public Reference Manual?
The Secretary of State posts it as a PDF on its notary page. The edition posted there is dated January 2023 and covers qualifications, the application, seals, fees and changes in status.
Does my county have to be on my seal?
No. The seal definition in § 26-1-5(18) names three items, and a county is not one of them.
Can I notarize in any county, or outside South Carolina?
Any county, yes. The Secretary's FAQ says a notary's jurisdiction extends throughout the State of South Carolina, and the manual adds that it does not reach beyond the state's borders.
What is the most I can charge for a notarization?
Section 26-1-100 caps the fee at $5 each for acknowledgments, oaths or affirmations, jurats, signature witnessings and verifications of fact.
Is a notarization invalid if I forget the seal?
Not automatically. Section 26-1-60 says a missing seal or expiration date does not invalidate a notarial act if your official title is affixed. The same section still requires the seal on your acts, so treat that as a safety net only.
Can someone who lives in another state become a South Carolina notary?
Only a registered South Carolina voter qualifies under § 26-1-15, and the application states that registration is required. Working in the state without being registered to vote here does not meet the rule.
When your commission arrives, choose a stamp or embosser from our South Carolina notary stamps and seals, set with your name, "Notary Public" and "State of South Carolina". For how the Palmetto State compares with others, see our notary seal rules across the states.
