To become a notary in Washington, you must be at least 18, live or work in the state, read and write English, buy a $10,000 surety bond, sign a notarized oath of office and apply to the Department of Licensing with the $40 fee. Washington has no required course and no exam. A commission runs four years, or ends sooner if your bond expires first. This guide covers eligibility, each application step, the full cost, the stamp you order after approval, the journal and renewal.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the Washington State Department of Licensing notary pages, chapter 42.45 RCW and chapter 308-30 WAC. Sources read September 2026.
Washington notary commission at a glance
| Requirement | Short answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Age 18 or older, a Washington resident or someone with a place of employment or practice in the state, able to read and write English, and not disqualified | RCW 42.45.200(2) |
| Training or course | Not required. The Department strongly urges a class | Department of Licensing notary FAQ |
| Exam | None | Department of Licensing notary FAQ |
| How to apply | Online through SecureAccess Washington, or a paper Notary Public Commission Application by mail | WAC 308-30-030; Department of Licensing application page |
| Application fee | $40, nonrefundable | WAC 308-30-060 |
| Bond | $10,000 surety bond, in force for four years or until the commission expires | WAC 308-30-030; RCW 42.45.200(4) |
| Oath and filing | A signed, notarized oath of office goes in with the application | RCW 42.45.200(3); WAC 308-30-030 |
| Commission term | Four years, or shorter if the bond expires first | RCW 42.45.200(5) |
| Stamp or seal | Ordered only after the commission certificate is issued. Shows your name, commission number and expiration date. Washington stamp rules | RCW 42.45.150; WAC 308-30-070, 308-30-080 |
| Journal | Permanent bound book with numbered pages, kept ten years after the last entry | RCW 42.45.180 |
| Renewal | Up to 120 days before expiration, with a new bond copy and a $42 fee. No grace period | Department of Licensing renewal page; WAC 308-30-060 |
| Electronic or remote | Electronic records endorsement ($15); remote endorsement requires the electronic one | WAC 308-30-030, 308-30-060 |
Record keeping and remote acts differ widely by state. The Washington rules sit beside every other jurisdiction in notary journal requirements by state and remote online notarization and the electronic seal.
Who can become a notary in Washington?
Any adult who lives in Washington, or who has a place of employment or practice here, can apply if they read and write English and are not disqualified under RCW 42.45.210. RCW 42.45.200 does not list U.S. citizenship among the qualifications.
The workplace option opens the door to people who commute in from Idaho or Oregon: a Washington place of employment qualifies you even when your home address sits across the state line.
Under RCW 42.45.210, the Department may deny a commission for a conviction of any felony or of a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit, and a false statement on the application is its own ground for denial. The Department's FAQ says it reviews past convictions case by case.
You give the Department two names: your legal name and a commission name. WAC 308-30-030(2) requires the commission name to contain your surname and at least the initials of your first and middle names. That commission name is the one your stamp will carry.
How do you apply for a Washington notary commission?
Buy the bond, have your oath notarized, then file the application online through SecureAccess Washington or on paper by mail. The Department issues a commission certificate, and only after that can a vendor make your stamp.
- Confirm you qualify and settle on your commission name.
- Buy a $10,000 surety bond from a company licensed or authorized to write surety bonds in Washington. An errors and omissions policy does not satisfy this step.
- Sign the oath of office in front of a notary. The Department asks for a notarized oath.
- Apply. Online, log in to SecureAccess Washington, upload electronic copies of the signed bond and the notarized oath, and pay the fee. By mail, send the Notary Public Commission Application, a copy of the signed bond and a check or money order payable to the Department of Licensing.
- Wait for the commission certificate. The Department asks applicants to allow at least 30 days and has no expedited service. Incomplete files take longer.
- Order your stamp and hand the vendor a copy of the certificate.
- Set up a bound journal before your first notarial act.
The Department describes online filing as the faster route on its notary application page. Keep your own copies of the bond and oath, since the renewal filing asks for a bond copy again.
How much does it cost to become a notary in Washington?
The state charges a $40 application fee under WAC 308-30-060, and the fee is nonrefundable. Your other costs are the premium on the $10,000 bond, which each bonding company sets, plus the stamp and journal you buy after approval.
- Application: $40.
- Electronic records endorsement: $15, optional.
- Renewal: $42 each term, plus $15 to renew an electronic records endorsement.
- Bond premium: set by the surety you choose. The Department's FAQ says pricing varies by provider.
- Stamp and journal: bought from a vendor once the commission is issued.
A class is optional, so any course fee is your call. The Department records an address change at no charge; its fee schedule lists every current amount.
Is there a required course or exam for Washington notaries?
No. Washington requires neither a course nor an exam before it issues a commission. The Department of Licensing FAQ still strongly urges applicants to take a class, and the Department publishes a Notary Public Guide on its website.
That leaves the learning to you. The rules a new notary applies every day are written in chapter 42.45 RCW and chapter 308-30 WAC: what the journal records, what the stamp shows and how fast a lost stamp gets reported.
Electronic notarization adds a platform to learn. WAC 308-30-130(2) requires technology providers to take reasonable steps to make sure a notary has the knowledge to use their system.
How does the Washington notary bond work?
Washington requires a $10,000 surety bond, which the statute calls an assurance, submitted with your application. It must cover acts performed during your commission and stay in force for four years or until the commission expires.
The bond must come from a surety or other entity licensed or authorized to write surety bonds in Washington (RCW 42.45.200(4)). It also sets the length of your commission: the Department issues a commission for four years or until the bond expires, whichever comes first. The FAQ notes that a commission may run only two years when the bond expires sooner.
An errors and omissions policy is a different product. The Department says E&O coverage does not meet the bond requirement and tells mail applicants not to send one. At renewal, buy the new bond first, because the renewal filing includes a copy of it.
What stamp or seal do you order once you are commissioned?
Order a Washington notary stamp only after the Department issues your commission certificate, and give the vendor a copy of it. RCW 42.45.150 makes it unlawful to make, sell or possess a notary stamp before the commission exists.
The face must show your commissioned name, your commission number and your expiration date, along with the words notary public and state of Washington (RCW 42.45.150(1), WAC 308-30-070). A round stamp needs a diameter of at least 1 5/8 inches, and a rectangular one at least 1 inch by 1 5/8 inches. Both figures are floors, not caps, and the type must be 8 point or larger.
Two more rules shape the order. The Washington state seal may not appear on the stamp (WAC 308-30-070(4)), and impressions on paper need permanent ink that photocopies. The statute allows an embosser, but in practice it supplements the inked stamp; our Washington notary stamp requirements guide covers each element.
The stamp belongs to you. Under WAC 308-30-080(3), it is not surrendered to an employer when you leave a job, even if the employer paid for it, the bond or your fees.
What are the journal rules for Washington notaries?
Every Washington notary must record each notarial act in a journal at the time of notarization. The paper journal must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages, kept for ten years after your last notarial act.
Each entry records:
- the date and time of the act;
- a description of the record, if any, and the type of act;
- the full name and address of each individual served;
- how you identified the signer, and the signer's signature (WAC 308-30-200).
Store the journal in a locked, secured area under your direct and exclusive control (RCW 42.45.180). An electronic journal is allowed only in addition to the paper book, and remote notaries keep the paper book too, noting each remote act in it. If a journal is lost or stolen, notify the Department promptly.
When a commission ends through resignation, revocation or suspension, you still keep the journal for the retention period and tell the Department where it is. Like the stamp, the journal is your property, not your employer's.
How long does a Washington commission last, and how do you renew it?
A commission lasts four years, or less if the bond expires first. You can renew up to 120 days before expiration with a copy of a new $10,000 bond and the $42 fee, but an expired commission cannot be renewed.
WAC 308-30-030(8) requires a notary to reapply for each commission term before performing notarial acts. The Department's renewal page adds that there is no grace period: once a commission expires, you apply again as a new notary. Renewals go through SecureAccess Washington or by mail with the renewal application.
Plan on a new stamp at every renewal. The expiration date on the face changes, and Washington issues a new commission number with each commission. RCW 42.45.150 still requires you to use the stamp for the commission in effect on the day of the act, even if the next stamp has already arrived. Our notary seal expiration guide explains how to track the date.
What do you file after a name change, address change or lost stamp?
Report name and address changes to the Department of Licensing on its forms. A name change also needs a bond rider from your surety, and you keep using the old stamp, name and signature until the new certificate arrives.
WAC 308-30-250, amended effective March 7, 2026, sets the order. The Department issues a duplicate certificate showing the new name, and only then do you switch to a stamp with the new name. An address change costs nothing and produces no new certificate. Neither the statute nor the rules put a number of days on either notice.
A lost or stolen stamp has a firm deadline: written notice to the Department within ten business days of finding out the stamp is gone (WAC 308-30-090). You may not buy a replacement until that notice is given, and the replacement must differ in some way from the original. If the old stamp turns up later, destroy it.
Can Washington notaries notarize electronic records or work remotely?
Yes, through endorsements. An electronic records endorsement costs $15 and requires an active commission or a joint application. A remote notary endorsement requires the electronic records endorsement, either already held or applied for at the same time.
Within 30 days of applying for the electronic records endorsement, you must tell the Department which tamper-evident technology provider you enrolled with (WAC 308-30-030(5)). Renewing the endorsement costs another $15 each term. Both endorsements depend on a regular commission, so the bond, oath and journal steps above come first.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a notary in Washington?
The Department asks applicants to allow at least 30 days after filing and offers no rush option. Add time before that to buy the bond and get the oath notarized, and after it for stamp production, since no vendor may make the stamp until your certificate exists.
Can a Washington notary work anywhere in the state?
Yes. A Washington commission is not tied to a county. RCW 42.45.080 authorizes a notary public of this state to perform notarial acts in this state, and the stamp names the state rather than a county.
Can I keep notarizing while my renewal is pending?
Only until your current expiration date. Authority ends with the commission, and the Department will not renew a commission that has already expired. File inside the 120 day window so the new commission is ready in time.
Is this the same as a Washington, DC notary application?
No. This page covers Washington State. Notaries in the District of Columbia are commissioned by the DC Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, which runs its own application and eligibility rules.
What do I do with my old stamp after the commission expires?
The Department's FAQ says you may discard it once the commission it belongs to has expired, and it sets no special disposal method. A stamp replaced after a loss is different: if the original is recovered, WAC 308-30-090 requires you to destroy it.
Once your certificate arrives, you can order a compliant stamp from our Washington stamps and seals collection. Check the face against the Washington notary stamp rules before you order, and if you also hold a commission elsewhere, compare it on our state by state notary seal requirements page.
