How to become a notary in Missouri

Get everything you need with a full Missouri Notary Package.

The Missouri Secretary of State has different requirements for traditional, electronic and remote online Notaries. Find more information about applying for a traditional MO Notary Public commission below.

The term of a Missouri Notary commission is four years.

The cost to become a Missouri Notary Public is between $133 to $180, depending on where you purchase your Notary supplies and which county clerk you visit.

The Missouri Secretary of State recommends allowing four to six weeks to process a Notary Public application.

Learn how you can qualify to become a Notary in the Show-Me State.

A Notary Public applicant in Missouri must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a permanent resident alien of the U.S.
• Be a resident of the MO county where they are applying or have a work address in that county
• Be able to read and write English
• Have no felony convictions

Reading the Missouri Notary Public Handbook is required before submitting your application.

The Notary training course may be completed online or on paper. During the course, you’ll be asked a series of questions. A passing score is required to get a commission.

The Application for Commission as a Notary Public form may be completed online or by mail.

Submit your application, completion certificate and $25 fee to the Secretary of State. You’ll receive your commission letter from the state.

The county clerk will notify you to file your bond and take your oath of office in person within 60 days.

Within seven days of taking your oath, mail your bond, oath of office and signature to the Secretary of State.

Missouri Notaries must use an engraved embosser, or a black-inked rubber stamp seal, and a journal for all notarial acts for paper documents.

The seal must contain the following information in print in at least eight-point type:

• Your name as it appears on your commission
• The words "Notary Seal"
• The words "Notary Public"
• The words "State of Missouri"
• Your commission number assigned by the Secretary of State
• Your commission expiration date (optional)
• Your county of commission (optional)

The information in the seal must be surrounded by a border in a rectangular or circular shape no larger than 1/16". The Missouri Notary Public Handbook includes more information regarding what your stamp should look like.

Every Missouri Notary must keep a permanently bound journal of their notarial acts containing numbered pages. Simple notebooks or glue-bound journals are not acceptable in Missouri.

Within 45 days of appointment, Missouri Notaries are required to purchase a $10,000 surety bond from an authorized company to protect signers against financial damages resulting from the Notary's negligence or misconduct.

Have more questions about being a Notary? Read on below.

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Last updated: Jan 22, 2025

Get everything you need with a full Missouri Notary Package.