How to become a notary in Oregon

Get everything you need with a full Oregon Notary Package.

The term of an Oregon Notary commission is four years.

The cost to become an Oregon Notary ranges between $110 to $135, depending on where you purchase your Notary supplies.

It can take four to six weeks to become commissioned as an Oregon Notary Public. This depends on your availability and the time the Secretary of State needs to process your application.

Learn how you can qualify for a Notary commission in the Beaver State.

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

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a resident of or have a place of employment or practice in Oregon
• Be able to read and write English
• Not have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit during the 10-year period preceding the date of application
• Not have had a Notary commission revoked during the 10-year period preceding the date of application

You may not qualify for an Oregon Notary Public commission if you’ve been convicted of:

1. Acting as or otherwise impersonating a Notary as described in ORS 194.990.
2. Obstructing governmental or judicial administration under ORS 162.235(1)(b).
3. Engaging in the unauthorized practice of law as described in ORS 9.160.

You also must not have been found by a court to have practiced law without a license in a suit under ORS 9.166 or engaged in an unlawful trade practice described in ORS 646.608(1)(vvv).

A training course must be completed within six months leading up to your exam date.

Starting January 1, 2025, Notaries who apply to renew an active commission will also be required to complete the course before taking the exam and submitting the application.

Passing an exam is required to become a Notary in Oregon. The online, open-book exam is part of the online application, which includes true-false and multiple-choice questions based on the Notary Public Guide, live seminars and online tutorials.

Complete the application. A criminal background check will be performed upon submission.

If your application is approved, your Oath of Office will be emailed to you.

Print the oath and sign it in front of a Notary. Submit the signed oath to the Secretary of State with the $40 application fee.

Once your oath is filed, you'll receive an email with your Certificate of Authorization and Commission Certificate.

Take your Certificate of Authorization to a rubber stamp vendor to order your official Notary seal.

Oregon Notaries must use a rubber stamp ink seal and a journal for all notarial acts for paper documents.

An embosser may be used as long as the inking stamp is used as the official seal. Purchasing more than one inking stamp at a time is allowed.

The seal must contain the following information:

• The words "Official Stamp"
• Your name as it appears on your commission
• The words "Notary Public – Oregon"
• The words "Commission No." followed by your commission number
• The words "My Commission Expires _____ (date)" (month must be spelled out completely, two digits for the date and four digits for the year)

Every Oregon Notary must keep one or more Notary Public journals in which to chronicle all notarial acts performed. The Notary must retain this public record for 10 years after the last notarial act was chronicled in the journal.

Below, we answer the most common questions about being an Oregon Notary.

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Last updated: Dec 19, 2024

Get everything you need with a full Oregon Notary Package.