How to Become a Notary Public in Illinois

The filing fee for an Illinois Notary application is $15. The cost of your bond, seal and journal will vary based on the vendor you choose. Be sure to check the fine print and product quality before buying your supplies. Some vendors may package items with additional or hidden fees — processing fees for example.

Additional expenses to consider are the course, exam and journal, which will be required when the Secretary of State adopts rules. We will update this page as soon as more information is available.

New Notaries may need more assistance than experienced Notaries. Training courses, books and live expert assistance are often must-haves for new Notaries who are learning how to perform their duties.

It can take five to eight weeks for the state to issue your Notary commission.

The term of an Illinois Notary commission is four years.

There are several qualifications for a person to become an Illinois Notary. You must:

• Be a citizen of or lawful permanent resident in the U.S.
• Be a resident of the state of Illinois, or employed in the state and reside in a qualifying border state, for 30 days
• Provide your date of birth
• Be proficient in English
• Not be convicted of a felony
• Not have a previous Notary commission revoked or suspended in the last 10 years

Training is not required for Illinois Notaries but, as with anything new and unfamiliar, it's a good idea to take a course that will help you fully understand how to properly perform your important duties.

When the Secretary of State adopts rules to implement the new law, Notaries will be required to take an online course.

No, applicants do not need to take an exam to become a Notary Public in Illinois.

When the Secretary of State adopts rules to implement the new law, Notaries will be required to pass an exam.

In Illinois, Notaries are required to use a Notary seal stamp. The seal should be in a rectangular form no larger than 1" in height by 2.5" in length with a serrated or milled edge border. The following information should be within the border:

• Your name as it appears on your commission
• The words "Official Seal"
• The words "Notary Public"
• The words "State of Illinois"
• The words "My commission expires _______ (date)"

Stamps should not bleed during or after use. Ask the vendor you choose about product guarantees because quality and durability can vary greatly.

A Notary journal or record book is required. It's recommended as a best practice to record all notarizations in your journal. The journal may be paper or electronic, and more than one journal may be used. When you're deciding which journal to buy, look for security features like tamper-proof sewn binding.

Notaries in Illinois are required by law to purchase a $5,000 four-year surety bond from a company qualified to write bonds in the state. A bond is not insurance. A bond is a financial guarantee from a bonding company to those who rely on a Notary and experience financial damages because a Notary intentionally or unintentionally violated a law. If damages are paid out from the bond, you will need to repay your surety company.

Since a surety bond does not protect the Notary, many Notaries choose to purchase optional errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policies to protect themselves from legal expenses. E&O insurance is not a requirement in Illinois.

The Illinois Secretary of State, located in Springfield, IL, issues Notary Public commissions.

You can find several Notary Public training options online, including the NNA's Notary Essentials course. Online training can be convenient and can do an excellent job of preparing you for your new responsibilities. It's important to thoroughly review any company you plan to work with, as some have courses developed by on-staff Notary experts and some simply consist of information pulled from other, more authoritative, sources.

You will be able to notarize anywhere in the state of Illinois.

You can notarize documents for everyone who presents acceptable identification, excluding yourself.

Illinois law doesn't specifically prohibit notarizing for family members, but you can't notarize documents you are named in or would benefit from. You can't notarize for someone you know is adjudged mentally ill or for a blind person unless you read the document to them. You can't notarize for people who don't understand English unless the document being notarized is translated into a language they do understand.

Illinois sets the maximum fee Notaries can charge per notarial act at $1.

If you change the county in which you reside or your name, your commission ceases to be in effect, and you'll be required to apply for a new commission to continue serving as a Notary Public.

If you move within the same county, complete the Notary Public Change of Address or Employer form and submit it to the Secretary of State.

Failing to properly identify a person, failing to administer an oath or affirmation, and failing to affix the Notary seal are the most common oversights made by both new and experienced Notaries.

It depends. Even the most careful and detail-oriented people can make mistakes. As a Notary Public, you handle documents that are central to important transactions. Any mistake you make or misconduct you engage in could be very costly for everyone involved. But you can be sued even if you've done nothing wrong, and lawsuits can be expensive. If you are diligent in following the law and keep thorough records, you'll be better prepared for any legal action that comes your way.

About 60 days prior to your commission expiration date, the state will mail you a notice with a new application and bond form. You must maintain your $5,000 surety bond and buy a new Notary seal with your updated commission expiration date.

When the Secretary adopts rules to implement the new laws, Notaries will be able to apply to become an electronic Notary in Illinois. You'll need to buy a $25,000 surety bond, take the required course, pass an exam, and purchase your digital Notary supplies like your eSeal and digital certificate.

Notaries may buy a single bond in the amount of $30,000 to satisfy the $5,000 bond requirement for traditional notarizations and the $25,000 bond requirement for electronic notarizations.

When the Secretary adopts rules to implement the new laws, Illinois Notaries with an active commission will be able to perform remote online notarization (RON). While there's no formal registration process, we'll provide a guide soon that will detail what you need to know about RON in Illinois.

If you're not quite ready yet, we have additional resources where you can learn what a Notary is, what they do and why you should become a commissioned Notary.