How to Become a Notary Public in Washington DC

The Mayor, through the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, located in Washington, DC, issues Notary Public commissions.

In Washington, DC, there are seven types of Notary Public commissions: 1) Residential, 2) Business, 3) DC Government, 4) Federal Government, 5) Dual - Business, 6) Dual - Gov/DC, and 7) Dual - Gov/Federal.

A residential Notary must be a resident of Washington, DC and serve on behalf of their community for an optional fee. Applicants must submit a residential letter of request, pay the application fee, and must purchase a surety bond.

A business Notary must have a primary place of business or employment within the District and provide notarial services solely for the business rather than for personal gain. Applicants must submit a business letter of request from their supervisor, pay the application fee, and purchase a surety bond.

A DC government Notary serves on behalf of an agency of the District for no fee. Applicants must submit a business letter of request from their supervisor. No application fee or surety bond is required.

A federal government Notary serves on behalf of a federal government agency for no fee. Applicants must submit a business letter of request from their supervisor and purchase a surety bond. No application fee is required.

To apply for a dual commission, you must submit two letters of request (one from you and one from your supervisor), pay the application fee, and purchase a surety bond. Dual-commissioned Notaries may charge fees for notarizations performed for the community or for a business, but may not charge fees when performing notarial acts on behalf of a DC or federal government agency.

You will be able to notarize anywhere in the District of Columbia.

You may notarize for everyone, excluding yourself and your spouse. You cannot notarize your own signature or that of your spouse, nor can you notarize documents in which either of you is named or from which you would benefit.

While the District of Columbia law doesn't specifically prohibit notarizing for a relative, the District highly advises against it due to a possible conflict of interest. If you perform notarizations as part of your employment, your employer may limit the notarizations you perform during your work hours.

District of Columbia Notaries may charge up to $5 per signature when completing an acknowledgment and $5 for each jurat completed.

You may charge an additional fee for travel, provided the signer agrees to it in advance. The travel fee should not exceed the actual and reasonable expense of traveling to a place where the notarial act will be performed if it's not the usual place where you perform notarizations.

Any changes to your address or name must be reported to ONCA within 15 calendar days.

ONCA provides a Commission Change Request Form for changes in address, employer, name, and to report lost or stolen supplies and to resign your commission.

• Address changes: Submit the Address Change form. Include proof you have notified your surety bond company of the change.
• Name changes: Submit the Name Change form with a copy of the legal document showing your name change and proof you have notified your surety bond company. Afterward, obtain a new Notary seal and jurat stamp, and visit ONCA to provide an impression of your new seal.
• Employer changes: Submit the Employment Change form with a letter from your new employer on DC letterhead (matching the address on the form and including a DC phone number) explaining the need for your services. If your current employer does not allow your commission to transfer, resign the commission and send your seal and journal to ONCA, then apply for a new commission to continue.

The process to renew as a Notary Public in Washington, DC is the same as applying for a new commission except you're not required to attend orientation unless your commission has been expired for one year or more.

To keep your new commission dates concurrent with your current ones, submit your renewal application 90 to 30 days before your commission expires. You may buy a new Notary seal to reflect your updated commission expiration date as well as a new Notary journal.

A DC Notary who has held a commission in the District for at least one year may apply for a Commission Endorsement as a Remote Online Notary. Read our guide about remote notarization in Washington, DC, for detailed information.