How to Become a Notary in Missouri (2026 Guide)
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Key Takeaways
- $10,000 surety bond required, qualified in person at your county clerk within 60 days or the commission is cancelled
- State training course and exam required: attest to reading the handbook or prescribed training, and score 80% or better on the state exam
- Application fee: $25 | Commission term: 4 years
- Must be 18+, a MO resident or regular place of work in the state, and legally present in the US (no felony or dishonesty conviction in the past 5 years)
- RON available since 2021
Missouri teaches you itself: the Secretary of State publishes the handbook, provides the online or written training course, and administers the exam, which you must pass with 80 percent or better. On top of that sit a $25 application, a $10,000 surety bond, and a hard deadline at your county clerk’s office that trips up more new notaries than the exam does. Here is how it works.
Requirements
- Be at least 18 years old
- Reside in Missouri or have a regular place of work or business in the state (non-residents may commission in their employer’s county and notarize only in the course of that employment)
- Reside legally in the United States (permanent resident aliens under INA section 245 qualify with a green-card copy)
- Not have had a commission revoked in any state during the past 5 years
- Not have a felony or dishonesty/moral-turpitude conviction within the past 5 years
- Be able to read and write English
Missouri’s five-year look-back on convictions is shorter and more forgiving than the lifetime bars in some states, which matters to real applicants with an old record.
Disqualifying Factors
The Secretary of State may deny an application for a material misstatement, a felony or dishonesty/moral-turpitude conviction within the past five years, a revoked commission within the past five years, or a civil finding of deceit.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Read the Handbook and Pass the State Exam
Read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook and take the state’s Online or Written Notary Training Course (both provided by the Secretary of State, with no fee in the published steps), then score 80 percent or better on the examination administered by the secretary. Every applicant must attest to the handbook reading or prescribed training and pass the exam before a commission is issued. Renewals re-run the same loop.
Step 2: Apply and Buy Your $10,000 Bond
Complete the application through the Missouri Secretary of State ($25 fee: a $15 commission fee plus a $10 issuance fee) and purchase your $10,000 surety bond from a bonding company, bank, or insurance agent ($30-$60 premium for the 4-year term; the bond must carry the same dates and county as your term). The application step is online.
Step 3: Qualify at Your County Clerk Within 60 Days
Once the commission letter arrives, you have 60 days from the approval date to appear in person at your county clerk with the letter, your bond, and photo ID. The clerk administers the oath, you submit a handwritten specimen signature matching your commissioned name exactly, and the notary then has 7 days to postmark the oath and bond back to the Secretary of State. Miss the 60-day window and the commission is cancelled: reapply, repay, restart. Each clerk’s office charges a small swearing-in fee.
Costs to Get Commissioned
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State training course + exam | No fee in the published steps |
| $10,000 surety bond premium | $30-$60 |
| Application fee | $25 |
| Notary stamp | $15-$25 |
| Notary journal (required, permanently bound) | $10-$50 |
| Total | $80-$160 |
Fee Schedule
Missouri sets a maximum fee of $5 per signature for acknowledgments, jurats, and signature witnessings. Certified copies run $1 per page with a $3 minimum. Travel fees are allowed on top, agreed in advance and explained as separate from the notarial fee, with no cap on the travel amount. Notarizing an absentee ballot or absentee voter registration is always free.
Authorized Notarial Acts
- Take acknowledgments
- Administer oaths and affirmations
- Take depositions
- Certify copies of documents
- Perform jurats
Notary Stamp Requirements
Missouri requires a notary stamp or seal. It must include your name exactly as commissioned, your commission identification number, the words “Notary Public,” “Notary Seal,” and “State of Missouri,” and your commission expiration date, inside a rectangular or circular border. You cannot perform notarizations without your stamp, and you need a new seal at every renewal.
Notarizing for Family Members
Missouri is one of the states with a flat statutory ban: a notary shall not notarize for a spouse, domestic partner, ancestor, descendant, or sibling of the principal, including in-law, step, and half relatives. On top of that, the disqualification rule bars notarizing anything in which you are a named party or stand to gain.
Errors and Omissions Insurance
Not required, but recommended. E&O insurance protects you personally from lawsuits related to notary errors. The $10,000 surety bond protects the public. E&O protects you. Policies typically run $30-$100 per year for $25,000-$100,000 in coverage.
Penalties for Notary Misconduct
- Notarizing without authority: misdemeanor charge
- Fraud or forgery: felony charges
- Commission revocation: the Secretary of State can revoke your commission at any time for cause
- Civil liability: your $10,000 surety bond covers claims from the public
Employer Obligations
- Your commission is personal and does not belong to your employer
- If you leave your job, your stamp and commission go with you
- Your employer cannot require you to skip proper notarization procedures
- An employer who pressures you into misconduct may share legal liability
Renewal
Missouri notary commissions last 4 years, and renewal re-runs the same loop: the training course again, the exam again, a fresh application and $25 fee, a new $10,000 bond written for the new term dates and county, and in-person qualification again at the county clerk. Each re-commission also means a new seal, since the expiration date changes. If your commission expires before you renew, you cannot perform notarial acts during the gap.
Remote Online Notarization (RON)
Missouri authorized remote online notarization in 2021. To become a remote notary, you must first hold an active Missouri notary commission, then register with the Secretary of State as a RON notary. You will need to contract with an approved RON technology provider. The state maintains a list of approved providers on its website.
Becoming a Signing Agent
After receiving your commission, complete a signing agent certification program. Missouri is not an attorney state for real estate closings, so signing agents can handle loan document signings without attorney involvement.
How Missouri Compares to Neighboring States
| Requirement | Missouri | Illinois | Kentucky | Arkansas | Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond | $10,000 | $5,000 | $1,000 | $7,500 | $12,000 |
| Exam | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Training | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Term | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 years | 4 years |
| Max Fee | $5 | $5 | None | $5 | $5 |
| RON | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Missouri requires a $10,000 bond but no exam or training. Kentucky is the easiest entry point in the region with only a $1,000 bond. Kansas requires the highest bond at $12,000. Arkansas offers the longest term at 10 years but requires an exam. Illinois is the only neighboring state that requires training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a notary exam in Missouri?
Yes. Every applicant must attest to reading the Missouri Notary Public Handbook or receiving prescribed training, and score 80 percent or better on an examination administered by the Secretary of State before a commission is issued.
Do I need a surety bond in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri requires a $10,000 surety bond, executed within 60 days after you submit your application, written for a four-year term matching your commission dates and county, and qualified in person at your county clerk’s office. The premium costs $30-$60.
How long does a Missouri notary commission last?
4 years. Renewal repeats the training course, the exam, the application and fee, a new bond, and in-person qualification at the county clerk.
Is a notary journal required in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri notaries must keep a permanently bound journal with numbered pages, one active journal at a time, retained for at least 10 years from the last entry, recording the date, act type, document, signer identity evidence, fee, and location.
Can Missouri notaries perform remote online notarizations?
Yes. Missouri authorized RON in 2021 (RSMo 486.1100-486.1205). You must hold an active commission, register with the Secretary of State, and use an approved technology provider.
What does it mean to qualify as a Missouri notary?
Appearing in person at your county clerk’s office within 60 days of your commission’s approval date with your commission letter, your $10,000 bond, and photo ID; taking the oath; and providing a handwritten specimen signature matching your commissioned name. You then have 7 days to postmark the oath and bond back to the Secretary of State. Miss the 60-day window and the commission is cancelled.
May I notarize for relatives in Missouri?
No. Missouri bans notarizing for a spouse, domestic partner, ancestor, descendant, or sibling of the principal, including in-law, step, and half relatives, and notaries are disqualified from any act where they are a party or stand to gain.
Related Reading
- How to Become a Notary Signing Agent
- How to Become a Notary in Illinois
- Dual Tray Laser Printer Recommendations for Signing Agents
Updated May 2026. Requirements based on the Missouri Secretary of State and RSMo Chapter 486.
