How to Become a Notary in Massachusetts (2026 Guide)

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Key Takeaways

• No exam, no training course, no surety bond required
• Commission fee: $60 | Commission term: 7 years
• Must be 18+, a MA resident, and have no felony convictions
• One of the longest commission terms in the country
• Paper application only, mailed to the State House

Massachusetts has one of the longest commission terms in the country at 7 years. No exam, no bond, and no training are required. The application is paper-based and mailed to the Notary Public Office at the State House in Boston. Here is how the process works.

Requirements

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a Massachusetts resident or work in the state
• Have no felony convictions involving moral turpitude
• Be able to read and write English

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Complete the Paper Application

Download the notary public application from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Fill it out and mail it to: Notary Public Office, State House Room 184, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133. The package is old-fashioned by design: a resume, four references (the first of whom must be an attorney), a signature block you must have notarized by a current Massachusetts notary, and the $60 commission fee. Include all of it with your application.

Step 2: Governor’s Council Approval

Massachusetts notaries are commissioned by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council (also called the Executive Council). This is a unique process not found in other states. Your application goes through this approval step, which typically takes 4-8 weeks.

Step 3: Buy Your Supplies

Once commissioned, purchase your notary stamp and a journal — both required in Massachusetts (G.L. c. 222, § 22 requires the journal). Stamps cost $15-$25, journals $10-$50. Your stamp must include your name, “Notary Public,” “Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” and your commission expiration date.

Costs to Get Commissioned

Item	Cost
Commission fee	$60
Notary stamp	$15-$25
Notary journal (recommended)	$10-$50
Total	$85-$135

Massachusetts is one of the more affordable states to become a notary despite the $60 fee, since there is no bond, no exam fee, and no training cost.

How Much You Can Charge

Massachusetts does not set a statutory maximum fee for notarizations. Notaries may charge a reasonable fee. Best practice is to clearly communicate your fees before performing the notarization to avoid disputes.

Authorized Notarial Acts

• Take acknowledgments
• Administer oaths and affirmations
• Take verifications on oath or affirmation
• Witness signatures
• Certify copies of documents
• Note protests of negotiable instruments (requires journal entry)

Notary Stamp Requirements

Massachusetts requires a notary stamp or seal. It must include your name as it appears on your commission, “Notary Public,” “Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” and your commission expiration date. You must use your stamp on every notarial certificate.

Notarizing for Family Members

Massachusetts does not explicitly prohibit notarizing for family members. However, you cannot notarize any document in which you have a direct financial interest. Keeping a journal for all notarizations provides documentation if a notarization is ever challenged.

Errors and Omissions Insurance

Not required, and with no bond requirement there is no built-in protection for the public either. E&O insurance protects you personally from lawsuits related to notary mistakes — roughly $19 a year for $25,000 of coverage in the notary specialty market, about $75 for $100,000.

Penalties for Notary Misconduct

Notarizing without authority carries criminal penalties, and fraud or forgery tied to a notarial act is a felony. The Governor may revoke a commission at any time, and personal civil liability for your errors sits on top of everything else.

Your Commission Belongs to You

Your commission is personal: it does not belong to your employer, and your stamp and journal go with you when you change jobs. No employer can require you to skip proper procedure, and one who pressures you into misconduct can share the liability for it.

Renewal

Massachusetts notary commissions last 7 years. Reapply through the same paper process with a new $60 fee. There is no renewal exam or additional requirement.

Remote Online Notarization (RON)

Authorized on paper, not yet live in practice. Chapter 222 section 28 (added in the 2017 overhaul) lets notaries physically located in Massachusetts notarize for remotely located individuals by communication technology, with identity proofing, real-time sessions, and audio-visual recordings kept ten years, and it restricts remote notarization of real-estate closings to attorney-notaries or attorney-supervised non-attorney notaries. But the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s own remote-notarization page says the required training and notification form aren’t yet available and that notaries shouldn’t use online remote platforms at this time; rules were still in development after the state collected vendor input in 2024. Check the Secretary’s page before advertising remote services.

Becoming a Signing Agent in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is an attorney-closing state, meaning real estate closings require attorney involvement. Signing agents can still handle loan document signings, but the closing itself requires a licensed attorney. Boston and Greater Boston are the top markets for signing agents in the state, with typical fees of $125-$200 per signing.

How Massachusetts Compares to Neighboring States

Requirement	Massachusetts	Connecticut	New York	Rhode Island
Bond	None	None	None	None
Exam	No	In application	Yes (DOS)	Yes
Training	No	No	No	No
Term	7 years	5 years	4 years	4 years
Max Fee	Reasonable	$5	$2	$25
Journal	Required	Recommended	Required	Recommended

Massachusetts stands out for its 7-year commission term, the longest in the Northeast, and it is the only one of these four states with no exam at all: New York runs a Department of State exam, Connecticut embeds one in the application, and Rhode Island requires its Notary Knowledge Assessment. None of the four require a bond, and New York’s $2 fee cap is the region’s lowest. Full guides: Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2026. Requirements based on the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and MGL Chapter 222.