How to Become a Notary in Nevada

How do I renew my notary commission in Nevada?

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A Nevada notary public can renew their notary commission by following the same steps as the initial notary application process. See the section titled “To become a notary in Nevada"

Who appoints notaries in Nevada?

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The Nevada Secretary of State is charged with the responsibility of appointing notaries public by the provisions of Chapter 240 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

 

Nevada Secretary of State
Notary Division
202 North Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada 89701
Phone: (775) 684-5708
Email: nvnotary@sos.nv.gov

Can a non-resident of Nevada apply for a commission as a notary public?

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Yes. A resident of a state bordering Nevada who is regularly employed or maintains a place of business in Nevada may apply to become a Nevada notary public.

A nonresident applicant for a Nevada notary public commission must follow the same steps a Nevada notary applicant; additionally, they must provide the documents listed below:

• If employed within Nevada,
  • a copy of the applicant’s employer’s Nevada State Business license;
  • a “Nonresident Notary Public Affidavit”; and
  • an “Affidavit of Applicant’s Employer.”
• If self-employed,
  • a copy of the applicant’s state business license and any business license required by the local government where the business is located;
  • a “Nonresident Notary Public Affidavit”; and
  • an “Affidavit of Self-Employer Applicant.”

How long is a notary public's commission term in Nevada?

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The commission term of a Nevada notary public is four years.

Is notary training or an exam required to become a notary or to renew a notary commission in Nevada?

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Yes. All new and renewing notary applicants must complete the Notary Public Training Course and pass the Notary Public Commission Exam administered by the Nevada Secretary of State’s Notary Division. The course and exam can be found under the course catalog after logging in to your account on the State of Nevada Notary Public Training Site.

How much does it cost to become a notary public in Nevada?

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The cost to become a notary in Nevada includes:

1. A $35 application fee.
2. A $45 notary training class and exam fee.
3. A four-year, $10,000 surety bond.
4. A notary stamp. Click here to view our notary stamp prices.
5. A notary journal. Click here to view our notary journal prices.
6. An errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy (optional) to protect yourself if you are sued for unintentional mistakes or if a false claim is filed against you.

Do I need a notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy to become a notary in Nevada?

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A notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy is not required to become a Nevada notary public or to renew your notary commission. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that every Nevada notary obtain a notary E&O insurance policy. This insurance protects you from a claim if a client sues you as a notary. A notary E&O policy covers unintentional notarial mistakes and pays for legal fees and damages based on the coverage you select as a Nevada notary public.

Do I need a notary bond to become a notary in Nevada?

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Yes. All Nevada notary applicants are required to maintain a four-year, $10,000 notary bond. The bond protects the public from notary errors. If a member of the public files a claim against a notary’s bond, the bonding company is very likely to sue the notary to recoup the funds it paid on the notary’s behalf. A notary bond does not protect notaries from mistakes they make. This is why notary errors and omissions insurance (commonly known as “E&O” or “E&O insurance”) is vital.

Do I need to order a notary stamp in Nevada?

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Yes. Nevada notary law requires all Nevada notaries to use a Nevada notary stamp that is imprinted in indelible, photographically reproducible ink with a rubber or other mechanical stamp to authenticate all notarial acts.

 

The notary stamp must produce a rectangular impression, not larger than 1 inch by 2 ½ inches, and include the following information:

• The name of the notary public
• The phrase “Notary Public, State of Nevada”
• The commission expiration date of the notary public
• The commission number of the notary public
• If the notary public so desires, the Great Seal of the State of Nevada
• If the notary public is a resident of an adjoining state, the word "nonresident"

Note: A notary stamp must produce a legible imprint and may contain a border design.

 

The American Association of Notaries offers quality notary stamps and seals at savings of up to 40% or more compared to the cost of the same products elsewhere. Click here  to order your Nevada notary stamp, notary seal, complete notary package, and other notary supplies.

What are the steps to replace a lost or stolen Nevada notary seal?

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To replace your lost or stolen Nevada notary seal, you must:

1. Submit a request for an amended certificate of appointment from the Nevada Secretary of State within ten days of discovering that your Nevada notary’s stamp is lost or stolen.
2. Pay a processing fee of $10 payable to the Nevada Secretary of State.
3. Purchase a new stamp.

If the notary’s stamp is destroyed, broken, damaged or otherwise rendered inoperable, the notary public must immediately notify the secretary of state and obtain a new stamp.

How much can a Nevada notary public charge for performing notarial acts?

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The maximum allowable fees that a Nevada notary public can charge for notarial acts are listed below:

 

For Traditional Notarial Acts -

• Taking an acknowledgment:
  • For the first signature of each signer - $15.00
  • For each additional signature of each signer - $7.50
• For administering an oath or affirmation - $7.50
• For a certified copy - $7.50
• When executing a jurat:
  • For each signature on the affidavit - $15.00
  • For preforming a marriage ceremony-  $75.00

For Electronic Notarial Acts -

• When taking an acknowledgment:
  • For each signature - $25.00
• When executing a jurat:
  • For each signature - $25.00
  • For administering an oath or affirmation - $25.00

Travel Fees - A notary public may charge an additional fee for traveling to perform a notarial act if all of the following requirements are met:

1. The individual requesting the notarial act asks the notary public to travel.
2. The notary public explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the fee is in addition to the fee for the notarial act and is not required by law.
3. The individual requesting the notarial act agrees in advance upon the hourly rate that the notary public will charge for the additional fee.
4. The additional travel fee does not exceed the following:
   1. $15.00 per hour if the person requesting the notarial act asks the notary public to travel between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
   2. $30.00 per hour if the person requesting the notarial act asks the notary public to travel between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
   3. The notary public may charge a minimum of two hours for travel and shall charge per hour traveled after the first two hours.

Note: A notary public is entitled to charge a fee for travel by the person requesting the notarial act if the person requesting the notarial act cancels the request after the notary public begins traveling or the notary public is unable to perform the requested notarial act because of the actions of the person who requested the notarial act.

Is a notary journal required in Nevada?

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Notary journal requirements for each type of notarization in Nevada:

• Traditional Notarizations – A notary public is required to keep a journal in which they enter each notarial act performed. A notary journal must be in a bound volume with preprinted page numbers.
• Electronic Notarizations (in person and via audio-video communication) – A Nevada notary public is required to maintain an electronic notary journal to record all electronic notarial acts performed. An electronic notary journal must allow access by a password or other secure means of authentication.

A notary journal (also known as a record book, log book, or register book) is your first line of defense in proving your innocence if a notarial act you performed is questioned or if you are requested to testify in a court of law about a notarial act you performed in the past. A properly recorded notarial act creates a paper trail that will help investigators locate and prosecute signers who have committed forgery and fraud. Properly recorded notarial acts provide evidence that you followed your state laws and notary’s best practices.

The American Association of Notaries offers notary journals in tangible and electronic formats.

Click here to purchase a tangible notary journal.

Click here to become a member and access our electronic notary journal.

What information must Nevada notaries record in their notary journals?

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For Traditional Notarizations, a Nevada notary public is required to chronicle the following information:

1. The fees charged, if any.
2. The title of the document.
3. The date on which the notary public performed the act.
4. Except as otherwise provided below, the name and signature of the person whose signature is being notarized.
   • When performing a notarial act for a person, a notary public need not require the person to sign the journal if:
     i)  The notary public has performed a notarial act for the person within the previous six months.
     ii) The notary public has personal knowledge of the identity of the person.
     iii) The person is an employer or coworker of the notary public, and the notarial act relates to a transaction performed in the ordinary course of the person’s business.
   • If a notary public does not require a person to sign the journal, the notary public shall enter “known personally” as the description required to be entered into the journal.
5. A description of the evidence used by the notary public to verify the identification of the person whose signature is being notarized.
   • If the notary verifies the identification of the person whose signature is being notarized on the basis of a credible witness, the notary public shall:
     i) Require the witness to sign the journal in the space provided for the description of the evidence used.
     ii) Make a notation in the journal that the witness is a credible witness.
6. An indication of whether the notary public administered an oath.
7. The type of certificate used to evidence the notarial act, as required pursuant to NRS 240.1655.

For Electronic Notarizations (in-person or via audio-video communication), a Nevada notary public is required to chronicle the following information:

1. The fees charged, if any.
2. The title of the document.
3. The date on which the notary public performed the act.
4. The name of the person whose signature is being notarized.
5. A description of the evidence used by the notary public to verify the identification of the person whose signature is being notarized. If the notary verifies the identification of the person whose signature is being notarized on the basis of a credible witness, the notary public shall make a notation in the journal that the witness is a credible witness.
6. An indication of whether the notary public administered an oath.
7. The type of certificate used to evidence the notarial act.
8. A description of the electronic notarial act.
9. Whether the electronic notarial act was performed using audio-video communication.

What steps should I take if my Nevada notary journal is lost or stolen?

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As a Nevada notary public, you must file a report with the Nevada Secretary of State and the appropriate law enforcement agency if your notary journal is lost or stolen.

How long should I retain my Nevada notary journal?

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A Nevada notary public must retain all notary journals for seven years after the date on which the appointed individual ceases to be a notary public.

Where can I perform notarial acts in Nevada?

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A Nevada notary has statewide jurisdiction and may perform notarial acts while physically present in any county in Nevada. Likewise, Nevada notaries public may not perform notarial acts outside of Nevada.

What notarial acts can a Nevada notary public perform?

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A Nevada notary public is authorized to perform the following notarial acts:

• Taking an acknowledgment.
• Administering an oath or affirmation.
• Executing a jurat.
• Noting a protest of a negotiable instrument.
• Certifying a copy.
• Performing such other duties as may be prescribed by a specific statute.
• Performing marriages (if the notary has obtained a certificate of permission from the county clerk).

What type of notarizations are allowed in Nevada?

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Nevada law allows the following three types of notarizations:

Traditional notarization – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notary to meet physically in the same room within face-to-face proximity of one another. Traditional notarization involves an individual signing a tangible document with an inked pen and a notary public signing and affixing an inked notary stamp impression to the tangible notarial certificate.

Electronic notarization (in-person) – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notary to meet physically in the same room within face-to-face proximity of one another. However, the notarization is performed on an electronic document using electronic signatures, an electronic notary seal, and an electronic notarial certificate.

Electronic notarization (by means of audio-video communication) – The signer appears remotely before the notary via audio-video communication technology. The notarization is performed on an electronic document using electronic signatures, an electronic notary seal, and an electronic notarial certificate.

What are the steps to register to perform electronic notarizations in Nevada?

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To register to perform electronic notarizations in Nevada, a notary public must:

1. Hold an existing notary public commission.
2. Contract with an approved electronic notary solution provider. Click here to view a list of approved electronic notary solution providers.
3. Obtain an exemplar from each approved electronic notary solution provider. The Exemplar must include your electronic signature and electronic seal.
4. Complete the State of Nevada Electronic Notary Public Course.
5. Successfully complete the State of Nevada Electronic Notary Public Exam.
6. Submit your electronic notary registration, pay the $50 filing fee, and upload your electronic notarization exemplar on Nevada’s Business Portal website.

Click here for more information on how to register to perform electronic notarizations in Nevada.

How do I update my address on my Nevada notary commission?

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A Nevada notary public must notify the secretary of state withing thirty days of a significant contact change by submitting a “Request for Amended Certificate of Appointment of E-Notary Registration” form and paying a $10 filing fee.

How do I change my name on my notary commission in Nevada?

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If your Nevada notary public’s name changes during your commission term, you must do the following within thirty days of the change:

1. Notify the Nevada Secretary of State by submitting a “Request for Amended Certificate of Appointment or E-Notary Registration” form.
2. Pay a $10 filing fee.
3. Purchase a new notary stamp upon receiving your updated notary commission certificate.

Notify your bonding company of the change.

Revised:

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January 2024