Become a Tennessee Notary

To become a Tennessee notary you must meet all of the requirements listed below:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a resident of the county elected
• Be a United States citizen or a legal permanent resident
• Have a principal place of business in the county from which he or she is elected, even if the applicant resides in a state other than Tennessee
• Not have been removed from office as a notary public for official misconduct
• Not have had a notary commission revoked or suspended in any state
• Not have been found by a court in any state to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law

In order to receive a Tennessee notary public commission, a person must:

• Meet the eligibility requirements
• Properly complete and submit the notary application to the County Clerk with a $12 filing fee. The County Clerk will certify the election and will forward the certification to the Secretary of State.
• Once the notary is approved, the Secretary of State will send the notary commission to the County Clerk to be recorded and notify the applicant
• The notary must execute an oath of office and provide a $10,000 bond
  

Non-resident applicants must maintain a principal place of business in the county from which elected. Applicants must also meet the same requirements as resident applicants.

Required. A bond in the amount of $10,000 is required for new and renewing notaries public. Please visit the American Association of Notaries’ website at www.usnotaries.com to purchase and receive a bond via email in one business day.

Optional. The American Association of Notaries recommends that Tennessee notaries insure themselves against claims of negligence through Errors and Omission insurance. Visit the American Association of Notaries’ website at www.usnotaries.com for more information.

A $12 fee is required for new and renewal notary applications.

4 years.

Statewide.

Secretary of State
Tennessee Secretary of State
Division of Business Services, Notary Section
William R. Snodgrass Tower, 6th Floor
312 Eighth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-3699
http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bus_svc/notary.htm

A notary may apply for renewal by submitting and following the same process as a new applicant.

None Required.

Required.

Type—rubber stamp
Ink color--any color other than black or yellow provided that the color used is clearly legible and appears as black when photocopied on a non-color copier.
Shape—circular

notary public’s name as it appears on the commission (printed at the top), the county of election (printed at the bottom), and the words “State of Tennessee Notary Public” or “Tennessee Notary Public” printed in the center.

Required. A notary public must maintain a well-bound notary record book of every notarial act performed. For Tennessee notary supplies, contact the American Association of Notaries by calling (800) 721-2663 or visiting our website at www.usnotaries.com .

Notary fees are set by state law. A notary public is allowed to charge for each notarial act, but not more than:

• Acknowledgments $0.25
• Jurats $0.25
• Oaths or affirmations $0.25
• Depositions $1.00
• Protest instruments $1.50
• Recording protests $1.00

A Tennessee notary public has the authority to:

• Take acknowledgments
• Administer oaths and affirmations
• Take depositions
• Qualify parties to bills in chancery
• Protest negotiable instruments
• Take affidavits

If a notary moves his residence or principal place of business out of the county from which he was elected and commissioned to another county in Tennessee, the notary shall notify the county clerk of the county from which the notary was elected and commissioned and shall pay to such county clerk a fee of $7.00. The county clerk will notify the Office of the Secretary of State of the change of address.

If a notary public’s name changes, he must notify the county clerk of the county from which he was elected and commissioned and pay to the county clerk a fee of $7.00. The county clerk will notify the Office of the Secretary of State of the name change.

If a notary moves out of the state of Tennessee and has neither a residence nor a principal place of business in Tennessee, the notary must surrender his or her commission. The seal must be surrendered to the county legislative body (through the county clerk) upon expiration of the notary’s term of office or resignation, and the personal representative must surrender the seal in the event of the death of the notary.

A notary public may not:

• Prepare legal documents or give legal advice if the notary is not an attorney
• Perform acts that constitute the practice of law
• Notarize a document without the signer being in the notary’s presence at the time of the execution of the notarization
• Be a party to a false affidavit
• Notarize documents with an expired commission
• Post-date or ante-date any oath or acknowledgment
• Hold himself to be an immigration consultant, immigration paralegal, or expert on immigration matters unless also an accredited representative of an organization recognized by the board of immigration appeals

Notaries public who commit official misconduct may be subject to criminal liability, which may include the revocation of their notary public commissions.

Click here to view your state’s notarial certificates.