How to Become a Notary in Louisiana

How do I renew my notary commission in Louisiana?

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Louisiana notaries public are commissioned for life pursuant to Attorney General Opinion No. 1940-42.

Note: Surety bonds and errors and omissions policies must be renewed every five years. Notary bonds must be approved by the parish clerk of court and submitted with a $20 filing fee to the secretary of state. Click here to download a Notary Surety Bond form from the secretary of state’s website.

Who appoints notaries in Louisiana?

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The governor may appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Louisiana Senate, and upon their meeting the qualifications for office provided for in Title 35, notaries public in the different parishes (R.S. 35:1). The Louisiana Secretary of State administers the application, qualifying, and examination processes and maintains the records on notaries.

Louisiana Secretary of State
Notary Division
PO Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Physical Address:
8585 Archives Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Telephone: 225.922.0507
Fax: 225.932.5359

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

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No. Louisiana does not allow out-of-state residents to become Louisiana notaries public, even if they are employed within the borders of Louisiana. However, a person licensed to practice law in Louisiana who is not a resident of Louisiana but who maintains an office for the practice of law in Louisiana can become a notary public ex officio.

A notary public ex officio is authorized and empowered to exercise all the powers and functions of a regularly commissioned notary public in Louisiana in any parish or parishes in which they maintain an office open to the public for the practice of law. To serve as a notary public ex-officio, the individual licensed to practice law in Louisiana must file a certificate of good standing from the Louisiana Supreme Court with the secretary of state (R.S. 35:412). Visit the secretary of state’s website to apply as a notary public ex-officio.

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

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The commission term of a Louisiana notary public is for life pursuant to Attorney General Opinion No. 1940-42. However, surety bonds and errors and omissions policies must be renewed every five years.

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

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All non-attorney notary applicants must complete the notary exam pre-assessment and pay a $30 test fee. This test is an evaluation and does not require a passing score for you to register for the state notary exam. The pre-assessment test is online and must be completed before an applicant registers for the state notary exam. The pre-assessment is mandatory but only needs to be taken once. Click here for more information on the notary exam pre-assessment.

After the notary applicant receives a score for their notary exam pre-assessment, they can register to take the state notary exam by registering online and paying the $100 registration fee. The deadline to register for the state notary exam is thirty days prior to the exam date. To pass the examination, you must correctly answer at least 75% of the items. Post-test statistical analysis of exam items, however, may provide a basis for adjusting the passing score. Click here for more information on the notary exam.

The secretary of state publishes an official study guide for the state notary exam, titled Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice, containing the sources and materials from which the state notary exam is drawn. A notary applicant may purchase the current study guide from the secretary of state’s website for $100. Applicants are permitted to bring the latest version of the study guide into the testing room and reference them during the examination. However, using any other reference materials is considered cheating and is grounds for dismissal from the examination.

The secretary of state recommends that notary applicants prepare for the notary exam by taking a notary course or joining a study group. The secretary of state’s website has a list of registered and bonded notary exam preparatory course providers.

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

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The cost to become a notary in Louisiana includes:

1. A $35 qualifying fee for processing an application to qualify.
2. A $30 test fee to take the online notary exam pre-assessment.
3. A $100 registration fee to take the state notary exam.
4. A $35 commission fee.
5. The cost of a surety bond or errors and omissions policy.

Other expenses include the cost of purchasing:

1. An official seal (optional). Click here to view our notary stamp prices.
2. A notary journal if you wish to record your notarial acts. Click here to view our notary journal prices.
3. 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 as a notary.

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

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A Louisiana notary applicant may file an original errors and omissions policy in lieu of a notary bond to become a notary in Louisiana. A notary E&O policy covers unintentional notarial mistakes and pays for legal fees and damages based on the coverage you select as a Louisiana notary public.

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

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A first time notary applicant seeking appointment as a notary public in Louisiana must obtain a five-year bond in the form of a notary surety bond or personal surety bond or a notary errors and omissions insurance policy in the amount of $10,000.

Louisiana notaries who have a surety bond or a notary E&O policy must renew their notary bonds or E&O policies every five years and pay a $20 bond filing fee to prevent the suspension of their notary public commissions.

A person who is commissioned as a provisional notary public must maintain a bond at the expense of their employer in the amount of $20,000 (LAC 46:XLVI.143.A.11). Notaries who are licensed attorneys are not required to file a bond or insurance. The parish clerk of court must approve bonds.

Do I need to order a notary stamp in Louisiana?

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Louisiana notary statute does not require Louisiana notaries public to use a notary seal to authenticate the notarial acts they perform. Notarizations in Louisiana are regularly performed without a notary stamp or notary seal. “A notary’s signature is his seal” (LAC 46:XLVI.131.A.). However, a Louisiana notary public is not prohibited from using an official notary seal. If a Louisiana notary elects to use a notary seal to authenticate their notarial acts, the notary seal may contain the following information:

1. The notary’s name.
2. The words “Notary Public.”
3. The words “State of Louisiana.”
4. The notary’s identification number assigned by the Louisiana Secretary of State.

If the notary is an attorney who is licensed to practice law in Louisiana, the notary may use their Louisiana State bar roll number in lieu of the notary’s identification number.

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

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

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Since notary stamps are optional, Louisiana notary laws do not address this question. We recommend you contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.

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

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Louisiana does not have a statutory fee schedule which would determine or limit what a notary can charge for their services (LAC 46:XLVI.135.A.).

Is a notary journal required in Louisiana?

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Notary journal requirements for each type of notarization in Louisiana:

Traditional Notarizations - Louisiana notaries are not required to maintain a notary journal for notarial acts they perform.

Remote Online Notarizations - Louisiana notary law does not require remote notaries to maintain a notary journal for the remote online notarial acts they perform. Instead, remote notaries are required to maintain:

1. Electronic copies capable of being printed in a tangible medium of all remote online notarial acts for at least ten years after the date of the remote online notarization.
2. An audio and video recording of each remote online notarization for at least ten years after the date of the remote online notarization.

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 or fraud. Properly recorded notarial acts provide evidence that you followed your state laws and notary’s best practices.

Click here to purchase a tangible notary journal.

Where can I perform notarial acts in Louisiana?

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Louisiana notaries public who are attorneys have statewide jurisdiction and may perform notarial acts in any parish at any location in Louisiana.

Non-attorney notaries public appointed and commissioned in the parish of their residence may exercise any and all of the functions of a notary public within reciprocal parishes with a population of less than forty thousand and in which their employer maintains an office. They may do so without additional bonding or further application or examination. For a list of reciprocal parishes, see the secretary of state's website or R.S. 35:191.

If the parishes are not reciprocal, a Louisiana notary public must obtain a dual commission to notarize in another parish in which the notary public maintains an office. In addition, a dual commission notary public must maintain bonds in both parishes.

What notarial acts can a Louisiana notary public perform?

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A Louisiana notary public is authorized to perform the following notarial acts [R.S. 35:2.A.(B) and (C) and 35:3]: 

1. Take acknowledgments.
2. Administer oaths and affirmations.
3. Certify copies.

A Louisiana notary public has the power within their several parishes [R.S. 35:2.A.(1)]:

• To make inventories, appraisements, and partitions;
• To receive wills, make protests, matrimonial contracts, conveyances, and generally, all contracts and instruments of writing;
• To hold family meetings and meetings of creditors;
• To receive acknowledgements of instruments under private signature;
• To make affidavits of correction;
• To affix the seals upon the effects of deceased persons and to raise the same.

What type of notarizations are allowed in Louisiana?

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Louisiana law allows the following two types of notarizations:

Traditional notarizations – 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 seal impression (if the notary chooses to use a notary seal) to the tangible notarial certificate.

Remote online notarizations (RONs) – The signer appears remotely before a remote online notary via audio-visual technology. The notarization is performed on an electronic document using electronic signatures, an electronic notary seal (if the notary chooses to use one), and an electronic notarial certificate.

What are the steps to become a remote online notary in Louisiana?

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To become a remote online notary public, you must:

1. Hold a current notary commission.
2. Complete an online instruction course and pass a quiz on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
3. Obtain a PDF copy of your certificate after the successful completion of the course and quiz.
4. Select one or more remote notary technology providers. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s website lists remote notarization technology providers.
5. Log in to your online notary account on the secretary of state’s website and complete the RON registration.
6. Upload your quiz certificate of completion and pay the one-time filing fee of $100.
7. Contact your remote notary technology provider(s) to obtain and pay for the remote notary technology.

Once your RON registration is approved, your notary record will be updated to show you are authorized to perform remote online notarizations.

For more information on becoming a remote online notary in Louisiana, visit the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.

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

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Address change within the same parish
If you change your residential address, mailing address, or both, you have sixty days to notify the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Notary Division (R.S. 35:191.3). Notify the Louisiana Secretary of State by mail, fax, or online, or send a message by completing a Contact Form on the secretary’s website.

Address change to another parish
To change your parish of residence, you must transfer your commission to the new parish of residence, even if the parish is within a reciprocal group. Submit the following to the secretary of state:

1. A complete Application to Qualify for Appointment as Notary Public with a $35 qualifying fee and a $35 commission fee.
2. Two completed Oath of Office forms, one filed with the secretary of state and another with the clerk of court in your new parish of residency.
3. An Official Notarial Signature form.
4. An original or certified copy of a notary surety bond or personal surety bond approved by the parish clerk of court, or an original notary E&O policy, or a rider for an existing surety bond approved by the parish clerk of court in the amount of $10,000. Attorneys do not have to file a bond or insurance policy.

Note: Louisiana notaries who moved to a new parish and desire to remain  commissioned in their original parish should refer to R.S. 35:191.E.(2) to learn how to keep a dual commission.

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

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If you legally change your name, you must submit the following to the Louisiana Secretary of State:

1. A completed Name Change form listing your current commission name, the new name, and the reason for the name change.
2. Two Oath of Office forms with the new name, one to be filed with the secretary of state and another with the parish clerk of court.
3. An Official Notarial Signature form.
4. A $35 commission fee.
5. An original or certified copy of a notary surety bond or personal surety bond approved by the parish clerk of court, or an original errors and omissions policy, or a rider for an existing surety bond approved by the parish clerk of court in the amount of $10,000 with the new name. Attorneys are exempt from the bond requirement.

Revised:

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January 2024