Become a notary in Illinois

Where to register

Applications go to the Illinois Secretary of State. Open their page for the current application, not a StampSide form.

• Commissioning page

  Illinois Secretary of State

  https://www.ilsos.gov/notary/

• Official lookup

  Official lookup for commissioned notaries in Illinois.

  https://apps.ilsos.gov/notarysearch/

Requirements

What the official page states. If a topic is missing here, that page did not spell it out.

Qualifications (SOS notary services)

U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted for permanent residence; Illinois resident for at least 30 days or a qualifying non-resident; at least 18; proficient in English; not convicted of a felony; not had a prior application or commission revoked on a finding by the Secretary of State.

Study course

The online application and form I 270 require a certificate of completion from an Illinois-approved Notary Public Study Course. The SOS also tells applicants to review the Illinois Notary Public Handbook.

Bond

Form I 270 (June 2026): $5,000 Illinois Notary Bond if you will not notarize remotely by audio-visual communication; $30,000 if you will. The bond must be from a company qualified to write surety bonds in Illinois. Public Official Bonds and E&O policies are not accepted.

Fee (as posted on I 270, June 2026)

Non-resident paper form: $15 for Notary Public only or for Notary Public and Electronic Notary Public; no additional fee to add Electronic Notary to an already-active commission. Illinois residents apply online (see the SOS notary application page for the resident fee line).

Non-residents

I 270: resident of Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, or Wisconsin, and have worked or maintained a business in Illinois for 30 days. Physical Illinois business address required. Commissioned in the county of employment.

How to get started

1. 01

   Take an approved study course

   Keep an electronic copy of the completion certificate. Illinois residents apply online; the application page lists that certificate and the signed bond (form I 263 or I 264) as required uploads.

2. 02

   Get the surety bond

   Sign as principal. The surety’s corporate seal must accompany the officer’s signature. Choose $5,000 or $30,000 as I 270 instructs.

3. 03

   Apply online if you live in Illinois

   ilsos.gov/notary. Residents must use the online application unless they qualify for a hardship paper exemption (217-782-7017 or [email protected]). Non-residents mail I 270 with a legible ID photocopy; another current Illinois notary must notarize the application — you cannot notarize your own signature.

4. 04

   Register on StampSide

   After you use the Illinois Secretary of State site, create a public page: photo, where you work, and how clients reach you. Share the URL on emails and invoices. The page stays unpublished until a commission is on file.

Tools after you apply

Official pages and named suppliers already listed in this product. Checkout is on their site — StampSide does not sell stamps.

• Bond or E&O

  Illinois posts a $5,000 notary bond, or $30,000 if you will perform remote notarization by audio-visual communication (form I 270).

  National Notary Association

• Supplies

  After the SOS commissions you, use a named supplier for an Illinois-specific seal. File the commission with the county clerk as the SOS instructs.

  StampSide supplies list

• More suppliers

  Notary Rotary, Notary.net, and the National Notary Association are on the supplies list. State-specific seals only.

  StampSide supplies list

More official pages

• Illinois SOS notary services
• Online notary application
• Non-resident application I 270 (PDF)

Remote / electronic notarization

Electronic notary is a separate appointment. New applicants who are not already notaries must apply for both a Notary Public and Electronic Notary Public to perform electronic notarizations. Remote audio-visual work uses the $30,000 bond on form I 270.