Louisiana Secretary of State
Become a notary in Louisiana
Notaries in Louisiana are commissioned by the Louisiana Secretary of State. Apply there first. StampSide is a public page after you have used their process. Look up a commission with CORA notary search (the form uses a CAPTCHA).
Where to register
Applications go to the Louisiana Secretary of State. Open their page for the current application, not a StampSide form.
Commissioning page
Louisiana Secretary of State
https://www.sos.la.gov/notary/search-for-notariesOfficial lookup
Official lookup for commissioned notaries in Louisiana.
https://coraweb.sos.la.gov/Notary/NotarySearch.aspx
Requirements
What the official page states. If a topic is missing here, that page did not spell it out.
- Age and residency
- Resident citizen or alien of Louisiana, 18 or older, appointed for the parish of residence if you meet R.S. 35:191 as the SOS quotes it.
- Qualify
- Registered to vote in that parish; not convicted of a felony without pardon; read, write, speak, and know English; high school diploma or approved equivalent.
- Exam
- Unless licensed to practice law in Louisiana, complete the Notary Exam Pre-Assessment and pass the state notary exam. The exam is given at least twice a year. Attorneys follow a different commission-document path after they qualify.
How to get started
File an Application to Qualify
The SOS must approve this before exam registration.
Take the pre-assessment, then the state exam
LSU scores the pre-assessment. The SOS says that scoring takes approximately one week. Register at least 30 days before the exam; pre-assessment deadline is 37 days before.
Study from the official guide
No course is required by law. The SOS sells Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice and lists registered exam-prep providers without recommending one.
Register on StampSide
After you use the Louisiana Secretary of State site, create a public page: photo, where you work, and how clients reach you. You can appear in the Louisiana directory. The page stays unpublished until a commission is on file.
Processing time
The SOS says the Application to Qualify must be approved and the pre-assessment scored before exam registration, and that scoring takes approximately one week. That is not a commission-issuance time.
Tools after you apply
Official pages and named suppliers already listed in this product. Checkout is on their site — StampSide does not sell stamps.
Supplies
Louisiana civil-law notaries use parish-specific practice. Buy supplies only after you are commissioned.
StampSide supplies listMore 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
Remote / electronic notarization
The SOS publishes a separate RON requirements page.
Register, then getting started
StampSide does not commission you — the Louisiana Secretary of State does, on the official site above. Register here for a public page. After you sign up, getting started walks through a photo, your commission when you have it, and an email signature for cards and mail. The page stays unpublished until a commission is on file.
After you are commissioned
Appear in the Louisiana directory. Closers and the public still confirm standing on the official site.
Other jurisdictions: all state guides · quiz · Train your eye.