Become a notary in Ohio

Where to register

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

• Commissioning page

  Ohio Secretary of State

  https://www.ohiosos.gov/notary/

• Official lookup

  Official lookup for commissioned notaries in Ohio.

  https://notarysearch.ohiosos.gov/ords/f?p=ENSEARCH:SEARCH

Requirements

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

Age and place

R.C. 147.01: at least 18; legal resident of Ohio, or an attorney admitted by the Ohio Supreme Court whose principal place of business or primary practice is in Ohio.

Criminal records check

R.C. 147.022: non-attorney, non-peace-officer applicants submit a BCI criminal records check. The SOS must not accept a report more than six months old. Attorneys admitted in Ohio and peace officers are exempt; peace officers upload OPOTA certification in lieu of BCI on the SOS portal text indexed from notary.ohiosos.gov.

Education and test

R.C. 147.021: complete an educational program on Chapter 147 and pass a test, except as 147.01(B)(4) provides. Attorneys commissioned before September 20, 2019, are exempt from both. Attorneys who apply after that date complete the education program but are not required to pass the test. The SOS application portal (notary.ohiosos.gov) tells non-attorney applicants to contact an authorized provider for a three-hour class and a test, then upload the certificates.

Fee (as posted on the SOS portal)

notary.ohiosos.gov: $15.00 to submit the online application. Attachments as PDFs: criminal-records check, education and testing certificates, and an image of your signature.

Term

R.C. 147.03: five years unless revoked, except an attorney admitted by the Ohio Supreme Court holds the office as long as the attorney remains a resident or has principal practice in Ohio, is in good standing, and the commission is not revoked.

Oath

R.C. 147.01(G): before entering upon the duties of office, personally appear before a notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths and take the oath of office.

How to get started

1. 01

   Order the BCI records check first

   Use reason code 147.022 as the SOS criminal-records page states. The SOS education page, when it loads, warns that education and testing fees are non-refundable — so confirm you have no disqualifying offense under R.C. 9.79 before you pay a provider.

2. 02

   Complete authorized education and testing

   Providers are listed on the SOS education-and-testing page. Education must be completed within 12 months before the application or renewal, as that SOS page states it.

3. 03

   File online at notary.ohiosos.gov

   R.C. 147.01(E): submissions for receiving and renewing commissions are electronic. Then take the oath before performing notarial acts.

4. 04

   Register on StampSide

   After you use the Ohio 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.

• Supplies

  After the SOS issues the commission and you have taken the oath, use a named supplier for an Ohio-specific seal. Chapter 147 as we read it does not post a surety-bond amount for a standard commission.

  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

• Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147
• Ohio SOS notary hub
• File a notary commission (SOS portal)
• Education and testing

Remote / electronic notarization

R.C. 147.63 authorizes a separate online-notarization course of instruction and examination through SOS-authorized entities. Hold a current Ohio commission before applying for remote authorization on the SOS portal.