Qualifying at the County Clerk’s Office

 

The law allows up to 60 days from the date the commission is issued for the applicant to qualify. Failure to qualify within 60 days will result in the commission being marked by the county clerk as not qualified and shall be returned to the Secretary of State’s Office within fifteen days. To meet the qualifications provided by law, the applicant must appear in person and present a $10,000 surety bond to insure their four-year term as a notary public. The clerk or deputy will administer the oath of office, after which the applicant must submit a handwritten specimen of their official signature on the oath of office. The clerk or deputy will then present the notary with their commission certificate. This signature MUST match the exact name typed on their commission certificate. The notary will mail the oath and bond to the Secretary of State’s Office with a postmarked date not exceeding seven days from the date of the oath. 

 

The commission certificate will contain the notary’s exact official name as a notary public, the commission number, the commission beginning and expiration dates and the date the commission was issued by our office. The notary should keep the commission in a safe place throughout their term as a notary public.

 

Any notary who fails to qualify within the sixty days may be required to reapply for a notary commission. The county clerk shall keep a register of each person to whom they award a notary commission, as prescribed by the Secretary of State’s Office.