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October 18, 2024

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1. Qualifications: An applicant for a commission as an Oregon Notary Public must (ORS 194.315[2]:
   (a) be at least 18 years old;
   (b) be a resident of Oregon or have a place of employment or practice in Oregon;
   (c) be able to read and write English;
   (d) not have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit during the 10-year period preceding the date of application;
   (e) not have been convicted of acting as or otherwise impersonating a Notary as described in ORS 194.990, obstructing governmental or judicial administration under ORS 162.235(1)(b), or engaging in the unauthorized practice of law as described in ORS 9.160;
   (f) not have been found by a court to have practiced law without a license under ORS 9.160 or engaged in an unlawful trade practice described in ORS 646.608(1)(vvv);
   (g) not have entered into an assurance of voluntary compliance pursuant to ORS 646.632, based on an alleged violation of ORS 646.608(1)(vvv);
   (h) not have had a Notary commission revoked during the 10-year period preceding the date of application, and
   (i) not be disqualified for a commission under ORS 194.340).
   In regard to qualification (b), above, “practice” is defined as “conducting a course of repeated notarizations in Oregon beyond a 30-day period” (OAR 160-100-0000[8]). In addition, out-of-state applicants are no longer restricted just to states adjacent to Oregon; applicants for an Oregon Notary commission “can be a resident anywhere,” as long as they have a place of employment or practice in the state (website, “2013 Notary Updates”).

2. Course: A mandatory Notary training course, completed within the last six months, and an examination must be taken before submitting an application. Until January 1, 2025, all first-time applicants and all current Notaries whose commissions will expire before renewal must take the class. Notaries who apply and pass the exam before commission expiration are exempted. After January 1, 2025, all commission applicants – both new and renewing – must take the mandatory training course. “The course must cover the laws, rules, procedures and ethics relevant to notarial acts” (ORS 194.325[3]).
   Authorized classes at no charge — including free online tutorials — are conducted by the Secretary of State’s office; certified education providers approved by the Secretary of State offer courses for a fee. A list of approved and certified providers is available on the Secretary’s website (OAR 160-100-1110).

3. Exam: Required (ORS 194.325[1]). “The exam is completed online and is an open-book, true/false and multiple-choice test, based on materials found in the Notary Public Guide, live seminars and online tutorials” (NPG).
   Effective January 22, 2014, the Notary exam is no longer part of the Secretary of State’s online Notary education curriculum (website, “Notary Training”). Instead, after the Notary training, the exam will be taken in a separate online program.

4. Application

   1. Online or Paper: “Submit you application online; you will be taken to the web page where you can access the exam. There is also a paper application and exam that can be completed, printed, and mailed in” (NPG).

   2. Background Screening: Upon submission of an application, a criminal background check will be performed; this will confirm that the applicant has not had a previous Notary commission revoked.

   3. Oath of Office: If the application is approved, an email is sent to the applicant with a PDF attachment of the oath of office. The applicant must print out the oath, sign it in front of a Notary, and then submit it to the Secretary of State with the $40 processing fee. The oath must be returned within 30 days of being issued or the applicant will need to re-apply. The Secretary will accept walk-in delivery of the oath, overnight delivery, or even fax. Applicants who fax the oath back to the Secretary should ensure they fax it before 4:00 p.m. and use the Secretary’s correct fax number (NPG).

   4. Commission Certificate: Once the oath has been filed, an email will be sent to the Notary with PDF attachment files of the Certificate of Authorization (to purchase an official stamp) and the Commission Certificate. Both may be printed out.

   5. Official Stamp: The newly commissioned Notary may then take, or send via electronic means, the Certificate of Authorization to a maker of rubber stamps; the Notary may have more than one official stamp made. After the new Notary has purchased an official stamp and, if necessary, a journal, the Notary may begin performing notarial acts.

5. Background Screening: Required.
   “(1) For purposes described in subsection (2) of this section, upon consent of the applicant for a commission as a notary public and upon request of the Secretary of State, the Department of State Police shall furnish to the secretary any information regarding the applicant that the department may have in its possession and any information to which the department may have access, including but not limited to the Law Enforcement Data System established in ORS 181A.280.
   “(2) The department shall provide the information described in subsection (1) of this section to assist in:
   “(a) Verifying the identity of an applicant for a commission as a notary public; or
   “(b) Determining whether the applicant has been convicted of a felony or of a lesser offense incompatible with the duties of a notary public.
   “(3) For purposes of receiving the information described in this section, the Secretary of State is a criminal justice agency under ORS 181A.010 to 181A.350 and the rules adopted under ORS 181A.230.
   “(4) An individual applying for a commission as a notary public is considered, upon signing the application filed under ORS 194.315, to have given the consent necessary for purposes of subsection (1) of this section” (ORS 194.370).
   “Because a notary’s whole purpose is to detect and deter fraud, Oregon statutes require notary applicants to undergo a criminal background check. The law requires that an applicant must ‘not have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit during the 10-year period preceding the date of the application.' ORS 194.315(2)(d).” (NPG)

6. Non-Residents: Out-of-state residents who have a place of employment or practice in Oregon may apply to become Notaries in the state; this privilege is no longer restricted just to residents of adjacent states (ORS 194.315[2][b]).

7. Reappointment: Notary commissions are not automatically renewed. The renewal process is identical to the initial application process, except that current Notaries who apply for renewal and pass the exam before their commission expires are exempted from the training class.
   Applications for reappointment are submitted online. “You can submit a new application 30 days before the expiration of your current commission” (NPG).
   “If the current notary public is applying for a new commission, the same notarial journal may be used with the new notarial commission, as long as the information required in the front of the notarial journal is updated. The notary public should indicate where the new notarial commission begins on the next journal entry line” (NPG).

8. No Immunity or Benefit: “A commission as a notary public authorizes the notary public to perform notarial acts. The commission does not provide the notary public any immunity or benefit conferred by law of this state on public officials or employees of this state” (ORS 194.315[5]).

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