How to Become a Notary in Washington State: Steps and Costs

Washington is one of the easier states to get commissioned in: there is no state-approved training course and no written test. This article is part of Washington name change and personal records, and it covers the qualifications, the bond, the application itself, what everything costs, and the recordkeeping duties that start the day the commission is issued.

Who qualifies for a Washington notary commission

The eligibility list is short. Under RCW 42.45.200(2), an applicant must be at least eighteen years old, must be able to read and write English, and must either be a resident of Washington or have a place of employment or practice in the state. That last clause matters for people who live in Portland or Coeur d’Alene and work across the line: a Washington job site qualifies an out-of-state resident.

Citizenship is not a requirement, and there is no residency waiting period. Neither is training. The Department of Licensing states plainly on its notary FAQ page that a training class is not required in Washington and that testing is not required either, while encouraging applicants to take an optional course from a private education provider.

The one screening filter is criminal history. The same DOL FAQ explains that a conviction within the past 5 years for any felony or gross misdemeanor relating to the practice of a notary, a theft conviction is the example the agency gives, can disqualify an applicant, and that the Department reviews each case individually. An older or unrelated conviction is not an automatic bar.

Buy the $10,000 surety bond first

The bond comes before the application, not after. RCW 42.45.200(4) requires an applicant to file an assurance in the form of a surety bond, written by a surety licensed to write bonds in Washington, effective for a four-year term or for a term ending when the commission ends. WAC 308-30-030 fixes the amount at ten thousand dollars and requires the bond to be signed by the notary.

A notary may perform notarial acts only while a valid bond is on file with the Department, and the surety must give the Department at least thirty days’ notice before canceling it. The bond protects the public, not the notary. If a claim is paid on it, the surety can pursue the notary for the money.

An errors and omissions policy is a different product. The Department’s FAQ is explicit that an E&O policy does not satisfy the bond requirement, and that the copy sent with the application must be the surety bond issued by the bonding company.

File the application with the Department of Licensing

Applications go to the Notary Public Program at the Department of Licensing, online through SecureAccess Washington or by mail. WAC 308-30-030 sets out what the packet contains: evidence of the surety bond signed by the applicant, payment of the fee, and a signed and notarized oath of office.

1. Get the bond and keep a copy

   Order the $10,000, four-year bond from an insurance or bonding company licensed for surety in Washington. The bonding company returns a signed copy. That copy, not the original, is what goes with the application, and the Department’s instructions on its notary licensing page ask applicants not to send an errors and omissions policy in its place.

2. Sign the oath of office in front of another notary

   The oath of office must itself be notarized. Any commissioned Washington notary can perform it. Banks, credit unions, and shipping stores are common places to get this done, and many charge nothing for account holders.

3. Choose your commission name carefully

   WAC 308-30-030(2) requires the application to list both a legal name and a commission name, and the commission name must contain the surname plus at least the initials of the first and middle names. The commission name is what gets engraved on the stamp and what must match the signature on file, so a mismatch here follows you for four years.

4. Submit online or by mail

   Online filing through SecureAccess Washington is the faster route. Mailed applications go to the Notary Public Program, Department of Licensing, PO Box 3777, Seattle, WA 98124-3777, with a check or money order payable to the Department of Licensing.

Adding an electronic records notary endorsement is done on the same application or at renewal. An applicant must hold or be applying for a notary commission to add it, and under WAC 308-30-030(5) must tell the Department the name of the tamper-evident technology provider within thirty days of applying, before performing any electronic notarial act. Remote online notarization sits on top of that: the DOL licensing page directs electronic records notaries to email the Notary Public Program with the name of their remote notarization software and to wait for approval before notarizing remotely.

What it costs and how long it takes

The state fees are modest. As of 2026 the Department’s published notary fee schedule lists a $40 application fee, a $15 electronic notarization endorsement fee, a $42 renewal without an endorsement, a $57 renewal with one, and a $5 fee to print a replacement license. Name changes and address changes carry no fee. All fees are non-refundable.

Two costs come from private vendors rather than the state. The DOL FAQ notes that the price of the four-year, $10,000 bond varies by company and that the Department does not regulate what bonding companies charge. The stamp is a separate purchase from a bonding company or stamp vendor.

Processing takes time. The Department asks applicants to allow at least 30 days and offers no expedited service. An incomplete application extends that, and an applicant who does not respond within the time the Department allows has to start over with a new application and a new fee. ## Your stamp, journal, and first notarial acts A stamp cannot be ordered before the commission exists. RCW 42.45.150 makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, or possess a notary seal until the director has issued the commission, and requires the stamp to show the words “notary public,” the words “state of Washington,” the notary’s name as commissioned, and the commission expiration date. A vendor who does not ask to see the license before making the stamp is not following the law. Washington requires a physical journal of every notarization. The Department’s licensing page describes the format: a permanent, bound book with numbered pages, kept in a locked and secured area under the notary’s exclusive control, and retained for 10 years after the last entry. Each entry is made at the time of the act and records the date and time, a description of the document, the full name, address, and signature of the person requesting the act, and a brief description of how the person was identified. An electronic journal can be kept as a personal record, but it does not replace the bound book. Every notarial act also needs a certificate. RCW 42.45.130 requires the certificate to be executed at the same time as the act, signed and dated in the same manner as the signature on file with the Department, to identify the jurisdiction where the act was performed, to state the notary’s title of office, to be written in English, and to show the commission’s expiration date. ## What a Washington notary may charge Fees are capped by rule. Under WAC 308-30-220, the maximum is $15.00 for witnessing or attesting a signature, taking an acknowledgment or a verification on oath or affirmation, certifying or attesting a copy, administering an oath or affirmation, and certifying that an event occurred. A remote notarial act carries a maximum fee of $25.00. No fee may be charged for noting a protest of a negotiable instrument. Certifying a copy sits on that list, but it does not reach vital records. Certified copies of birth and death records come from the Department of Health and county registrars, not from a notary, so ordering a Washington state death certificate follows its own process and its own eligibility rules. A notary is never required to charge. Two add-ons are allowed on top of the capped fee: the actual cost of copying a record, and a travel fee, but only if the notary and the requester agree on the travel fee in advance and the notary explains that it is separate from the notarial fee and not required by law.