Becoming a Michigan Notary Public

www.Michigan.gov/sos

Surety Bond Information

Applicants for a notary public commission

are required to obtain a

$10,000 surety bond

and file it at the office of the county clerk

in the county where the applicant resides.

The company from which you receive the

surety bond must be licensed to do business

in Michigan. Licensed attorneys are exempt

from filing s surety bond; however, they must

file an oath at the office of the county clerk in

the county where the applicant resides.

Out of state applicants may be eligible for a

Michigan notary public commission if they

are required to perform notarial acts as

defined in 2003 PA 238, as amended, MCL

55.265 (5)(d)(i) and demonstrates their

principal place of business is in Michigan.

A link to licensed surety bond companies in

Michigan is available at:

www.Michigan.gov/DIFS. The cost of

surety bonds varies — generally between

$50 and $100.

A surety bond protects the public from a

notaries public misconduct or negligence. A

surety bond does not protect the notary

public. “Liability” or “errors and omissions”

insurance may be purchased to protect an

individual notary.

Oath of

Office

The oath of office is an oral or written

statement taken at the county clerk’s office

when you file your bond or oath (licensed

attorneys only). For Michigan residents, this

must be in your county of residence. Out-

of-state applicants appear in the

county of their principal place of

business n Michigan. After the oath

is administered, the clerk will attest to

administering the oath and filing your

bond by completing information at the

top of the application. The clerk will

return the application to you to mail to

the Secretary of State for processing

along with a $10.00 processing fee.

Length of

Appointment

Notary public commissions expire not

less than six (6) years and not more

than seven (7) years from your next

birthday at the time of commission

issuance.

Renewing Your Commission

There is no automatic renewal process. You

must apply for a new commission when your

current commission expires. It is your

responsibility to apply for a new commission

no more than 60 days prior to the expiration

date of your present commission. If you are

currently a licensed attorney in Michigan, you

will receive a reappointment application form

approximately 90 days prior to your

commission expiration date.

Further

Information

For further information about the Michigan

notary public program, please visit our Web

site at: www.Michigan.gov/sos.

Becoming a

Michigan

Notary

Public

Office of the Great Seal

Michigan Department of

State

www.Michigan.gov/sos

The Role of

the

Michigan Notary Public

A notary public is an officer commissioned by

the Secretary of State to serve as an unbiased

and impartial witness. The most common

function of the notary is to prevent fraud by

attesting to the identity of a person signing a

document. Notarization on a document

certifies that the person whose signature is

entered on the document appeared before the

notary public, established his or her identity,

and personally signed the document.

Notary

Res

ponsibilities

Every citizen appointed as a notary public has a

duty to learn and understand the notary laws.

Michigan notaries pubic are required to

conform to the Michigan Notary Public Act

(2003 PA 238), as amended. The current law,

with the latest amendments effective March 12,

2019, is available at the Michigan Legislature’s

Website, www.legislature.mi.gov.

Qualifications

To become commissioned as a Michigan notary

public you must:

•

Be at least 18 years old;

•

Be a Michigan resident or maintain a

place of business in Michigan;

•

Be a U.S. citizen or possess proof of

legal presence;

•

Be able to read and write in the

English language;

•

Be a resident in the county in which you

request appointment (or maintain a

principal place of business if you are an

out-of-state applicant);

•

Be free of any felony convictions,

misdemeanor convictions, or violations, as

specified by law;

•

Have filed with the appropriate county

clerk a $10,000 surety bond and taken the

oath of office as prescribed by the State

Constitution (licensed attorneys in

Michigan are not required to file a surety

bond);

•

Sign a declaration that all the information

on your application is correct, that you

have read and understand the laws, and

that you will perform all notarial acts

faithfully; and

•

Not be imprisoned in any state, county or

federal correctional facility.

How to Apply

1. Complete an Application for Michigan

Notary Public Commission. This form is

available from the Michigan Department

of State Web site, www.Michigan.gov/sos,

or from the county clerk. It is important

that you print and sign the application

exactly as your name will appear on the

documents you notarize.

2. Obtain and file a $10,000 surety bond with

the county clerk (bonds are available

through insurance agencies or bonding

companies).

The nonrefundable fee for this filing at the

county level is $10.00 (with the exception

of charter counties with a population of

2,000,000 or more, where the fee may be

higher).

At the time of filing, the county clerk will

also administer the oath of office, and

verify that you have completed all the

requirements.

3. Forward your completed application (along

with a $10.00 nonrefundable application

processing fee) to the following address:

Michigan Department of

State

Office of the Great

Seal

7064 Crowner

Drive

Lansing, MI

48918

Send a check or money order payable to

the “State of Michigan.” Do not send cash.

4. If approved, your notary commission

certificate (a blue, wallet-sized card) will be

mailed directly to your residence address as

indicated on the application form.

Michigan Department of State

Office of the Great Seal

Walk-in: Richard H. Austin Building

First Floor, Lansing, MI

Mail: 7064 Crowner Drive

Lansing, MI 48918

Phone: (888) 767-6424

Ask for Office of the Great Seal

Facsimile: (517) 241-1820

SOS-425 (Rev. 02/19)