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Application Procedures
Step 1: Download the Connecticut Notary Application form and Notary Public Examination and complete them according to the instructions provided
The application for appointment as notary public must be completed in the applicant's own handwriting, and filed along with the non-refundable statutory fee of $120.00, with the Office of the Secretary of the State Connecticut Notary Public Application.
Incomplete and photocopied applications will be returned
- The entire six page application must be filled out legibly in ink and in your own handwriting. All of the questions must be answered completely.
- An applicant must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of, or have a principal place of business in Connecticut.
- The Certificate of Character on page 2 must be filled out completely and signed by a public official or a reputable business or professional person who must be unrelated to you and has personally known you for at least one year.
- The Jurat on page 6 must be completed and sworn to before a notary public or other appropriate official.
You will need to make arrangements to have a notary public take your acknowledgment under oath or affirmation that the information provided in the application is true. The Notary Search feature from NotaryRotary.com can be helpful in contacting a notary public. Simply click the link below, enter your home ZIP code and click search for a list of notaries public in your area: Click here Notary Search
All applicants must provide their residence address. Applicants who are non-residents must also provide the address of their principal place of business in Connecticut, which must be kept current because it affects your status as a notary public according to statutory requirements. All correspondence will be sent to your residence address. A business address will not be used. Mail can be sent to a Post Office Box only if mail delivery is not available at your residence address. The examination is incorporated into the notary public application form and must be completed by each applicant. All questions on the exam must be answered correctly before an applicant will be appointed a notary public. The questions may vary from application to application, but each version of the exam is intended to be a comprehensive test of the applicant's knowledge and ability to perform his/her duties and responsibilities as a notary public.
Step 2: Send completed Application Form and Notary Public Examination to the office of the Secretary of State and wait for your commission certificate to arrive in the mail
Once you have completed the application form and examination according to the instructions provided, mail it along with a check or money order in the amount of $120.00 made payable to the "Secretary of State" to the following address:
Secretary of State
Notary Public Division
PO Box 150470
Hartford, CT 06115-0470
Your application may be returned due to error or incompleteness. A letter identifying the error or omission will accompany the returned application. It will be your responsibility to make the necessary additions or corrections and return the application to the office of the Secretary of State. No additional fee is required when resubmitting an application unless one of the reasons for return was non-payment or under-payment of the statutory application fee.
Step 3: Receive your Certificate of Appointment from the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and prepare to take your Oath of Office
Upon receiving the Certificate of Appointment, and before performing any notarial act, the notary must take an oath of office. The appointment and oath of office must be recorded with the Town Clerk in the town in which the notary resides, within thirty (30) days of having received the Certificate of Appointment. If the notary is a non-resident, the recording must be made with the Town Clerk of the town in which the notary's principal place of business is located. When taking the oath of office, the applicant who is now the notary public would sign the Certificate of Appointment and the officer administering the oath of office would complete the jurat section of the certificate. The recording of the oath and appointment must also be confirmed on the certificate by the Town Clerk. After completing the mandatory recording described above, notaries may also record their certificate with the Town Clerk in other towns. This secondary recording is an option. The filing fee for recording the notary's commission and oath is ten dollars ($10.00) set by Section 7-34a of the Connecticut General Statutes.
New and Renewing Notary Packages
Renewing Notary Packages do not come with a notary journal
Step 4: Order your Official Seal and other notarial supplies from The Notary's Store
Once you have filed your certificate of appointment and taken your oath of office you are ready to order your notarial supplies. Please visit The Notary's Store, you will be entering the Connecticut section for notary supplies. We offer a New Notary Supply Package and a Renewing Notary Supply Package, Connecticut Notary Seal/Stamp and other needed notary supplies at a special reduced price. To order, enter the required information and scroll down through the page to locate the notary packages, or you can purchase your notary supplies separately. Then follow the instructions through checkout. Connecticut law does not require a notary to own and use a seal or stamp, but most notaries public do as a matter of convenience. The State of Connecticut does however prescribe the format of a notary seal/stamp and the Connecticut Notary Seal/Stamp available from The Notary's Store meets these requirements. There is also no requirement that notaries maintain a journal of their notarial acts. However, it is the very strong recommendation of the Office of the Secretary of the State that you do so. The journal is a record of the notarial acts performed and could be vital in protecting the notary from possible liability. The Connecticut Notary Journal makes an excellent notary journal and was specifically designed for use by notaries public and contains many elements not available in other journals, and is available at The Notary's Store.
Note: An Errors and Omissions Insurance Policy is not required by law, but may be purchased as it protects the notary public and pays for any charges the notary might owe for legal fees and costs should the notary be sued.
As soon as you receive your supplies you will be ready to begin your duties as a commissioned notary public for the State of Connecticut.
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