How to Become a Notary in Rhode Island

What It Takes to Get Commissioned

Rhode Island treats the notary public commission as a formal state appointment — not a simple registration. The Governor appoints you, the Secretary of State processes your paperwork, and the whole thing is governed by the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RIGL Chapter 42-30.1). That means more moving parts than most applicants expect, and a non-refundable $80 filing fee that you forfeit if your application gets rejected for a procedural mistake.

The six-step sequence matters because steps done out of order will stall your application. You must take the oath of office before you mail the application, for example, and you need the applicable municipal endorsement on the physical form before filing.

Here is the process from start to finish.

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

You qualify to apply if you meet all five requirements:

• At least 18 years old
• A U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
• A Rhode Island resident, or employed at a regular place of business within the state
• Able to read and write English
• No disqualifying criminal record involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit under RIGL § 42-30.1-16

Rhode Island attorneys in good standing with the state bar and CPAs licensed by the Rhode Island Board of Accountancy are exempt from the residency and voter registration requirements. They can obtain a commission regardless of where they live, though they still need to submit a certified copy of their bar admission or accountancy license with the application.

Step 2: Get Your Local Voter Endorsement

This is the step that catches most people off guard. The physical application form requires a city clerk, town clerk, or board of canvassers member to sign an endorsement confirming you are a registered voter in your municipality.

If you are not registered to vote, you need to register at least 30 days before seeking the endorsement. You can verify your status through the Rhode Island Voter Information Center online. Then bring your completed application to your local city or town hall for the endorsement signature.

Non-residents who qualify through Rhode Island employment skip this step — their employer completes an employment verification section on the application instead.

Step 3: Study and Pass the Knowledge Assessment

Rhode Island requires all applicants to pass a knowledge assessment before submitting their application. The assessment is:

• Online and open-book — hosted on the ClassMarker platform
• Free — no fee to take it
• Retakeable — you can attempt it as many times as you need
• Self-certified — the system does not transmit your score to the state; you attest on your application that you passed

The passing score is 80%. Questions are drawn directly from the official Rhode Island Notary Public Manual and the Standards of Conduct for Notaries Public. The state also offers free live webinars and self-guided training modules through the Department of State, which are optional but useful for first-time applicants.

Step 4: Take the Oath of Office

Before mailing your application, you must take the oath of office in the physical presence of an active Rhode Island notary public. That notary administers the verbal oath and signs the notarial certificate on your application form.

If you plan to hand-deliver your application to the Department of State office in Providence, staff notaries there can administer your oath at no charge — which saves you a trip to find a notary elsewhere.

Step 5: Submit Your Paper Application and $80 Fee

The application is a two-page paper form that must be completed entirely by hand with original ink signatures. The Department of State does not accept photocopied, faxed, or emailed applications.

Mail or hand-deliver your completed packet — the endorsed application, the notarized oath section, and a check or money order for $80 payable to "RI Department of State" — to:

RI Department of State, Business Services Division/Notary, 148 West River Street, Providence, RI 02904

Processing typically takes three to five business days. Once approved, the Governor signs your commission certificate, and it is mailed to your address on file.

Certain public officials — including state legislators, municipal clerks, judges' clerks, and up to two designated police officers per department — are exempt from the $80 fee, though they still submit the same application.

Step 6: Get Your Stamp and Supplies

Your commission is active for four years from the date of issuance. Before performing any notarial acts, you need an inked notary stamp that meets Rhode Island's specifications:

• Round or rectangular with a continuous border
• Dark ink (black or dark blue)
• Must include your name exactly as commissioned, "Notary Public," and "Rhode Island"

Rhode Island does not require a surety bond, which saves you money compared to states that do. The state strongly recommends — but does not legally require — keeping a chronological journal of your notarial acts. A journal protects you if a complaint is ever filed, since it provides a permanent record of who appeared before you, what document was notarized, and how you verified their identity.

Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance is optional but worth considering. Rhode Island notaries carry unlimited personal liability for negligence, and a single mistake on a real estate closing document can generate significant financial exposure.

What About Remote Online Notarization?

Once you hold an active traditional commission, you can register to perform remote online notarizations (RON) at no additional state fee. You will need to subscribe to a state-approved technology platform — generic video tools like Zoom or FaceTime are not permitted — and submit a Notary Public Information Update Form with samples of your electronic signature and seal.

RON sessions require dual-layered identity verification (credential analysis plus knowledge-based authentication), and you must retain the audio-visual recording for at least 10 years. The notary must be physically located in Rhode Island during the session, though the signer can be anywhere in the world.

Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes

The most frequent reasons applications get rejected or delayed:

1. Skipping the voter endorsement — the application arrives without a clerk's signature
2. Taking the oath after mailing — the oath must be completed before submission, not after
3. Using digital signatures — the state rejects anything that is not original ink on the physical form
4. Forgetting the fee — the $80 check or money order must accompany the application

Each rejection wastes time and risks losing your $80 if the state treats it as a completed filing. Getting the sequence right the first time is the entire point.

The Rhode Island Notary Commission Process Guide walks you through each step with checklists and trackers, so nothing falls through the cracks between the assessment, the oath, the endorsement, and the filing.

See more Rhode Island guides →