Illinois Notary Address Change

Same-County Moves vs. Cross-County Moves

The process for updating your address as an Illinois notary depends entirely on whether you're staying in the same county or moving to a different one. These are not the same procedure, and treating a cross-county move like a simple address update can leave you operating outside your legal authority.

Moving Within the Same County

If your new address is in the same county as your old one, the process is straightforward. Notify the Secretary of State Index Department in writing within 30 days of the move. Email notification to [email protected] satisfies this requirement.

Your commission remains active and uninterrupted. You don't need a new stamp or bond. The Index Department updates your records, and you continue notarizing as before.

Moving to a Different County

A cross-county move is more involved. You must resign your existing commission and apply for a new commission for the new county. Treating the move as a routine address update is not enough.

Name Changes During Your Commission

If you legally change your name during your four-year commission term, the requirements are more stringent than an address change:

1. Stop notarizing immediately. You cannot perform notarial acts under your former name once the legal name change is official.
2. Notify the Index Department within 30 days.
3. Wait for an updated commission certificate reflecting your new legal name.
4. Purchase a new stamp matching the new name and your existing expiration date.

Only resume notarizing after you have both the updated certificate and the new stamp. Using a stamp with your former name after a legal name change invalidates any notarizations you perform.

Lost or Stolen Stamps During a Move

Moving creates opportunities for stamps and journals to go missing. If your stamp is lost or stolen during a relocation, notify the Secretary of State by the next business day — not within 30 days, the next business day. Explain how the loss occurred and when you discovered it, then purchase a replacement stamp with a distinct visual indicator.

Your journal is equally critical. It must remain in your exclusive custody at all times. If your journal is lost, compromised, or stolen, the same next-business-day reporting requirement applies.

The Illinois Notary Commission Guide includes a commission maintenance tracker that flags address-change deadlines and walks you through the notification requirements for both same-county and cross-county moves.

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