Louisiana Notary Oath and Filing Process

You passed the exam. Congratulations — but you are not a notary yet. The post-exam filing sequence is where many candidates stall, because it involves coordinating documents between two different government offices on strict deadlines. Performing any notarial acts or using the title "Notary Public" before every step is complete is a misdemeanor under Louisiana law.

Here is the exact filing order.

Step 1: Secure Your $50,000 Surety Bond

Before touching the oath paperwork, get your bond in place. Under Act 258 of 2025, every non-attorney notary must hold a $50,000 surety bond from an authorized corporate surety. Most bonding agencies issue same-day. The premium runs $110–$250 for a five-year term.

You need the original or certified copy of the bond certificate for your filing package.

Step 2: Execute the Dual Oaths and Signature Page

You must execute two separate Oath of Office forms and one Official Signature Page before an authorized official (typically another commissioned notary or a judge). The forms are available from the Secretary of State's Notary Division.

Both oaths are the same oath — you are executing two originals, not two different documents. One goes to the Secretary of State. The other goes to your local parish Clerk of Court. The Official Signature Page provides the state with your official notarial signature on file.

Step 3: File with the Secretary of State

Submit the following to the Secretary of State Notary Division:

• One original Oath of Office
• The Official Signature Page
• The original or certified copy of your $50,000 surety bond
• A $35 commission filing fee (plus $5 credit card convenience fee if paying online)

Corporate surety bonds file directly with the Secretary of State — no parish clerk approval or recordation is needed for corporate bonds. Personal surety bonds and special mortgages still require separate parish recordation.

Processing takes approximately 1–2 weeks. Once complete, the Secretary of State issues your commission under the Governor's hand and your status changes to "Active" in the state database.

Step 4: File the Duplicate Oath with Your Parish Clerk

Within one month of executing the oath, you must file the duplicate (second original) Oath of Office with the Clerk of Court in the parish where you are commissioned.

Orleans Parish exception: If you are commissioned for Orleans Parish, the duplicate oath goes to the Clerk of the Civil District Court, not the regular Clerk of Court. This distinction matters for your records and for any future audits.

The parish clerk recording fee varies by parish, typically around $20.

Timing Matters

The one-month deadline for the parish clerk filing starts from when the oath was administered — not from when the Secretary of State processes your commission. If you execute the oath on August 1, the duplicate must be filed with the parish clerk by September 1, regardless of whether the Secretary of State has issued your commission yet.

Missing this deadline does not automatically void your commission, but it creates a compliance gap that can cause problems during audits or if your commission status is ever challenged.

What Happens After Filing

Once both filings are complete and the Secretary of State has processed your commission:

• Your status appears as "Active" in the state notary database
• You can begin performing notarial acts
• You can order your supplies (stamp, journal if required)
• You can apply for remote online notarization authority if desired

Until both filings are complete and your commission is issued, you cannot legally perform any notarial acts, use a notary stamp, or hold yourself out as a notary public. Violating this is classified as the unlawful exercise of notarial powers — a misdemeanor with fines and potential imprisonment.

Dual Commission Note

If you want to practice in a second parish where you maintain a physical office (in addition to your parish of residence), you need a dual commission. This requires a separate Application to Qualify, new oaths and signature page filings with both the Secretary of State and the additional parish clerk, and a bond rider or new bond reflecting the dual-parish authority.

The Louisiana Notary Commission Guide includes a post-exam filing sequence card that walks through each document, each office, and each deadline so nothing gets filed in the wrong order or the wrong place.

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