Nevada Notary Background Check

One of the most common sources of anxiety for Nevada notary applicants is the belief that they need to undergo state-administered fingerprinting and a formal background investigation. They find references to a six-to-eight-week background check, a $50,000 surety bond, and a Central Repository submission — and assume all of that applies to them.

It does not.

The Fingerprinting Confusion

The fingerprinting and background investigation process that comes up in Nevada notary searches is required for Document Preparation Services — a completely separate registration under NRS Chapter 240A. Document preparation services are individuals who prepare legal documents (divorce filings, deeds, trusts) for compensation. That registration requires fingerprint cards, a background check through the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History, and a $50,000 surety bond.

A standard Nevada notary public does not go through any of that. The two registrations are governed by different chapters of the Nevada Revised Statutes and have entirely different requirements.

What Traditional Notary Applicants Actually Do

Instead of fingerprinting, Nevada notary applicants complete a self-disclosure on their application form. You must confirm that you:

• Possess your civil rights
• Have not been convicted of a felony unless your civil rights have been fully restored and at least 10 years have elapsed since completion of your sentence, parole, or probation
• Have not been convicted of a crime involving theft, fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, or misappropriation of property (these are permanent disqualifiers regardless of civil rights restoration)
• Are not holding public office in the federal government

Senate Bill 92 further clarifies that an applicant convicted of a crime of moral turpitude is barred unless all three conditions are met: more than 10 years have passed since release from confinement or the expiration of parole or probation, complete restitution has been made, and civil rights have been fully restored. Crimes involving misappropriation of property or identity — including burglary, fraud, conversion, and larceny — remain permanent disqualifiers.

No Fingerprint Cards, No Central Repository, No FBI Check

To be clear: a traditional Nevada notary commission application does not require you to submit fingerprint cards to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History. It does not require an FBI background check. It does not require a LiveScan appointment. The self-disclosure on the application form is the screening mechanism.

The Secretary of State reviews the disclosure as part of the administrative application review; this is not the state-administered fingerprint and background-investigation process used for Document Preparation Services.

When Background Screening Does Apply

There are two scenarios where a notary might encounter a background screening:

1. Document Preparation Services registration (NRS 240A) — if you plan to prepare legal documents for compensation in addition to notarizing, you face the fingerprinting and $50,000 bond requirements under that separate registration.

2. Notary Signing Agent certification — the NNA and most lender platforms require an independent background screening ($65–$125 annually) for loan signing agent work. This is a private, non-governmental screening run by the NNA or a similar entity, not a state requirement.

Neither of these applies to a standard notary commission application.

Our Nevada Notary Commission Guide walks through the full eligibility and application process, including exactly what the self-disclosure requires and how to handle prior conviction questions.

See more Nevada guides →