Ohio Notary Law Changes 2025

What Changed for Ohio Notaries in 2025

Two pieces of legislation reshaped the Ohio notary landscape: the Notary Public Modernization Act (Substitute Senate Bill 263, which overhauled the entire system in 2019) and House Bill 315 (effective April 4, 2025, which introduced several significant operational changes). If you got your commission before these laws took effect, some of the rules you learned no longer apply.

Here's what's different and what you need to do about it.

The Modernization Act: County Courts to Secretary of State

The Notary Public Modernization Act transferred all notary administration — applications, renewals, record-keeping, and discipline — from Ohio's 88 county Courts of Common Pleas to the Ohio Secretary of State's office.

What this means in practice:

• No county filing required. You no longer record your commission or file your oath with a county recorder or clerk of courts. The Secretary of State's centralized database at notary.ohiosos.gov is the sole official register.
• Statewide jurisdiction. Commissioned notaries can perform acts anywhere in Ohio, regardless of which county they live in. The old county-by-county limitations are gone.
• Online applications. Everything from initial applications to renewals to RON authorization filings happens through the centralized portal.

If someone at a county office tells you to come in and file paperwork, they're operating on outdated procedures. Politely decline and refer them to the Secretary of State's notary page.

House Bill 315: The 2025 Updates

HB 315 made four major changes that affect both new and existing notaries:

1. In-Person Oath Requirement

The most immediate practical change: all newly commissioned notaries must now take their oath of office in person before another commissioned notary or authorized official (judge, clerk of courts). The prior practice of non-face-to-face oath administration is no longer valid.

This applies to new commissions and may apply to renewals for notaries who haven't previously completed an in-person oath. Schedule this step promptly after receiving your commission certificate — you can't perform any notarial acts until it's done.

2. RON Fee Increase

The maximum fee for a Remote Online Notarization act increased from $25 to $30 per act. The technology fee remains at up to $10 per session. For a session with one notarial act, the combined maximum is $40.

If you've been charging $25 for RON acts, you have the option to raise your rate. If you've been charging less, the higher ceiling gives you room to adjust.

3. Electronic Estate Planning Bond Requirement

This is the change that catches the most people off guard. Under HB 315, any notary who performs an electronic notarization (either traditional electronic or remote online) on estate planning documents must first obtain and file proof of:

• A $25,000 surety bond — conditioned on faithful discharge of notarial duties
• A $25,000 errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy

Both must be filed with the Secretary of State before performing the electronic notarization. The affected documents include electronic wills, electronic trusts, electronic powers of attorney, living wills, and durable healthcare powers of attorney.

This does not apply to:

• Paper-based estate planning notarizations
• Standard commercial or real estate RON sessions

Performing electronic estate planning notarizations without these filings is official misconduct and can result in commission revocation.

4. Updated Seal and Certificate Standards

HB 315 also refined requirements around authenticator certificates for electronic documents and clarified the standards for recording electronically notarized documents with county recorders. The key practical point: county recorders must accept printed versions of electronically notarized documents if they include a wet-ink authenticator certificate under R.C. 147.591.

What You Should Do Right Now

If you're a new applicant: These rules are already built into the current application process. Follow the standard sequence (BCI check → education → application → in-person oath → seal) and you'll comply automatically.

If you hold an existing commission:

1. Verify your oath status — if you've never completed an in-person oath, contact the Secretary of State's office to determine whether HB 315 requires you to do so
2. If you do RON work, update your fee schedule to reflect the new $30 ceiling
3. If you handle estate planning documents electronically, secure the required bond and E&O insurance before your next electronic estate planning notarization

If you're renewing without a previously recorded oath: Determine whether the in-person oath requirement applies and factor it into your 90-day renewal timeline.

The Ohio notary commission guide covers all current requirements as updated through HB 315, including the bond filing process and oath coordination steps.

See more Ohio guides →