Ohio Notary Training

What Ohio Requires for Notary Education

Every non-attorney applicant must complete a state-approved education course before they can apply for an Ohio notary commission. There's no self-study alternative — the Secretary of State only accepts certificates from providers on their authorized list.

Here's how the education requirements break down by applicant type, what the courses cover, and how to avoid wasting money on the wrong provider.

The Three-Hour Initial Course

New non-attorney applicants take a mandatory three-hour class that covers:

• Geographic jurisdiction of an Ohio notary public
• Authorized notarial acts (acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, affirmations)
• Maximum fees you're allowed to charge
• Seal specifications under R.C. 147.04
• Name and address update procedures
• The strict boundary between notary authority and the unauthorized practice of law

The written exam is administered at the end of or shortly after the course by the same provider. Both are bundled into one registration.

Cost: $130 for non-attorney initial applicants.

Attorney applicants: Attorneys in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio take the same three-hour course but are exempt from the exam. Their fee is $75.

Approved Providers

The Secretary of State maintains an official list of authorized education and exam administrators. The major providers include:

• Ohio Notary Services, LLC — a statewide partnership of the Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Ohio State Bar Associations
• Columbus Bar Association — offers both in-person and online options
• County law libraries — several across the state are approved providers

Not every notary training company you'll find online is on the approved list. If you complete a course through an unauthorized provider, the Secretary of State will reject your application — and neither the course fee nor the state filing fee is refundable.

Before registering, verify the provider appears on the Secretary of State's current authorized list.

The One-Hour Renewal Course

Renewing notaries get a streamlined version:

• Length: One hour (continuing education, not the full initial course)
• Cost: $45
• Exam: Not required for renewals

This shorter path is one of the key financial reasons to renew on time. If your commission lapses — even by a single day — you lose renewal eligibility and must complete the full three-hour course and pass the exam as a new applicant at the $130 rate.

Certificate Validity Windows

Your education completion certificate stays valid for 12 months from the date you complete the course. That gives you time to schedule your BCI fingerprinting, receive results, submit your application, and get approved — all within the certificate's validity window.

If the certificate expires before you submit your application, you'll need to retake the course and pay again.

For the BCI background check (which should ideally be completed before the education step), the validity window is shorter: six months from the date of the fingerprint scan. Plan accordingly.

RON Training Is Separate

If you want to add Remote Online Notarization to your commission, that requires a completely separate two-hour course and exam. Ohio Notary Services, LLC is the sole authorized provider for RON education, and the fee is $250.

You must hold an active, valid traditional commission before you can apply for RON authorization.

The Right Sequence

The most important thing about notary education in Ohio isn't the course content — it's when you take it. The education fee is non-refundable. If you register and pay before receiving your BCI background check results, and the report reveals a disqualifying offense, you've lost $130 with no recourse.

The safe order:

1. BCI fingerprinting first ($35–$50)
2. Wait for results (5–14 business days)
3. Register for education and exam only after a clean BCI report
4. Submit your application with both documents

The Ohio notary commission guide lays out this sequence with built-in checkpoints so you don't move to the next step prematurely.

See more Ohio guides →