Oklahoma Notary Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

Before you spend any money on the application, confirm you meet Oklahoma's baseline qualifications:

• Age: At least 18 years old at the time of application
• Language: Able to read, write, and speak English fluently
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen
• Residency: Oklahoma resident, or a resident of a bordering state (Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas) who is regularly employed or does business in Oklahoma
• Criminal history: No felony convictions under Oklahoma, federal, or any other state's laws — a felony is a permanent bar unless you've received a full gubernatorial pardon

There is no exam requirement. Oklahoma does not mandate education courses, training hours, or a notary test of any kind.

The OSBI Background Check

Senate Bill 1028 added a mandatory fingerprint-based national criminal history check for every new and renewing applicant, effective January 1, 2026. The OSBI coordinates with the FBI to pull both state and federal records.

After you submit your application through the Secretary of State's portal, you'll receive an email with instructions for scheduling electronic fingerprinting at an OSBI-certified location. The check costs up to $50, and OSBI is required to send results to the Secretary of State within 14 working days.

Surety Bond

Every new commission and renewal under the current requirements needs a four-year, $10,000 surety bond. Existing commissions issued before January 1, 2026, do not need a mid-term increase from $1,000.

The bond protects the public, not you. If you make an error that causes someone financial harm, the surety company pays out up to $10,000 to the injured party, then turns to you for reimbursement. The premium you pay for a $10,000 bond typically runs $35 to $55 for the full four-year term.

You must purchase the bond and file it with the Secretary of State — along with your oaths and seal impression — within 60 days of your commission issue date. The state charges a $25 bond filing fee.

Notary Seal

Oklahoma law requires every notary to authenticate official acts with a physical seal. Your stamp must include:

• Your exact commissioned name
• "State of Oklahoma"
• "Notary Public"

You can use either an inked rubber stamp or a metal embosser. Adding your commission number and expiration date to the stamp is optional but saves you from hand-writing them on every certificate. No county name is required on the seal itself, though you do note the county of execution on each notarial certificate.

Oath of Office and Loyalty Oath

After you receive your commission certificate and purchase your bond and seal, you must take two oaths — the Oath of Office and the Loyalty Oath — in front of an active, currently commissioned Oklahoma notary public. An out-of-state notary cannot administer these oaths.

During this step, you'll also stamp a clear physical impression of your new seal directly onto the surety bond form. The administering notary then notarizes both signatures.

State Filing Fees

• New application: $50
• Renewal application: $45
• Bond filing: $25
• Expedited same-day in-person processing: $50 (optional)
• OSBI background check: up to $50

Commission Term

Oklahoma notary commissions last four years from the date of issuance. Renewal requires meeting all current requirements, including the updated bond amount and background check.

What Happens If You Skip a Step

Performing any notarial act before the Secretary of State has approved your filed bond, oaths, and seal impression is a misdemeanor and invalidates the legal recordability of the documents involved. Missing the 60-day filing deadline voids your commission entirely, and you'd need to restart from the application stage.

The Oklahoma Notary Commission Guide covers every requirement in chronological order, with tracking tools for the 60-day deadline and a name-match verification checklist that catches the mismatches that cause state rejections.

See more Oklahoma guides →