Rhode Island Notary Oath of Office

The Oath Goes Before the Application

This is the step that most commonly trips up Rhode Island notary applicants: the oath of office must be completed before you submit your application, not after. The oath section is built into the physical application form, and the notary who administers it signs and stamps that section directly. If you mail the application without a completed oath, the Department of State will return it.

Who Can Administer the Oath

You must appear in person before an active Rhode Island notary public. That notary:

1. Administers the verbal oath of office to you
2. Completes the notarial certificate on the oath section of your application
3. Signs and stamps the form

The administering notary does not need to be a specific type of notary or hold any special designation. Any active, commissioned Rhode Island notary public can perform this service.

The Free Option at the Department of State

If you plan to hand-deliver your application to the Department of State office in Providence (148 West River Street), staff notaries there can administer your oath at no charge. This is the simplest approach: you walk in, take the oath, have the form completed, and submit the entire application package in one visit.

This eliminates the need to find and pay a separate notary, and it removes the risk of the oath section being completed incorrectly.

Finding a Notary to Administer the Oath

If you are not near Providence, you need to locate an active Rhode Island notary willing to administer the oath. Options include:

• Banks and credit unions — many have staff notaries who can assist, sometimes at no charge for account holders
• Law offices — attorneys who are commissioned notaries can administer the oath
• Shipping and mailing stores — some retail locations offer notary services
• Mobile notaries — they can come to your location for a travel fee

The administering notary can charge up to $25 for the service under Rhode Island's per-act fee cap. If you use the Department of State office, the service is free.

What the Oath Involves

The oath is a verbal affirmation. You swear or affirm that you will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office of notary public according to the laws of the State of Rhode Island. The exact wording is on the application form.

The administering notary then completes the notarial certificate — recording the date, their name and commission details, and applying their stamp. This completed section becomes part of your application.

Common Mistakes With the Oath

The oath step generates a disproportionate share of application rejections. The most frequent errors:

Completing the oath after mailing. Some applicants mail their application first and plan to take the oath later. The oath section must be completed on the form before it reaches the Department of State. An application with a blank oath section gets returned.

Having a non-notary administer it. The oath must be administered by an active Rhode Island notary public — not a justice of the peace, not a minister, not a friend who witnessed it informally. The notary's stamp and signature on the form are what validate the oath.

Using a notary from another state. The administering notary must hold an active Rhode Island commission. A Connecticut or Massachusetts notary cannot administer a Rhode Island notary oath of office.

Getting the oath notarized on a separate document. The oath must be completed in the designated section of the application form itself, not on a separate affidavit or notarized statement. A loose-leaf oath certificate attached to the application does not satisfy the requirement.

Timing Within the Application Sequence

The oath fits into the overall application process at a specific point:

1. Confirm eligibility
2. Pass the knowledge assessment
3. Get the applicable municipal endorsement or employer verification
4. Take the oath of office ← here
5. Submit the application with the $80 fee

The applicable endorsement or employer verification and the oath are both completed on the physical application form, so you need the same copy of the form for both steps. Some applicants find it efficient to get the municipal endorsement first (at their local city or town hall), then bring the same form to a notary for the oath, and then mail or deliver the completed packet.

If you are going to the Department of State office in Providence, you can handle step 4 and step 5 in one visit — but you still need the applicable endorsement or employer verification (step 3) completed on the form before you arrive.

The Rhode Island Notary Commission Process Guide maps the oath step into the overall application timeline so you handle each piece in the right order without backtracking.

See more Rhode Island guides →