Becoming a notary public in New York takes one exam, one form, and $75 in state fees. Most people are commissioned within a few weeks of passing the test.
What trips people up is not the process. It is everything that comes after: what you may legally charge, what you are required to write down after every single notarization, and which requests you must turn down. New York changed the record-keeping rules in January 2023, and a great deal of the advice still circulating online predates that change.
This guide covers the whole thing: the commission, the exam, the fee schedule, the journal, electronic notarization, and the limits on what a notary may do. Every figure is cited to the Department of State or to the Executive Law.
The Short Version
- Requirements: be a New York resident or maintain an office or place of business in New York, be of good moral character, and pass the state exam
- Exam Fee = $15
- Application Fee = $60
- Total To Get Commissioned = $75
- Term: four years
- What You May Charge: $2 per oath or affirmation, $2 per acknowledgment per person — or up to $25 per electronic notarial act
- Since January 25th 2023: every New York notary, including in-person-only notaries, must keep a journal of all notarial acts for ten years
What a New York Notary Public Actually Does
A notary public is a public officer commissioned by the Secretary of State to witness signatures and administer oaths. You are not verifying that a document is true, legal, or a good idea. You are verifying that the person in front of you is who they say they are and that they signed willingly.
Executive Law § 135 authorizes a New York notary to:
- administer oaths and affirmations
- take affidavits and depositions
- receive and certify acknowledgments or proof of written instruments (deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney)
- demand acceptance or payment of foreign and inland bills of exchange, promissory notes and written obligations, and protest them for non-acceptance or non-payment
Your jurisdiction is the entire state. A commission issued in Erie County is equally valid in Brooklyn. What it does not do is travel: your authority stops at the New York State line, no matter where you were commissioned.
Who Can Become a Notary in New York?
You must:
- Be a New York State resident, or maintain an office or place of business in New York State. You do not have to live here. If you qualify on a place of business rather than residence, your oath of office and signature are filed with the county clerk where that business is located.
- Be at least 18 years old. This one comes from the Department of State's application guidance rather than from the Executive Law, which sets no minimum age.
- Be of good moral character, have the equivalent of a common school education, and be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a notary public (Executive Law § 130).
- Pass the written examination, unless you are exempt (see below).
There is no citizenship requirement in the Executive Law, and none appears in Department of State guidance.
Criminal Convictions
A felony conviction is generally disqualifying, and certain misdemeanors are as well. But it is not automatic. Under Executive Law § 130, the Secretary of State may still appoint an applicant with a conviction after making a finding, consistent with Article 23-A of the Correction Law, that the conviction is not a bar.
The Department of State specifically identifies three documents that support such a finding: an executive pardon, a certificate of relief from disabilities, or a certificate of good conduct from the parole board. If you have a record and hold one of these, apply — do not assume you are excluded.
Who is Exempt From The Exam?
Exactly two groups:
1) Attorneys currently admitted to the New York State Bar.
2) Court clerks of the Unified Court System appointed to that position after taking a Civil Service promotional examination in the court clerk series of titles.
Note what the exemption does not cover. Exempt applicants still pay the $60 application fee. And an out-of-state attorney who maintains a law office in New York may be appointed and is deemed a resident of the county where that office sits.
What It Costs
| Item | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Written examination | $15 | NYS DOS |
| Initial application | $60, non-refundable | Executive Law § 131 |
| Renewal (every four years) | $60 | NYS DOS |
| Electronic notary registration | $60, non-refundable | 19 NYCRR § 182.11(b) |
| Name or address change | $10 | Executive Law § 131(4)(a) |
| Duplicate ID card | $10 | Executive Law § 131(4)(b) |
| County clerk certification of your signature | $3 | Executive Law § 133 |
| Apostille or certificate of authentication | $10 per document | NYS DOS |
Twenty dollars of your $60 application fee is transmitted by the Department of State to your county clerk. You do not pay the county separately. Budget roughly $75 to become commissioned, plus the cost of a stamp and a journal — which the state does not sell and does not include.
The New York Notary Exam
The exam is a one-hour, multiple-choice written test administered by the Department of State at physical sites around the state. There is no online or remote option.
Booking depends on where you sit it — and this catches people out. At most sites across the state there is no pre-registration: seats are assigned first-come, first-served, so arrive at least 15 minutes early.
In New York City it works differently. You must email exams@dos.ny.gov to schedule, and you should not report to the exam site unless you have received email confirmation of your date and time. Turning up unannounced at the New York City site will not get you a seat. Exam sites for the current period include Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Carmel, Franklin Square, Hauppauge, New York City, Plattsburgh, Pomona, Rochester, Sanborn, Syracuse, Utica and White Plains.
Check the DOS schedule before you travel. Locations and dates change and sittings are occasionally rescheduled — as of this writing the Department of State's Buffalo office at 295 Main Street is temporarily closed to the public, with exams there being rescheduled.
What To Bring
- Current government-issued photo ID. DOS accepts a broad list: driver's license, state non-driver ID, military ID, U.S. passport, USCIS Employment Authorization Card, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, foreign passport, IDNYC, Brazilian, Mexican, Honduran or Ecuadorian consular ID, and the Mexico Voter ID Card.
- The $15 fee by check or money order payable to the Department of State, or by MasterCard or Visa. Cash is not accepted.
- Two #2 pencils. These are not provided at the exam site.
- Cell phones and all electronic devices must be off. No books, dictionaries, reference materials, large bags, food, beverages or visitors.
How many Questions, And What Score Do I Need To Pass?
The Department of State does not publish a question count or a passing percentage, and it does not give you a numerical score. In its own words, results are reported as either passed or failed.
This is worth saying plainly, because the figures "40 questions" and "70% to pass" circulate widely on notary websites and are not stated anywhere in DOS materials. Treat them as folklore. Study the whole License Law booklet rather than trying to reverse-engineer a cutoff.
Results, Retakes, And How Long A Pass is Good For
Results arrive by mail. If you fail, you may simply retake the exam on another date of your choosing — DOS states no waiting period.
One deadline matters: examination results are valid for two years. Pass the exam and sit on it for longer than that and you will be taking it again.
What The Exam Covers
Everything in this guide, essentially: the notary's powers and limits under Executive Law §§ 130–138, disqualifying interest, the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat, the required contents of a notarial certificate, statutory fees, misconduct and its penalties, and the unauthorized practice of law. The Department of State publishes the Notary Public License Law booklet free of charge, and it is the source the exam is drawn from.
The Oath of Office and Your Application
The order matters here, and getting it backwards is the most common cause of a rejected application.
Step One: pass the exam and keep the slip you are sent.
Step Two: execute your oath of office on form DOS-2201. The statute allows the oath to be taken before any person authorized to administer an oath; in practice the form itself is set up for a New York State county clerk or any currently commissioned New York notary public to administer it. This happens before you start the application, not after.
Step Three: apply online through NY Business Express using a NY.gov account. Search "Notary", then choose either Apply Online for Traditional Notary Public or Apply Online for Electronic Notary Public. You will upload:
- A copy of your passing exam slip (or proof of exemption)
- Your completed oath of office as a scanned single-page PDF — DOS is explicit that a photo of the form is not acceptable
- Your Social Security number or ITIN, or a written explanation if you have neither
Online filings accept credit or debit card only.
Step Four: wait. NY Business Express lists average processing at three to five business days. If you applied online, your identification card arrives as a printable card by email; only applications submitted by mail receive a card by mail. Either way it carries your license number, sometimes called your UID.
*One Warning: performing notarial acts before your oath has been taken and filed is a misdemeanor under Public Officers Law § 15. Wait for the commission.*
How Long The Whole Process Takes
| Stage | Typical Time |
|---|---|
| Study for the exam | 1–3 weeks |
| Wait for an exam date at a convenient site | 0–4 weeks, depending on location |
| Sit the exam | 1 hour |
| Receive results by mail | Varies — DOS publishes no standard |
| Execute the oath of office | Same day, once you find a notary or county clerk |
| DOS processes the application | 3–5 business days (NY Business Express estimate) |
Realistically, from deciding to do it to holding a commission: four to eight weeks, with the mailed exam results the least predictable link in the chain.
