Applying and renewing

Q1. Who can become a notary public?

A1. In Colorado, you can become a notary public if you:

• Are 18 years of age or older,
• Are a citizen or permanently legal resident of the United States or otherwise lawfully present in the United States,
• Are a resident or have a place of employment or practice in Colorado,
• Can read and write the English language,
• Are not disqualified to receive a commission under section 24-21-523 (I) including:
  • Have never been convicted of a felony
  • Have not been convicted of a misdemeanor involving dishonesty in the past five years
  • Have never had a notary commission revoked, and
  • Have passed the Colorado notary exam after completing training.

Q2. How do I become a notary public in Colorado?

A2. Apply online and attach scanned copies of:

• Affirmation (PDF) form signed and notarized,
• Both sides of acceptable identification,
• Notary training certificate,
• Notary exam certificate, and
• If you are not a U.S. citizen, a copy of both sides of your permanent resident card or visa.

Our office provides free online training and examination. See the Notary Public Training page.

The filing fee can be paid online by credit or debit card.

See the fee schedule.

Q3. How long does it take my application to be processed?

A3. Your application should be processed within three to five business days.

Q4.  How long do I have to fix the problem if my application is rejected?

A4. Your application must be corrected and approved within 90 days of payment, or you will be required to start over and pay again.

Q5. When can I start notarizing documents?

A5. You can start notarizing documents when you receive an email notifying you that your application has been approved.

Log in to print your Notary Commission Certificate. You must get and use an official stamp and a notary journal, as well.

Q6. How often do I renew my notary commission?

A6. You must renew your commission every four years. The commission term begins on the date you are approved as a notary. For example, if you are approved on January 1, 2019, your commission will expire on January 1, 2023. You can renew up to 90 days prior to your commission expiration date.

Q7. How do I renew my notary commission?

A7. You can renew online up to 90 days before your commission will expire. Beginning July 1, 2018, both new notaries and notaries renewing their commissions must attend approved training and take an online examination. Our office provides free online training and examination. See the Notary Public Training page.

To renew online, attach scanned copies of:

• Your notarized Affirmation (PDF),
• Your ID,
• A certificate of completion for an approved notary training course, and
• A certificate showing successful completion of the online notary exam.

The filing fee can be paid online by credit or debit card.

See the Fee schedule.

Q8. What do I do if my commission expired and I want to continue being a notary public?

A8. First, log in, or register for online access. You will have to file a renewal and include a certificate of completion for an approved notary training course and a certificate showing successful completion of the online notary exam. The fee is the same as a new commission. See the Fee schedule.

Do not apply as a new notary if you have been a notary in Colorado before.

Q9. How do I sign up for notary training?

A9. Online training and certification is free through our eLearning notary training course.

Training is also available through approved vendors.

Q10. What is acceptable identification?

A10. Notary applicants must provide valid identification for proof of legal name, age, and lawful presence in the United States.

Do not include your social security card.

For U.S. Citizens- Acceptable identification includes:

• Valid Colorado driver's license,
  Note: documents issued under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S. to individuals not lawfully present in the U.S. and individuals temporarily present in the U.S. are not acceptable forms of identification
• Valid Colorado ID card,
• Valid state government identification that has been issued within the United States or any of its territories or possessions,
• Valid U.S. passport,
• Valid Military ID / Common Access Card, or
• Valid Native American Tribal ID card with photo.

For Non-U.S. citizens- Acceptable identification includes:

• Permanent resident card or “Green card,” or
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card

You must also include your lawful presence documentation if you have either:

• A Colorado issued Part 5 ID card, or
• An out of state driver’s license that is invalid for identification or federal purposes.

Q11. What name should I put on the notary application?

A11. You must put your legal name on the application. Middle names or middle initials are optional. The first and last name must match the name on your acceptable identification. If the last name on the identification contains more than one name, all of those names must be included in the last name field on the application and not abbreviated.

Your official signature must be consistent, but it does not have to be an exact match to your legal name.

For example, if your legal name is John Alan Doe, you can sign "JA Doe.” If your legal name is Catherine Smith, you can sign "Cathy Smith.”

Q12. Is my training/exam certificate connected to my notary account?

A12. No. Your eLearning account, on our website where you take the training and exam, is not connected to your notary account. You may have different login information for both.

Please note that once your application has been approved, your eLearning account will be removed. You can use the same email and password to sign up again if needed.

Q13. Why might my application get rejected?

A13. Please review your documents before you submit. The following are common reasons that your application may get rejected:

• Applicant’s name doesn’t match ID
• Applicant’s ID is not current
• Attaching exam questions
• Attaching blank affirmation
• Attaching wrong affirmation (remote notary affirmation is different)
• Notary’s stamp is non-compliant on affirmation
• Notary uses wrong title on the affirmation
• Notary left blanks/unfilled lines on affirmation

Q14. What certificate should I attach as a new/renewing notary?

A14. You may have a training certificate from a vendor or course provider, but if you took our training, your certificate will look like this:

Your exam certificate will look like this:

Q15. What certificate should I attach to become a remote notary?

A15. Your training and exam certificate will look like this: