131. Procedure of appointment; fees and commissions; fee payment methods. 1. Applicants for a notary public commission shall submit to the secretary of state with their application the oath of office, duly executed before any person authorized to administer an oath, together with their signature.
2. Upon being satisfied of the competency and good character of applicants for appointment as notaries public, the secretary of state shall issue a commission to such persons; and the official signature of the applicants and the oath of office filed with such applications shall take effect.
3. The secretary of state shall receive a non-refundable application fee of sixty dollars from applicants for appointment, which fee shall be submitted together with the application. No further fee shall be paid for the issuance of the commission.
4. A notary public identification card indicating the appointee's name, address, county and commission term shall be transmitted to the appointee.
5. The commission, duly dated, and a certified copy or the original of the oath of office and the official signature, and twenty dollars apportioned from the application fee shall be transmitted by the secretary of state to the county clerk in which the appointee resides by the tenth day of the following month.
6. The county clerk shall make a proper index of commissions and official signatures transmitted to that office by the secretary of state pursuant to the provisions of this section.
7. Applicants for reappointment of a notary public commission shall submit to the county clerk with their application the oath of office, duly executed before any person authorized to administer an oath, together with their signature.
8. Upon being satisfied of the completeness of the application for reappointment, the county clerk shall issue a commission to such persons; and the official signature of the applicants and the oath of office filed with such applications shall take effect.
9. The county clerk shall receive a non-refundable application fee of sixty dollars from each applicant for reappointment, which fee shall be submitted together with the application. No further fee shall be paid for the issuance of the commission.
10. The commission, duly dated, and a certified or original copy of the application, and forty dollars apportioned from the application fee plus interest as may be required by statute shall be transmitted by the county clerk to the secretary of state by the tenth day of the following month.
11. The secretary of state shall make a proper record of commissions transmitted to that office by the county clerk pursuant to the provisions of this section.
12. Except for changes made in an application for reappointment, the secretary of state shall receive a non-refundable fee of ten dollars for changing the name or address of a notary public.
13. The secretary of state may issue a duplicate identification card to a notary public for one lost, destroyed or damaged upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of ten dollars. Each such duplicate identification card shall have the word "duplicate" stamped across the face thereof, and shall bear the same number as the one it replaces.
14. The secretary of state and any county clerk, shall accept payment for any fee relating to appointment or reappointment as a notary in the form of cash, money order, certified check, company check, bank check or personal check. The secretary of state and any county clerk may provide for accepting payment of any such fee due to him or her by credit or debit card, which may include payment through the internet.
Last modified: February 3, 2019