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NOTARY PUBLIC EDUCATION AND/OR EXAM REQUIREMENTS
This chart is for solely for quick-reference purposes, and concerns only whether education or an examination is a commission qualification requirement for a traditional Notary Public commission. No other notarial officers or Notaries performing electronic and/or remote online notarial acts are contemplated. Please consult state statutes and any administrative rules for full Notary education and exam details. Where not required, Notary Public education is generally supported and encouraged by the Notary commissioning official.
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Alabama- Not required; but at county probate judge's discretion.
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Alaska- Not required.
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| Arizona- Not required; Secretary of State "may" require training under certain circumstances. Each notary must keep the Secretary’s Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual. Effective 6-30-22, if the Secretary requires an examination for new, renewing or suspended Notaries, the Secretary or an approved entity may offer a course of study covering the law, rules, procedures and ethics relevant to notarial acts. |
| Arkansas- Exam required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| California- Education course and exam required; for a new commission, applicants must take a 6-hour course and renewing applicants must take a 3-hour refresher course. Eligibility for the 3-hour refresher course is contingent on timely filing of the renewal application, prior to commission expiration date. Colorado- Education course and exam required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| Colorado- Education course and exam required, new and renewing Notaries. Effective 12-31-20, Secretary of State may require training and/or exam for Remote Online Notaries. |
| Connecticut- Exam required, new and renewing Notaries; exam is contained in the application form. |
| Delaware- Not Required. |
| District of Columbia- Required training course provided by the Mayor. New applicants, and renewing applicants with commissions expired longer than 12 months. |
| Florida- Education course required; for new Notaries or those applying after a lengthy commission lapse who have not previously taken an approved 3-hour course. |
| Georgia- Not Required |
| Hawaii- Exam Required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| Idaho- Not required; Secretary of State or an approved entity must offer a (non-mandatory) course to new applicants. |
| Illinois- Not required. Secretary may adopt administrative rules mandating a course of study and examination; new Notary applicants and renewing applicants must take any course of study that is required by the Secretary of State and pass an examination. |
| Indiana- Education required, new and renewing Notaries. Continuing education required every two years of active commission. Exam required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| Iowa- Not Required. |
| Kansas- Not Required. |
| Kentucky- Not Required |
| Louisiana- Pre-assessment exam and state exam required. Attorneys licensed in Louisiana are exempt from taking the exam. |
| Maine- Exam required; the exam is an open-book exam and is included with the application. Renewing resident applicants take the exam via the Total Notary Solution–Online Renewal system. |
| Maryland- Course of study and exam required, new Notary applicants; and (refresher) course required, renewing Notary applicants. |
| Massachusetts- Not Required |
| Michigan- Not Required |
| Minnesota- Not Required. |
| Mississippi- Not Required |
| Missouri- Education OR reading the Missouri Notary Handbook required and exam required, new and renewing Notary applicants. |
| Montana- Education and exam required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| Nebraska- Exam required, new (traditional) Notaries. |
| Nevada- Education and exam required, all new and renewing traditional Notaries. |
| New Hampshire- Not Required |
| New Jersey- Not required. Effective 7-22-22, education and exam required, all new Notaries who are not also attorneys. Also effective 7-22-22, certain non-attorney applicants renewing their Notary commissions must complete a continuing education course. |
| New Mexico- Education and exam required, new Notaries (and only renewing Notaries whose commissions have lapsed for more than one year). |
| New York- Exam required, applicants for a new (initial) Notary commission. Renewing Notaries must take the exam if commission has lapsed (expired) for more than six months. Attorneys licensed to practice law in New York are exempt from taking the exam. |
| North Carolina- Education course required, first-time Notary applicants. Exam required, first-time and renewing applicants (traditional Notaries). Members of the North Carolina Bar are exempted from the Notary education and exam requirements. |
| North Dakota- Not Required |
| Ohio- Education and exam required, new and renewing Notary commission applicants. Ohio attorneys seeking a Notary commission are exempt from the exam requirement but not the education requirement. |
| Oklahoma- Not Required |
| Oregon- Education course required for new applicants, and renewing Notaries whose commissions will lapse before renewal forms are received by the Secretary of State. Exam required, new and renewing Notaries. |
| Pennsylvania- Education course required; new and renewing Notary applicants. Education must be at least 3 hours taken either online or in a classroom environment and must be taken within a 6-month period preceding commission application. Exam required; first-time applicants and renewing but commission has lapsed. |
| Rhode Island- Education course not required. Notary Public applicant must “demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the powers and duties pursuant to the requirements of” Rhode Island’s Notary laws. Secretary of State provides an assessment exam for this purpose. |
| South Carolina- Not Required |
| South Dakota- Not Required |
| Tennessee- Not Required |
| Texas- Not Required. The Secretary of State may require a Notary who is subject to disciplinary action to complete a Notary Public course of study. Texas state agencies must require Notaries Without Bond to obtain Notary training. |
| Utah- Exam required; new and renewing Notaries. |
| Vermont- Education not required for new applicants. Effective 2.1.21, Vermont Notaries renewing in 2023 must have completed two hours of continuing education prior to renewal application submission. Also effective 2.1.21, an exam is required for initial (new) Notary commission applicants. |
| Virginia- Not Required |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.)- Not Required |
| Washington- Not Required |
| West Virginia- Not Required |
| Wisconsin- Department of Financial Institutions’ “Online Tutorial” including an examination, required. New and renewing Notaries. |
| Wyoming- Education and exam required, new and renewing Notary applicants. Applicants must review the Secretary of State’s Notary Education Presentation (online) and pass the examination provided with the commission application. |
| NOTE: All information above is current as of February 2022 |