Do I have to be a United States Citizen to become a notary? The United States Supreme Court, in the case of Bernal v Fainter, decided in 1984, that a notary applicant does not have to be a United States citizen. The resident alien notary applicant must be in the country legally, however.
To become a Notary Public, you must: be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted for permanent residence. be a resident of Illinois for at least 30 days or be a qualifying Non-Resident. be at least 18 years of age.
To become a non-resident notary public, you must be a resident of a qualifying bordering state, which includes Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin. You must also have worked or maintained a business in Illinois for 30 days before this application.
92.4(b) provides that these services may be performed for any person regardless of nationality so long as the document in connection with which the notarial/authentication service is required is for use within the jurisdiction of the United States.
One of the most common mistakes that notaries make is not printing or signing their name exactly as it appears on their notary commission.
The State processing time, once submitted, is 4-6 weeks. Once your application has been approved, you will receive your notary public certificate from the State, and stamp(s) and supplies from us. Once you have your certificate in hand, you may use your new notary stamp and the process is complete.
Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state's office. This process is one of the latest initiatives of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' ongoing effort to modernize the office and its services.
The short answer is yes, notary publics are legally allowed to notarize documents from any state as long the notarial act is conducted within the geographical boundaries of the notary's state of commission.
An electronic notary is a notary public who is approved to provide services remotely. To apply to become an electronic notary, you must first be a commissioned notary public in the State of Missouri, then follow the steps below. Access the online step by step guide.