One of the most common mistakes that notaries make is not printing or signing their name exactly as it appears on their notary commission.
You'll be approved as a notary public in Illinois in four to six weeks. Register to take our approved Illinois notary public study course and take the final examination. You must score 85 percent or better to pass the exam.
Yes, as long as you perform the notarial act in Illinois and the notarial certificate indicates "State of Illinois, County of _______________________" to identify the jurisdiction in which the notarial act took place.
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.
UPDATE 12-8-23: Under a new law that took effect November 17, 2023, Illinois Notaries are not required to record a journal entry when notarizing the following election documents filed by or on behalf of a candidate for public office: nominating petitions; petitions of candidacy; petitions for nomination; nominating ...
If you have questions regarding the application or process, please contact the Notary Public Division at 217-782-7017 or enotary@ilsos.
Starting August 1, 2024, Illinois residents applying to be Notary Public or Electronic Notary Public must use our online application. Those who qualify for a hardship exemption can choose to use a paper application. For questions about this policy, please call 217-782-7017 or email enotary@ilsos.
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.
While the language varies depending on the type of notarization and the law of the state in which you are commissioned, the main body of a certificate will require you to note the date of the notarization, the name of the signer appearing before you, and your official name as the Notary.