A notary public renewal in Oklahoma is requested on the Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission, the form the Oklahoma Secretary of State uses for both new and renewal commissions. You check the fee box that fits your situation (New, Renewal or Expired), give your name, your residence or Oklahoma workplace, your email and phone, and sign the declarations. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF and its instructions are published by the Secretary of State.
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What is Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission?
The Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission is the Oklahoma Secretary of State form a person signs to apply for appointment as a notary public in and for the State of Oklahoma. The same form is used for a new commission and for a renewal.
The first block of the application is the fee selection, where you must check one box: New, Renewal or Expired. The form notes that a commission cannot be renewed earlier than 6 weeks before its expiration date, and that an expired commission is processed as "new" with a new commission number and expiration date.
The application has eight numbered items: name, prior commission details, former names, resident address, Oklahoma residency or place of employment, email address, daytime telephone and a signed declaration that you are 18 or older, have never been convicted of a felony and can read and write in English. The printed instructions come with the form and set out the filing procedure and the legal requirements.
Approval of the application is not the end of the process. After the commission is mailed to you, you must still obtain a notary seal and a surety bond and file them, with your oaths and official signature, with the Secretary of State. The form is not a seal, bond or oath filing itself.
Who needs to file Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission?
Anyone who wants to be commissioned as an Oklahoma notary public, or to renew an Oklahoma notary commission, completes this application. The instructions set three legal requirements:
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You must undergo a national criminal history record check, including fingerprinting, and you must never have been convicted of a felony. Directions for the check are sent to the email address on your application after you submit it.
- You must be able to read and write in English.
You must also be either a legal resident of Oklahoma or a non-resident employed in Oklahoma. A non-resident gives the street address, city, zip code and county of the Oklahoma workplace.
Current and former notaries use the same form. If your commission has expired, the form says the application must be processed as "new", so check Expired rather than a renewal. Do not apply for a renewal earlier than 6 weeks before your commission expires.
When to file Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission
A commission cannot be renewed earlier than 6 weeks before its expiration date, so that date sets the earliest day you can file a renewal. If the commission has already expired, you do not renew: the application is processed as "new" and you receive a new commission number and expiration date.
After you submit, the instructions say to allow 2 to 4 weeks for processing. If the application is approved, the commission is mailed to you and is valid for four years.
Your filing does not end there. Your surety bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature and impression of your official notary seal must be filed with the Secretary of State within sixty (60) days after the date your commission is issued. You may not perform any notarial act until the bond, seal, oath of office and loyalty oath have been received and approved.
Documents you need
- Check or money order payable to the Secretary of State for the filing fee; check the matching fee box (New, Renewal or Expired) on the application.
- Number and expiration date of your current or last Oklahoma notary commission, if you have ever been commissioned; you enter them in item 2 rather than attach a document.
- After your commission is issued: an official notary seal, either an embosser or a rubber stamp, containing at minimum your name and the words State of Oklahoma and Notary Public.
- After your commission is issued: a surety bond that starts on its issue date and ends on your commission's expiration date, from an insurance agency, a bonding company or individual sureties.
- After your commission is issued: your oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature and impression of your seal, filed with the Secretary of State within sixty (60) days of the commission date.
How to fill out Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission
Check the application fee box
At the top, check one box: New, Renewal or Expired. Choose Renewal only if your commission has not expired and is no more than 6 weeks from its expiration date.
Enter your name (item 1)
Print or type your first and last name exactly as you will sign documents as a notary public. The name must contain at least your first and last name.
Answer the prior commission question (item 2)
Check YES or NO for whether you have ever been commissioned as an Oklahoma notary. If YES, enter the name on your most recent commission, its commission number and its expiration date.
List former names (item 3)
Enter any previous name, such as one changed by marriage. Leave it empty or write N/A only if you have no former name.
Enter your resident address (item 4)
Give your street address, city, state, zip code and county. A route number is acceptable if you have no street address; do not use a P.O. Box.
Answer the residency question (item 5)
Check YES or NO for Oklahoma residency. If you are a non-resident, enter the street address, city, zip code and county of your place of employment in Oklahoma, with no P.O. Box.
Enter your email and phone (items 6 and 7)
Enter a valid email address, which is required, and your daytime telephone number with area code.
Read the declaration and sign (item 8)
The declaration states that you are 18 or older, have never been convicted of a felony and can read and write in English. Sign exactly as you will sign as a notary; the signature must match item 1.
Review, download and prepare payment
Check every item, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Prepare a check or money order payable to the Secretary of State and submit the package through one of the channels described under How to submit.
How to submit Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission
You can file the application online, by mail or in person.
- Online: the form says filing online at www.sos.ok.gov/notary expedites processing of your commission.
- By mail or in person: send or deliver the completed application and payment to Secretary of State, 421 N.W. 13th Street, Suite 210, Oklahoma City, OK 73103.
A filing fee applies, and the amount differs for a new commission and for a renewal. Pay by check or money order made payable to the Secretary of State; the amount is printed on the application and its instructions, and the Notary Department at (405) 521-2516 answers questions. Print or type clearly: illegible applications and applications completed in pencil are rejected.
After you file, directions for the national criminal history record check are emailed to the address on your application. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Completing the application in pencil or with illegible handwriting; the instructions say such applications are rejected.
- Filing a renewal earlier than 6 weeks before the commission's expiration date.
- Checking Renewal for a commission that has already expired; the form says an expired commission is processed as "new".
- Giving a P.O. Box as your resident or Oklahoma employment address; P.O. Boxes are not acceptable on either line.
- Leaving out the Oklahoma workplace address when you are not an Oklahoma resident.
- Signing a name that does not match item 1; the signature must be identical to the name you print there, exactly as you will sign as a notary.
- Leaving the email address blank; the instructions say a valid email address is required by law, and the background check directions go there.
- Skipping the fee box or paying to the wrong payee; you must check one box and make the check or money order payable to the Secretary of State.
- Performing notarial acts before the Secretary of State has received and approved your bond, seal, oath of office and loyalty oath.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do a notary public renewal in Oklahoma?
Complete the Oklahoma Application for Notary Public Commission, check the Renewal box, enter your current commission number and expiration date in item 2, and file it with the Secretary of State with the filing fee. You can file online at www.sos.ok.gov/notary or by mail or in person.
How early can I renew my Oklahoma notary commission?
No earlier than 6 weeks before the expiration date. The application states that a commission cannot be renewed earlier than 6 weeks prior to its expiration, so an application filed before that point cannot be processed as a renewal.
What if my Oklahoma notary commission has expired?
You cannot renew it. The form says an expired commission must be processed as "new", so you check the Expired box and are issued a new commission number and expiration date.
Is there a fee to renew an Oklahoma notary commission?
Yes. A filing fee applies, and the renewal amount differs from the fee for a new commission. Pay by check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. The amount is printed on the application; the Notary Department at (405) 521-2516 can confirm it.
How long does an Oklahoma notary application take?
The instructions say to allow 2 to 4 weeks for processing. If the application is approved, the commission is mailed to you and is valid for four years. Directions for the criminal history record check are emailed after you submit.
Can I be an Oklahoma notary if I do not live in Oklahoma?
Yes, if you are employed in Oklahoma. A notary must be either an Oklahoma legal resident or a non-resident employed in the state, and a non-resident enters the Oklahoma workplace street address, with no P.O. Box, in item 5.
What must I do after my notary commission is issued?
Obtain a notary seal and a surety bond, then file the bond, oath of office, loyalty oath, official signature and seal impression with the Secretary of State within sixty (60) days after the commission date. Do not perform notarial acts until they are approved.
Can I fill out the Oklahoma notary application online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Oklahoma Secretary of State and does not file the application; you submit it online at the Secretary of State's site, by mail or in person.
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