The notary application for Pennsylvania is the Notary Public Application issued by the Pennsylvania Department of State, Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation. You use it to request a new appointment or a reappointment as a notary public. Applicants must be at least 18, be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States, and live or work in Pennsylvania, among the other requirements printed with the form. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the Department publishes the form at the official link, and it also accepts the application online at www.notaries.pa.gov.
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What is Notary Application – Pennsylvania?
The Notary Public Application is the Pennsylvania Department of State form used to apply for appointment and commission as a notary public, either as a new appointee or as a reappointment for someone who has applied to be a notary in Pennsylvania before.
The Department's Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation issues the form and processes it. It has a section for previous commission details, Part I: Applicant Information, Part II: Education; Criminal, Disciplinary and Legal History, a notice about the Social Security number, and a signed declaration. A set of instructions is printed with the form.
The application is tied to the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which requires every applicant, for initial appointment and reappointment alike, to complete at least three hours of approved notary education within the six months before applying. It also requires an examination from applicants who do not hold a current Pennsylvania commission. That includes first-time applicants and anyone whose commission has expired when the Department receives the application.
Your commission is prepared and issued in the name you enter in Part I. The form must be used as approved by the Department and may not be altered. It is not a copy-and-send document: the Department accepts only the original of the completed form.
Who needs to file Notary Application – Pennsylvania?
Anyone who wants to be appointed and commissioned as a Pennsylvania notary public uses this application, whether it is a first appointment (New Appointment) or a reappointment (Reappointment, for someone who has applied to be a notary in Pennsylvania before). To qualify, you must:
- be at least 18 years old;
- be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States;
- live in Pennsylvania or have a place of employment or practice in the Commonwealth;
- be able to read and write English;
- have completed at least three hours of approved notary education within the six months before applying;
- pass the examination, if you do not hold a current and active commission;
- have the honesty, integrity, competence and reliability to act as a notary, which the instructions describe generally as no conviction of, or Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for, a felony or an offense involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit.
The following people are not eligible to hold the office: members of the Congress of the United States, anyone holding a federal office or appointment of profit or trust to which a salary, fees or perquisites are attached, and members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The form asks the applicant to sign the declaration personally; it names no one who may sign for the applicant.
When to file Notary Application – Pennsylvania
File a reappointment application two to three months before your current commission expires, so that your commissioned status is not interrupted. Renewal applicants should allow two to four weeks for processing after the Department receives a completed application.
New appointees should also allow two to four weeks for processing. If exam authorization information has not arrived within that time, contact the Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation at the address printed at the top of the form.
Timing rules that affect the application:
- The three-hour notary education course must have been completed within the six months immediately before the application date.
- After you are appointed, you must record the commission, the executed bond and the oath form with the Recorder of Deeds in the county where your office is located, and register your official signature, within 45 days of the appointment date. Otherwise the commission becomes null and void, and the instructions say extensions are not given.
Documents you need
- A copy of your course completion certificate for the three-hour, Department-approved notary education course taken within the six months before applying; keep your original. Lack of proof of education results in rejection.
- A check or money order for the application fee, payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", sent with a mailed application.
- If you answer yes to the conviction or Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition question: full details (name of court, plea/conviction/ARD, sentence and length of probation), supporting documents and a signed, dated personal explanation.
- If you answer yes to the question on resigning, suspension, revocation or discipline of a notary commission in any state or jurisdiction: full details, appropriate supporting documents and a signed, dated personal explanation.
- If you answer yes to the question on discipline of another professional or occupational license: full details, supporting documents and a signed, dated personal explanation.
- If you answer yes to the question on a judgment or admitted liability in a legal proceeding for your actions as a notary: full details, supporting documents and a signed, dated personal explanation.
How to fill out Notary Application – Pennsylvania
Choose appointment type
Check New Appointment or Reappointment (you have applied to be a notary in Pennsylvania before). Print or type clearly and fill out the application completely.
Enter previous commission details
If you were ever a notary in Pennsylvania or used a different name, enter the commission expiration date, full name on the previous commission, commission ID number and any other or former names used.
Enter your name and personal data
In Part I, give your first, middle (or initial) and last name and suffix as you want them on your commission; nicknames are not accepted. Add date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy), Social Security Number (xxx-xx-xxxx) and email address.
Complete employer or business information
Enter the employer or business name where the commission will be used, with street address, city, state, ZIP code, telephone with area code and county. Do not leave the name blank; indicate if not applicable.
Enter your home address
Give your home street address, city, state, ZIP code, telephone with area code and county. A P.O. Box alone is insufficient.
Answer the education question
In Part II, mark YES or NO for completing the three-hour approved notary course within the six months before applying, and attach a copy of the certificate.
Answer the history questions
Mark YES or NO for each question on convictions or ARD, notary commission resignation or discipline, other license discipline, and judgments or admitted liability as a notary. Answer all of them.
Prepare explanations for any yes answers
For each YES, attach full details and supporting documents with a signed and dated personal explanation. For a conviction or ARD, include the court, plea/conviction/ARD, sentence and length of probation.
Sign the declaration
Sign as the applicant, print your name so that it matches Part I, and enter the date. If your signature is not legible and recognizable, print your name right next to it.
Review and download the PDF
Check every part for blanks and consistent names. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit Notary Application – Pennsylvania
The Department of State accepts the Notary Public Application by mail or online.
- By mail: send the original completed application, not a copy, with your payment and course completion certificate to the Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation, 401 North St, Rm 201, Harrisburg, PA 17120.
- Online: the form states that it may be submitted online at www.notaries.pa.gov.
A fee applies. Make the check or money order payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"; the amount is printed on the form and in its instructions. The fee is non-refundable, and the Department may revoke the commission of a notary who issues an insufficient funds check to the Commonwealth, the Department of State, a Recorder of Deeds or a Prothonotary.
If you answered "yes" to any Part II history question, attach your explanation and supporting documents to the application. After you submit, the Department sends all correspondence, the notice of appointment and the bond and oath form to the email address on your application. Questions go to (717) 787-5280 or [email protected].
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the Department's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving blanks on the form instead of writing "none" or "N/A"; an incomplete application delays your appointment.
- Omitting the course completion certificate; lack of proof of education results in rejection.
- Sending a photocopy of the completed form; the Department accepts only the original.
- Altering the form or using a version other than the one approved by the Department of State.
- Giving a P.O. Box alone as the employer/business or home street address; it is insufficient.
- Leaving the employer/business name blank instead of indicating that it does not apply.
- Checking "yes" in Part II without attaching full details, supporting documents and a signed, dated personal explanation.
- Using a nickname, or a printed name that does not match the name in Part I; commissions are issued in the Part I name.
- Listing a home address as the business address without knowing that it, and the home phone, become public information.
- Paying with a check that is returned for insufficient funds; the Department may revoke the commission.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pennsylvania notary application?
It is the Notary Public Application of the Pennsylvania Department of State, used to apply for a new appointment or a reappointment as a notary public. The Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation processes it, and your commission is issued in the name you enter in Part I.
Who is eligible to apply to be a notary in Pennsylvania?
You must be at least 18, a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States, a Pennsylvania resident or have a place of employment or practice there, and able to read and write English. You also need the required education and, without a current commission, must pass the exam.
Do I need a notary course before applying?
Yes. Every applicant, new or reappointing, must complete at least three hours of Department-approved notary education within the six months before applying, and attach a copy of the certificate. Lack of proof of education results in rejection of the application.
Do I have to take an exam?
Only if you do not hold a current Pennsylvania notary commission. That covers first-time applicants and anyone whose commission has expired when the Department receives the application. If approved, you receive computer-based testing information by email.
Where do I submit a notary application in Pennsylvania?
Mail the original to the Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation, 401 North St, Rm 201, Harrisburg, PA 17120, with the fee and course certificate. The form also says it may be submitted online at www.notaries.pa.gov.
Is there a fee, and how do I pay it?
Yes. Each application needs a check or money order payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", and the fee is non-refundable. The amount is printed on the form and in the instructions.
How long does processing take?
The instructions say to allow two to four weeks after the Department receives a completed application, for both new appointments and renewals. If exam authorization information has not arrived in that time, contact the Office at the address on the form.
When should I apply to reappoint my notary commission?
Submit the application two to three months before your current commission expires to keep uninterrupted commissioned status. Renewal applicants should allow two to four weeks for processing after submitting a completed application.
What happens after my notary appointment is approved?
The Department emails a notice of appointment with a bond and oath form. You must record the commission, bond and oath with the Recorder of Deeds in your office's county and register your signature within 45 days, or the commission becomes null and void.
Can I fill out the notary application online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Department of State and does not submit the application; you send it through the Department's channels.
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