The Tennessee Notary Application is the form that the Davidson County Clerk's Office, part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, uses for people applying to become a notary public or to renew a commission. Applicants circle NEW or RENEWAL, answer a set of yes-or-no eligibility questions and sign before a notary. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form and the process are published by Nashville and Davidson County at nashville.gov.
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What is Tennessee Notary Application – Nashville-Davidson, TN?
The Tennessee Notary Application (printed on the form as Application for Tennessee Notary Public) is the form used to apply to become, or to renew as, a notary public in Davidson County, Tennessee. It is notarized and filed with the Davidson County Clerk's Office.
The form is for both situations: you circle NEW or RENEWAL at the top. It collects the name you will use when notarizing, your residence and business addresses, phone numbers, age and gender, and an optional e-mail address that the clerk's office uses only for its own purposes. It then asks nine yes-or-no questions, including whether you live or have a principal place of business in Davidson County, whether you have been convicted of an offense declared infamous by law, whether a notarial commission was ever revoked or suspended, and whether any other reason legally disqualifies you. You swear to the answers under penalties of perjury, and your signature must be notarized.
Completing the form does not make you a notary. According to the County Clerk's page, the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County considers the election of each applicant at its meetings. After election, an approval letter is mailed, and the new notary must post a bond and pay a filing fee at the main office before exercising notarial powers.
The County Clerk's Office assists people applying to become a notary public; it does not notarize documents. A change of address for an existing notary uses a separate notarized change of address form, not this application.
Who needs to file Tennessee Notary Application – Nashville-Davidson, TN?
Anyone who wants to become a notary public through the Davidson County Clerk's Office, or who needs to renew, uses this form. The form's first question asks whether you are a resident of Davidson County or have a principal place of business in Davidson County, so the application is built for people with that connection.
You answer by circling YES or NO on questions about:
- convictions for bribery, larceny or another offense declared infamous by law, and, if so, whether your citizenship has been restored;
- an unpaid judgment for money received in an official capacity, or being a defaulter to the treasury;
- serving in the regular armed forces, Congress, or an office of profit or trust under a foreign power, another state or the United States;
- removal from a notary office for official misconduct, or revocation or suspension of a notarial commission in any state;
- a court finding of unauthorized practice of law;
- any other legal disqualification from the office.
Do not use this form to change your address as a sitting notary: the County Clerk's page says a notary moving to another Tennessee county submits a notarized change of address form to the county clerk that elected them. No representative may sign for you; the applicant's signature must match the notary name printed at the top.
When to file Tennessee Notary Application – Nashville-Davidson, TN
The application must be on file two weeks before the meeting of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County at which you want to be considered. The form says the Council meets for this purpose on the first Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November, so applications are considered every other month.
The same timing applies to new and renewal applications. An application filed after the two-week cutoff is not considered at that meeting; the form and the County Clerk's page set no other filing window. After the Council elects you, an approval letter is mailed, and you must then visit the main office to file your bond and pay the fee before you begin your duties.
Documents you need
- A personal or company check made payable to "Davidson County Clerk" for the application fee; the form says it must accompany the application. Contact the clerk's office for the current amount.
- The application itself must be notarized: your signature is sworn before a notary, who completes the "State of Tennessee County of" block and gives the commission expiration date.
How to fill out Tennessee Notary Application – Nashville-Davidson, TN
Circle new or renewal
At the top of the form, circle NEW or RENEWAL, depending on whether you are applying for a first commission or renewing.
Enter the date of application
Write today's date in the DATE OF APPLICATION line, month, day and year, with the year in the 20__ format shown.
Print your notary name
Under Notary Name (please print), enter the name you will use when notarizing documents. It must match your signature at the bottom.
Enter your residence information
Fill in your residence address, city and ZIP code, and your residence phone number. Print or type everything.
Enter employer and business details
Give the name of your employer or company, its business address, city and ZIP code, and your business phone.
Add age, gender and optional e-mail
Enter your age and gender. The e-mail address is optional and is for the clerk's office use only.
Answer the eligibility questions
Circle YES or NO for each question, starting with Davidson County residence or principal place of business. Answer the citizenship-restored question only if you answered YES to the conviction question.
Sign the sworn statement
Sign under Signature of Applicant only in front of the notary. The signature must match the Notary Name above.
Have the application notarized
The notary completes the county, the day and month of the oath, signs, and writes the commission expiration date.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the name match, the circled answers and the notary block. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, copy it for your records, and prepare the check described under How to submit.
How to submit Tennessee Notary Application – Nashville-Davidson, TN
File the completed, notarized application with the Davidson County Clerk's Office. The form lists these details:
- Office: Davidson County Clerk's Office, 700 Second Avenue South, Suite 101, Nashville, TN.
- Mailing address printed on the form: PO Box 196333, Nashville, TN 37219-6333.
- Payment: a fee applies for the application. It must accompany the application as your personal or company check made payable to "Davidson County Clerk". Ask the office for the current amount.
- Questions: the Marriage and Notary Department at 615-862-6256.
Photocopy the form for your records before you submit it. Incomplete or un-notarized applications cannot be accepted, and the application must arrive at least two weeks before the Metropolitan Council meeting.
After the Council elects you, the clerk's office mails an approval letter. You then visit the main office to file your bond, posted through a surety company authorized in Tennessee, and to pay the bond filing fee. A notary must furnish their own seal, and embossed seals are not accepted. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting the application without a notary's signature and commission expiration date; the form states that un-notarized applications cannot be accepted.
- Signing a name that differs from the Notary Name at the top; the form says the signature must match it.
- Filing less than two weeks before the Metropolitan Council meeting and expecting to be considered at that meeting.
- Handwriting illegibly; the form requires the application to be printed or typed.
- Leaving any of the YES or NO eligibility questions uncircled, or skipping the citizenship-restored question after answering YES to the conviction question.
- Not circling NEW or RENEWAL at the top of the form.
- Sending the application without the check payable to "Davidson County Clerk".
- Forgetting to photocopy the form for your records before submitting it.
- Using an embossed seal after election; the County Clerk's page says embossed notary seals are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tennessee Notary Application in Davidson County?
It is the Davidson County Clerk's form, printed as Application for Tennessee Notary Public, for new and renewal notary applicants. You complete it, have your signature notarized and file it with a check; the Metropolitan Council then considers your election.
Does the Tennessee Notary Application have to be notarized?
Yes. The form says the applicant's signature must be notarized, and that incomplete or un-notarized applications cannot be accepted. The County Clerk's Office does not notarize documents, so you need to find a notary elsewhere.
When is the deadline for the Davidson County notary application?
The application must be on file two weeks before the Metropolitan Council meeting. The Council meets for this on the first Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November.
Is there a fee to apply as a notary in Davidson County?
Yes. A check made payable to "Davidson County Clerk" must accompany the application, and a separate fee is paid when you file your bond after election. The amounts are not listed here; call the Marriage and Notary Department at 615-862-6256.
What happens after I submit the notary application?
The Metropolitan Council considers your election at its next qualifying meeting, and an approval letter is mailed. You then visit the main office to file your bond and pay the fee, and the bond must be posted before you begin your duties.
Is this a Nashville property tax form?
No. This form is only the application for a notary public commission in Davidson County. It is handled by the County Clerk's Marriage and Notary Department and has nothing to do with Nashville property tax.
Can I fill out the Tennessee Notary Application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the application or notarize it; you submit it to the Davidson County Clerk's Office and arrange the notarization yourself.
How do I change my address as a notary?
Not with this form. A notary who moves to another Tennessee county submits a notarized change of address form to the county clerk who elected them. The County Clerk's page lists a fee for it.
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