The Application for Notary (New and Renewal) is the form the Knox County Government – Clerk (the County Clerk) uses to take applications for Tennessee notary public commissions, both first-time and renewal. You sign it under oath in the presence of a notary public and submit it to the County Clerk before the county commission meeting at which it is to be considered. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the Knox County Clerk, and submission follows the Clerk's channels.
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What is Application for Notary (New and Renewal) – Knox County, TN?
The Application for Notary (New and Renewal) is the Knox County, Tennessee form on which a person applies to become a notary public, or to renew a notary commission, by answering identification and eligibility questions under oath and submitting it to the County Clerk.
The printed heading reads "Tennessee Notary Public Applications – Knox County," and the form is issued by the Knox County Government – Clerk. You mark NEW or RENEWAL, give your name, the name you want on your notary seal, your home and business details and your date of birth, and answer nine questions about your background and eligibility. You then sign the sworn statement before a notary public.
The application is only the first stage. The county commission considers it at a meeting. If you are elected, you must then be commissioned by the Governor, file a bond in the office of the County Clerk and take the oath of office. The form states that you are not authorized to act as a notary public until you have received your commission from the Governor, filed your bond and taken the oath of office.
A fee applies to every application, new or renewal, and the form adds a further fee if the County Clerk notarizes your application. The amounts are printed on the form.
Who needs to file Application for Notary (New and Renewal) – Knox County, TN?
People who want to serve as a notary public in Knox County, Tennessee, use this form, whether they are applying for the first time or renewing. A renewing notary marks RENEWAL and enters the date the current commission expires.
Every applicant answers nine questions on the form. They cover:
- convictions for bribery, larceny or another offense declared infamous by law, and whether citizenship has been restored;
- unpaid judgments for money received in an official capacity, or being a defaulter to the treasury;
- service in the regular armed forces, membership in the U.S. Congress, or holding an office of profit or trust under a foreign power, another state or the United States;
- removal from office as a notary, or a notarial commission revoked or suspended by any state;
- a court finding of unauthorized practice of law, or any other legal disqualification;
- whether you are a United States citizen or legal permanent resident.
The form does not name anyone who may sign for the applicant: the applicant signs the sworn statement personally. A commissioned notary who moves a residence or principal place of business out of Knox County must notify the County Clerk of the change of address; the form says a fee is charged for that notice.
When to file Application for Notary (New and Renewal) – Knox County, TN
Submit the application to the County Clerk before the meeting of the county commission at which it is to be considered. The form prints no calendar deadline and no meeting dates, so ask the Clerk's office when the commission meets.
The form sets the order of what follows. If you are elected, you must be commissioned by the Governor, file your bond in the office of the County Clerk, which accepts a fee and administers the oath of office, and take that oath. You may not act as a notary public until all three steps are done.
The form has a Current Commission Expires line for renewals but prints no renewal window.
How to fill out Application for Notary (New and Renewal) – Knox County, TN
Mark NEW or RENEWAL
At the top, answer in print and mark NEW if you are applying for the first time or RENEWAL if you already hold a commission.
Enter the date of application
Write today's date on the Date of Application line.
Enter your full name
On Full Name, print your first, middle and last name and any suffix in the spaces provided.
Print your name as it will appear on the seal
On Notary Name, print your name exactly as you wish it to appear on your notary seal.
Enter home and business details
Give your Home Address with city, state and ZIP, then Employed By and your Business Address with city, state and ZIP.
Add contact and personal details
Enter your home phone, business phone, fax and email address, plus your date of birth. Renewal applicants also enter the date shown on Current Commission Expires.
Answer questions 1 and 2
Mark YES or NO for question 1 on convictions. Answer question 2, on whether your citizenship has been restored, only if your answer to question 1 was YES.
Answer questions 3 through 9
Mark YES or NO for each remaining question: unpaid judgments, military or office-holding status, removal or revocation, unauthorized practice of law, other disqualification and United States citizenship or legal permanent residence (question 9).
Sign under oath before a notary
Sign on the Signature of Applicant line only in the presence of a notary public. The acknowledgment block below it is for the notary who witnesses the signature.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every line and every YES or NO answer, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and submit it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Application for Notary (New and Renewal) – Knox County, TN
The form is submitted to the County Clerk (Knox County Government – Clerk). It prints no street address, mailing address or online portal, and it names no other channel. The Clerk's forms page is at https://www.knoxcounty.org/clerk/forms.php; ask the Clerk's office how it accepts the application.
What the package must include:
- Sworn application: signed under oath in the presence of a notary public.
- Application fee: required with every application, original or renewal. If the County Clerk notarizes your application, an additional fee is due with it. The amounts are printed on the form.
- Timing: it must reach the Clerk before the county commission meeting at which it is to be considered.
After election, the bond is filed in the County Clerk's office, which accepts a fee and administers the oath of office. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing the application without a notary public present; the form must be signed under oath in the presence of a notary public.
- Leaving questions blank; the form says to answer ALL questions, including the nine YES or NO questions.
- Writing the Notary Name differently from how you want it on your seal; the line asks for your printed name exactly as you wish it to appear on the seal.
- Submitting the application after the county commission meeting at which it was meant to be considered; it must reach the County Clerk before that meeting.
- Sending the application without the required fee, or leaving out the additional fee when the County Clerk notarizes it.
- Acting as a notary public before you have received the Governor's commission, filed your bond and taken the oath of office.
- Marking neither NEW nor RENEWAL, or marking NEW when you hold a current commission that expires.
- Moving your residence or principal place of business out of Knox County without notifying the County Clerk of the change of address.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Knox County notary application?
It is the Application for Notary (New and Renewal), the Knox County Clerk's form for applying to be a Tennessee notary public or renewing a commission. You answer nine questions, sign under oath before a notary and submit it to the County Clerk.
Is this form used for Knox County property tax?
No. This is the application for a notary public commission, issued by the Knox County Government – Clerk. Nothing on it concerns property tax. Look for property tax forms and payment information through the county's own offices.
Do I have to sign the notary application in front of a notary?
Yes. The form says the application must be signed under oath in the presence of a notary public. If the County Clerk notarizes your application, the form says an additional fee must be included with your application fee.
When do I submit the Knox County notary application?
Submit it to the County Clerk before the meeting of the county commission at which it is to be considered. The form prints no meeting dates or deadline, so ask the Clerk's office when the commission next meets.
Is there a fee to apply or renew as a notary in Knox County?
Yes. The form requires a fee with every application, original or renewal, plus an additional fee if the County Clerk notarizes it. A fee also applies when you file your bond and for a change of address. The amounts are printed on the form.
Can I act as a notary once my application is submitted?
No. The form says you are not authorized to act as a notary public until you have received your commission from the Governor, filed your bond with the County Clerk and taken the oath of office.
What happens after the county commission elects me?
You must be commissioned by the Governor and file a bond in the County Clerk's office, where the Clerk accepts a fee and administers the oath of office. Only after all three steps may you act as a notary public.
What if I move out of Knox County after becoming a notary?
If you move your residence or principal place of business out of the county, the law requires you to notify the County Clerk of the change of address, and the form says a fee is charged for it.
Can I fill out the Knox County notary application online?
Yes. 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; you submit it to the County Clerk yourself.
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