Please read this first

We work to keep state commissioning information current, but requirements, fees, and forms can change faster than we can update this page. Confirm every step with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (State Treasurer) using the official links below before you apply. This article is a checklist, not legal advice.

Overview

New Jersey commissions notaries through the State Treasurer. P.L. 2021, c. 179 authorizes remote and electronic notarizations. If you hold an active commission and will offer remote and/or electronic notarizations, update the commission record in the online system before those acts.

Use this page as a checklist of where to go and what to complete. Follow the Division of Revenue’s current instructions if anything here differs from the official site.

For a U.S. overview of remote online notary authorization, see the National Notary Association’s How to Become a Remote Online Notary. Follow the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (State Treasurer)’s instructions if anything differs.

Who Can Apply

To be commissioned as a New Jersey notary public, you must meet all of the following:

Age and connection

Be at least 18 and a legal resident of New Jersey, or have a place of employment or practice in this State (New Jersey Notary Public Manual).

Education and exam (non-attorneys)

Initial non-attorney applicants complete a six-hour course of study approved by the State Treasurer and pass the Treasurer’s examination (Notary Educational and Testing Requirements).

Legislator endorsement and county oath

The application must be endorsed by a State legislator (electronic endorsement on online filings). Within three months of receiving the commission, take the oath before the clerk of the county of residence (New Jersey Notary Public Manual).

Start Here: Commission, Then Remote/Electronic Update

Complete education, exam, the $25 application, and the county clerk oath. Then use Remote/Electronic Notarization in the portal to update the commission record before the first remote or electronic act.

1

Read the official notary pages and manual

Open New Notary Public Provisions, Notary Educational and Testing Requirements, New Jersey Notary Public Manual, and Notary Public Registration.

2

File the notary application online

Use Notary Public Registration. The application fee is $25 (plus a $5 convenience fee if filing online, as the Treasurer’s FAQ has listed).

3

If you already hold a New Jersey commission, update the remote/electronic record before the first remote session

Select Remote/Electronic Notarization on Notary Public Registration, then enter commission number and date of birth.

Part 1: Traditional New Jersey Notary Commission

Skip this section if you already hold an unexpired New Jersey notary public commission. You still must update the remote/electronic record before remote or electronic acts.

Checklist

1

Review the official how-to

New Jersey Notary Public Manual, Notary Educational and Testing Requirements, and Notary Public Registration.

2

Complete traditional notary education

Non-attorneys: six-hour approved course, then the online examination drawn from the Manual (the education-program report describes a 50-question, 80% passing standard). Attorneys skip the exam as the portal instructs. The Manual authorizes the Treasurer to charge up to $15 for each online test; confirm the current amount in the application system.

3

Obtain a surety bond

Not listed in the official Notary Public Manual commissioning chapter as a required surety bond.

4

Submit the traditional application

File on Notary Public Registration with legislator endorsement. Pay the $25 non-refundable application fee (plus the listed online convenience fee if you file online).

5

Take the oath at the county clerk

Within three months, take and subscribe the oath before the clerk of the county in which you reside and pay the clerk’s statutory qualification fee. DORES will cancel the commission if the oath is not completed in time.

Part 2: Online (RON) Commission

Before the first electronic notarization, notify the State Treasurer electronically and identify the technology you intend to use. Before remote acts using communication technology, complete the portal Remote/Electronic update. Keep a journal of all notarial acts. Identity proofing and audio-visual recording rules are in Manual Chapter 8.

Have these ready

X.509 digital certificate

Use technology that meets P.L. 2021, c. 179 and the Manual. New Jersey does not publish an SOS-style approved-vendor endorsement list on New Notary Public Provisions; you are responsible for selecting compliant technology.

Electronic seal image

Use an electronic image of the official stamp attached to or logically associated with the electronic record, as Chapter 9 requires.

Identity proofing capability

For a remotely located individual, visually verify an acceptable ID and use identity proofing (dynamic knowledge-based authentication, biometric identity verification, or a digital public-key certificate) as Chapter 8 describes.

Electronic journal and recording

Maintain one journal (tangible bound register or tamper-evident electronic format) of all notarial acts. Retain audio-visual recordings of remote sessions as Chapter 8 requires.

Checklist

1

Read the official online-notary instructions

New Notary Public Provisions, New Jersey Notary Public Manual Chapters 8–9, and Remote/Electronic Notarization.

2

Complete online notary education

Not listed on the New Notary Public Provisions page as a separate required RON course beyond the traditional six-hour course and exam. Complete any training your technology provider requires.

3

Start the online commission application

On Notary Public Registration, choose Remote/Electronic Notarization, enter commission number and date of birth, and identify the technology.

4

Sign with a digital certificate

Obtain the electronic signature and stamp tools your chosen technology uses. Provider charges are separate from the $25 commission fee.

5

Upload your electronic seal

New Jersey’s SOS-equivalent filing is the portal record update, not a separate statewide seal-upload portal. Complete seal setup with the technology you named.

6

Pay and submit

Not listed as a separate Treasurer dollar fee on the New Notary Public Provisions page for the remote/electronic update. Confirm any current portal fee before you submit. Do not perform remote or electronic acts until the commission record is updated.

After You Are Commissioned

Where you must be

A notarial act using communication technology for a remotely located individual is deemed performed in New Jersey regardless of whether the individual is physically in this State, when the Manual’s Chapter 8 requirements are met. Confirm current location rules in the Manual before you rely on a third-party summary.

Keep certificate and seal current

Keep the traditional commission current. Update the Treasurer if you change technology as the portal instructs. Advertising must include the required “I am not an attorney…” statement if you are not a licensed attorney.

Traditional in-person paper notarization, electronic notarization, and remote communication-technology acts are not interchangeable. Update the commission record before the first remote or electronic act.

Fees Listed by the Division of Revenue

The $25 application fee is from New Jersey Notary Public Manual. Confirm the current online convenience fee and exam fee in Notary Public Registration before you pay. Provider charges are extra.

Item Listed amount
Traditional six-hour course (non-attorneys) Paid to the approved education provider (amount not listed as a Treasurer class fee on the education announcement)
Online notary examination (non-attorneys) Treasurer may charge up to $15 per online test (confirm current amount in the application system)
Traditional application $25 (plus the listed online convenience fee if you file online)
Remote / electronic record update Not listed as a separate Treasurer dollar fee on the New Notary Public Provisions page; confirm in the portal
Surety bond Not listed in the Manual commissioning chapter as required

Official New Jersey Links

Resource Where to go
New notary public provisions nj.gov/treasury/revenue/notary-public-law.shtml
Notary Public Registration njportal.com/DOR/Notary
Notary Public Manual nj.gov/treasury/revenue/pdf/NotaryPublicManual.pdf
Division of Revenue nj.gov/treasury/revenue/revgencode.shtml

Common Questions

Q: Can I apply for the online commission first?

A: No. Hold an active New Jersey notary public commission, then update the commission record for remote/electronic notarization before those acts.

Q: Does New Jersey approve a list of RON platforms?

A: The Treasurer instructs you to identify the technology you will use. The New Notary Public Provisions page does not publish an endorsement list of vendors. You remain responsible for meeting the Manual and P.L. 2021, c. 179.

Q: Where can I confirm a fee or form changed?

A: Use Notary Public Registration, New Notary Public Provisions, and New Jersey Notary Public Manual.

Last Updated: August 26, 2026  |  Author: Customer Success Team  |  Version: v1.0

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