How to Become a Notary Public in Colorado

Colorado's notary law is the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, usually shortened to RULONA and codified at Title 24, Article 21, Part 5 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The Secretary of State's applicant FAQ condenses its qualifications into a short list, and section 24-21-523 supplies the disqualifications.

Criminal history is where most questions arise. A felony conviction at any time is disqualifying, as is a misdemeanor involving dishonesty within the last five years. Program Rule 1.8 (8 CCR 1505-11) gives that phrase a wide reach, covering fraud, bribery, perjury, theft, forgery, embezzlement and any other offense that bears on fitness to serve. A notary commission that was revoked in the past also ends the inquiry.

Training has been mandatory for new and renewing notaries alike since July 1, 2018. The Secretary of State's free eLearning course is the simplest route. The alternative is a course from a vendor on the office's approved list, which shows each vendor's approval number and whether it teaches in a classroom, online or both. Under Rule 2.1.5 credit goes only to courses from an approved vendor, an approved course provider or the Secretary of State itself, and the office states plainly that approval is not an endorsement.

Rule 3.2.1 tells vendors what their curriculum must include, and it reads like a map of what Colorado expects a new notary to know: the physical presence requirement, the duty not to notarize a blank document, using a notarial certificate, disqualifying interests, applying and resigning, keeping a journal, revocation, liability, identifying signers and official misconduct. The official pages do not set a minimum number of hours.

Once training is done, you take the Colorado Notary Public Examination through the same eLearning portal. It costs nothing, it is open book, and the Secretary of State estimates about 30 minutes to complete it. At the end you download a certificate from the course's completion page.

Keep an eye on the calendar. Rule 2.1.3 says a new applicant must complete training and pass the exam no more than 90 days before applying, so a certificate earned in the spring may be stale by late summer. Our companion guide on the Colorado notary exam covers the content and a study plan.

Rule 2.1.2 requires every notary filing to go through the Secretary of State's online system. You will attach scanned copies of the documents listed below.

Enter your legal name exactly. Rule 2.1.1 requires your first and last names to match your identification, and a surname made up of several names has to be typed in full. Your official signature may be a shorter version of that name, such as initials plus a surname, provided you sign the same way every time. The Secretary of State's list of frequent rejections includes a name that differs from the ID, an expired ID, attaching the exam questions rather than the certificate, a blank or wrong affirmation form, and an affirmation notarized with a noncompliant stamp or with lines left empty.

The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists the online notary application at $10, payable by credit or debit card. Soon after you submit, an email arrives with your notary ID and a temporary password; a second message follows when the office finishes processing, which the FAQ puts at three to five business days. A rejected application must be corrected and approved within 90 days of payment, after which you would have to start again and pay a second time.

Colorado does not require a notary bond. The general FAQ suggests considering one anyway, or errors and omissions insurance, as protection against liability for a mistaken notarization.

You may begin notarizing when the approval email arrives. Log in and print your commission certificate, which carries your 11-digit notary ID. The state does not provide supplies, so order a stamp that matches section 24-21-517: a rectangular ink stamp with a border, containing only your name as shown on the certificate, the words NOTARY PUBLIC and STATE OF COLORADO, your notary ID and your commission expiration date. Embossers are not permitted. You also need a journal under section 24-21-519, and the Secretary of State posts a printable template.

A Colorado commission runs four years from the date of approval. You may renew online up to 90 days before it expires, and Rule 2.1.4 requires renewal training and a passing exam within the 90 days before you file. If the commission has already lapsed, file a renewal rather than a new application; the fee is the same. Name and address changes must be reported within 30 days, and a notary who no longer lives or works in Colorado should resign.