How to Become a Notary Public in Louisiana

Under R.S. 35:191(A)(1) you must be a resident citizen or alien of Louisiana, at least 18, able to read, write, and speak English with sufficient knowledge, and hold a high school diploma, an approved home-study diploma, or a high school equivalency diploma. You cannot be under interdiction or unable to serve because of mental infirmity, and you cannot have an unpardoned felony conviction. Subsection B adds that a resident citizen must be a registered voter of the parish where the commission is sought, and the Secretary's application page repeats that requirement.

The Application to Qualify asks you to attest to good moral character, integrity, and sober habits. If your answers raise a question on those points, R.S. 35:191(C)(1)(b) sends the application to the district court for the parish, which must certify your fitness before you can proceed.

The first filing is the Application to Qualify, with a $35 fee under R.S. 35:191(C)(1)(c). You can file online or on paper. Once the Secretary approves it, you are notified by email (online filers) or letter (paper filers) that you may register for the pre-assessment.

Approval opens a one-year window. R.S. 35:191(C)(3)(b)(iii) lets a qualified candidate register for any exam given within a year of the approval notice without paying a new application fee, although each exam attempt carries its own fee.

Non-attorney applicants must take an online pre-assessment before they can register for the exam. It was made mandatory by Act 610 of 2014, costs $30 on the current fee schedule, and is graded by LSU. The statute is explicit that there is no minimum score: its purpose is to estimate your reading comprehension against the level of the official study guide so you can decide whether to invest in preparation.

The Secretary asks applicants to allow about seven days for LSU to grade and transmit the score. The pre-assessment only has to be taken once, and scores never expire. Lawyers admitted in Louisiana and people who already hold a valid Louisiana commission are exempt.

With a pre-assessment score on file, you register for the state exam and pay the $100 fee set by R.S. 35:191.1. Registration closes 30 days before the exam date, and the Secretary's exam page says you must both qualify and finish the pre-assessment at least 37 days before the exam. Only one exam registration is allowed at a time. The exam is given at least twice a year; the current exam page lists LSU in Baton Rouge as the only location.

The exam is a four-hour, computer-delivered test with a scaled passing score of 70. Our companion exam guide covers its structure in detail.

After you pass, the Secretary's FAQ lists what completes the commission: an oath of office, your official signature, a $50,000 notary bond or personal surety, and a $35 commission filing fee. R.S. 35:201 requires the governor to have the oath, the bond, and the official signature before issuing a commission.

The bond amount rose to $50,000 under R.S. 35:71, as amended by Act 258 of 2025 effective February 1, 2026. Bonds must be renewed every five years, except personal surety bonds, and the Secretary's fee schedule shows a $20 bond renewal filing. If a non-attorney notary lets the bond lapse, the commission is automatically suspended until a new bond is on file. Under R.S. 35:72, licensed attorneys are not required to post any bond.

A standard commission covers the parish where you live and one other parish where you keep an office, plus the reciprocal parish groups written into R.S. 35:191. The larger prize is subsection P: a validly appointed notary who passed the state exam on or after June 13, 2005 may act in every parish, as may every commissioned Louisiana attorney. According to the FAQ, you may begin notarizing on the commission date shown in the Secretary's database, without waiting for the paper certificate.

There is no renewal exam because the commission does not expire. The Secretary's FAQ states that Louisiana notaries are commissioned for life, citing Attorney General Opinion 1940-42. Staying active is a matter of upkeep. Non-attorney notaries must file an annual report on or before each commission anniversary under R.S. 35:202; a late filing draws a late fee of up to $50, and a report more than 60 days late suspends the commission. You must also report a change of residential or mailing address within 60 days under R.S. 35:191.3, and moving to a new parish requires transferring the commission there.