How to Become a Notary Public in Montana

Here is what the statute and the Division's application page require of every applicant:

MCA 1-5-619 requires that you be at least 18, a United States citizen or permanent legal resident, and able to read and write English. The Montana connection can take several forms: residence in the state; being the spouse or legal dependent of military personnel on active duty here; a registered place of business in Montana that meets local licensing rules; regular employment at a Montana location by an employer registered and licensed to do business in the state; or a current Montana professional license.

You also must not be disqualified under MCA 1-5-621, which lets the Secretary of State deny a commission for dishonest or deceitful conduct, including a misleading application, a felony or fraud-related conviction while you remain under supervision, or a notary commission denied or revoked in another state. The application asks about convictions, findings of fraud and prior commission discipline within the last ten years, and any yes answer needs supporting documentation.

New applicants need at least four hours of notary education approved by the Secretary of State or by the Commission of Continuing Legal Education, finished within the 12 months before applying. The Division's Notary Academy page lists the approved courses with their credit hours and prices; the four-hour fundamentals courses listed in September 2026 ran from $25 to $65, mostly online, with one provider teaching live classes from April through October.

Each provider issues a certificate of completion. Save an electronic copy, because the application requires you to upload it. The Division notes that some third-party courses end with their own quiz, and that quiz is not the Montana Notary Exam.

Take the state exam through the Secretary of State's exam page and keep the certificate it produces. Under ARM 44.15.101 you must score at least 80 percent, the pass must be no more than six months old when you apply, and three failed attempts trigger a three-month wait. The companion Montana notary exam guide goes deeper on content and preparation.

MCA 1-5-619(4)(d) requires a $25,000 surety bond, or functional equivalent, issued by a company authorized in Montana and covering your whole term. The Division says most insurance agents and many online sellers offer it, usually for about $50 to $70 for four years. The bond protects the public, not you; if the surety pays a claim, it can collect from you.

Montana uses a standardized bond form that also contains your Statement of Qualifications and Oath of Office, so you sign twice: once as principal, and once in front of another notary while taking the oath. Use the exact name and signature you will notarize with. ARM 44.15.101 allows a commission name of at least one initial plus your surname, but the name on the bond and the application must match exactly.

Log in to the Secretary of State's online filing portal, create a profile if you need one, and start a new or renewal notary application. Upload the training certificate or certificates, the exam certificate and the signed, notarized bond, then pay the $25 fee by card or eCheck. The system blocks submission if anything is missing. Filing must happen within 30 days before or after the bond's effective date, or of the previous commission's expiration for renewals (MCA 1-5-619(4)(f)). Track progress in your Notary Work Queue; an email tells you when the commission is approved.

Download your Certificate of Commission from the portal. Only then order your official stamp, which must follow ARM 44.15.107: a rectangle about one by two and a half inches in blue or black ink, with a circular seal on the left and your name, the words Notary Public for the State of Montana, Residing at with your city or town, and your expiration date on the right. The Division keeps a list of recommended vendors who have agreed to sell only compliant stamps. Buy a new stamp for each term. You also need a bound, fraud-deterrent paper journal or a tamper-evident electronic one.

Renewal repeats every step above. For education, you may use either four hours completed in the 12 months before renewing or two hours in each of the previous three years. The exam is required again, and so is a new bond. The portal refuses renewals filed more than 30 days before expiration or after a 30-day grace period that follows it.