How to Become a Notary Public in Nebraska

Section 64-101 and the Secretary of State's initial-commission instructions list the requirements. Note the age floor of 19, a year above the usual minimum elsewhere.

Criminal history is handled in two tiers. A felony conviction bars appointment unless the person received a full pardon before being commissioned, according to the office's FAQ. A crime involving fraud or dishonesty is disqualifying only if the conviction falls within the previous five years.

Section 64-101(5) makes passing a written examination a condition of appointment, and section 64-101.01 says the Secretary of State develops and administers it. The office's instructions describe a 20-question online test delivered through ClassMarker, with three attempts to reach 85%.

Nebraska does not require or approve any training course. The office tells applicants to prepare from the notary statutes, its FAQ and the rules posted on its website, and its FAQ adds that paid association training is optional and not endorsed. The passing certificate is good for 90 days, so pass the exam when you are ready to finish the rest of the steps. Our separate Nebraska exam guide covers the test itself.

Under section 64-102 no general commission is effective until a $15,000 bond with an incorporated surety company has been approved and filed with the Secretary of State. Most Nebraska insurance agents sell notary bonds, as do online providers; the state does not.

Take care with the details. Use the exact name you plan to notarize under, list your home address rather than a business address, and sign the bond twice: once as principal and once when you take the oath of office in front of another notary. The oath, endorsed on the bond, is your promise to support the federal and Nebraska constitutions and to perform the office faithfully. Errors and omissions insurance is optional and does not need to be shown to the state.

Create an account on the Secretary of State's online notary portal and complete the initial commission filing. You will upload your exam certificate and the signed bond, so save both as PDFs first. The $30 filing fee under section 33-102 is paid by card or eCheck in the portal.

The portal will not submit an incomplete application, but it lets you save a draft and return to it from your work queue. You receive an email when the application has been processed.

After approval, log in and download your commission certificate. Nebraska reverses the Wisconsin-style order: you order the stamp after you are commissioned, and many office supply stores will ask to see the certificate.

Section 64-210 requires an ink stamp seal showing State of Nebraska, the words General Notary or General Notarial, your name as commissioned and your commission expiration date. You authenticate every official act with it. If you intend to offer in-person electronic or online notarization as well, you can apply for those registrations during the initial application; each has its own requirements.

Two clocks run at once. The exam certificate lasts 90 days, and your bond has to be signed with the oath before you file, so line up the surety before you sit the exam. A practical order is to request a bond quote, study, pass the exam, sign the bond and oath in front of a notary within a few days, and file in the portal the same week.

If your employer is paying for the commission, confirm in advance who keeps the stamp and certificate. The Secretary of State's FAQ notes that a notary whose former employer kept these items does not need a new commission; the office can issue a replacement certificate for $10 and the notary can buy a new seal. State and local government employees should also note that section 33-133 bars them from charging notary fees when their employer paid the commission and bond costs.

A commission lasts four years from its effective date under section 64-101(9). Section 64-104 lets you renew only within the 30 days before expiration, with a new bond and another $30 fee. The office's renewal checklist does not include the exam. If you miss the window and your commission expires, the renewal is treated as a new application.

Report a change of residence within 45 days under section 64-105.04. Section 64-112 says a notary who moves out of Nebraska must tell the Secretary of State and that the move ends the term of office; if you plan to relocate to a bordering state while keeping a Nebraska job, ask the notary division how that applies before you go. A legal name change does not force an update; section 64-114 lets you keep using the commissioned name, seal and bond until the term ends. A replacement commission certificate costs $10.