How to Become a Notary Public in Nevada

NRS 240.015 requires a Nevada notary to be a resident of the state, at least 18 years old, in possession of civil rights, and to have completed the training course described in NRS 240.018. Under NAC 240.260 you count as a resident only after being physically present in Nevada, intending to live here permanently, for at least 30 days before you apply, and you must keep that residency for your whole term.

There is a narrow route for people living in a neighboring state. The Secretary of State may appoint a resident of an adjoining state who either keeps a registered place of business in Nevada or is regularly employed at a Nevada location by an employer registered to do business here. Such applicants file extra affidavits and business license copies, and their stamp must carry the word nonresident.

NRS 240.010 bars appointment of anyone who submits an application with a substantial and material misstatement or omission, anyone whose notary appointment in any state was revoked for cause, and anyone with a pending complaint alleging a Chapter 240 violation. It also bars people convicted of, or who pleaded guilty or no contest to, a crime of moral turpitude or crimes such as burglary, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, identity theft, larceny or robbery.

A person with a moral turpitude conviction may still apply if more than 10 years have passed since release from confinement or the end of parole, probation or sentence, restitution has been made, civil rights are restored, and the offense is not one of the listed property or identity crimes.

NRS 240.018 lets the Secretary of State offer courses for the mandatory training of notaries. Each course must include at least three hours of instruction and an examination on a notary's functions and duties, and it may be delivered in person or online by the Secretary of State or by a vendor the Secretary of State approves. NAC 240.270 commits the Secretary of State to offering at least one course each month.

Finishing the course earns a certificate of successful completion bearing a Secretary of State validation stamp. That certificate is valid for only 90 days from issue, so plan to file your application promptly after the course. The Secretary of State may charge an enrollment fee for the course; check the current amount before you sign up.

It is not a Secretary of State course and does not meet the NRS 240.018 training requirement.

NRS 240.030 requires you to take the constitutional oath of office and enter into a $10,000 bond to the State of Nevada, issued by a surety company authorized to do business here (NRS 240.033). The bond and oath are filed and recorded with the county clerk in the county where you live, or for a nonresident, the Nevada county where you do business or work. The county clerk certifies the filing to the Secretary of State on a state form.

NRS 240 does not require errors and omissions insurance. The bond protects people harmed by your violations, and under NRS 240.150 you are liable on the bond for damages caused by your misconduct or neglect.

Your application package goes to the Secretary of State with the following items:

Your term begins on the effective date of your bond, but NRS 240.030(5) forbids performing any notarial act until the Secretary of State has actually issued your certificate of appointment. The appointment lasts four years and covers the whole state, but it gives you no authority to notarize in another state (NRS 240.020).

Once appointed you need a rubber or mechanical stamp meeting NRS 240.040 (a rectangle no larger than 1 by 2.5 inches showing your name, the phrase Notary Public, State of Nevada, your expiration date and certificate number) and a bound journal with preprinted page numbers as required by NRS 240.120. An embossed seal is not required.

Amended or duplicate certificates cost $10 each under NRS 240.030(6), though a duplicate is free if you never received the original and ask within 60 days. If your surety cancels or the bond is exhausted, your appointment is suspended by law until a replacement bond is filed (NRS 240.033).

Renewal is not automatic. NRS 240.018(3) lists renewing notaries among those who must retake and pass the training course, and you will need a new bond, oath filing and application. Notaries who want to perform electronic or remote notarizations may also register as electronic notaries under NRS 240.192, which carries a separate $50 registration fee and its own required course.