How to Become a Notary Public in New Jersey

N.J.S.A. 52:7-12 requires an appointee to be at least 18 and, at the time of appointment, either a legal resident of New Jersey or someone with a place of employment or practice in the state. The applicant must also not be disqualified under the grounds for denial in section 9 of the 2021 law.

Nonresidents qualify under 52:7-13 if they maintain or are regularly employed in a New Jersey office, or if they work remotely from a home office or co-working space for a business whose domicile or primary place of business is in New Jersey. A nonresident certifies the residence address and the New Jersey work address with the application and must report changes to either one after commissioning.

A non-attorney applying for a first commission must show completion of a course of study approved by the State Treasurer. The statute, at 52:7-10.2, requires applicants to acknowledge that they have read and understood the New Jersey Notary Public Manual and to complete any other programs the Treasurer requires. DORES's 2022 announcement describes the initial course as six hours.

On the current exam portal, DORES spells out how to meet the requirement: read the manual thoroughly, watch the entire series of Notary Public Manual Training Videos, and attest that you did both. The video program runs in chapters that track the manual, from definitions and eligibility through certificates, journals, identification, communication technology, electronic notarization, refusals and fees. The statute also lets the Treasurer approve independent course vendors and requires a list of them on the Treasurer's website, so if you are considering an outside course, check that list and ask DORES first.

Licensed New Jersey attorneys are exempt from both the course and the exam.

After the education step, a non-attorney starts a New Commissioning Application on the DORES Notary Public Exam portal and takes the exam online. The manual allows the Treasurer to charge up to $15 for each test administered online. The portal limits the number of attempts attached to one application; once those attempts are used, you begin a new commissioning application to try again. Our New Jersey exam guide covers the content and format in more depth.

Once you pass, or right away if you are an attorney, you complete the Notary Public Registration Application on the DORES notary site. The form is prescribed by the Treasurer, filed only electronically, and must be endorsed by a member of the Legislature. Under 52:7-11 the fee is $25 for each commission or renewal, nonrefundable, and payable by credit card, debit card or electronic funds transfer.

The application also carries a notice every non-attorney should take seriously: a notary who is not a lawyer may not use or advertise the title lawyer or attorney-at-law, or foreign-language equivalents, and any advertisement of notary services must include a statement that the notary is not an attorney and cannot give legal advice about immigration or other legal matters.

Within three months of receiving the commission, you must take and subscribe the oath of office before the clerk of the county where you live. Nonresidents go to the clerk of the county where their New Jersey office is, or where their employer is based. The clerk has you endorse the certificate of commission and qualification and sends it to the Treasurer within ten days.

This step is not optional. Under 52:7-14 the Treasurer must cancel and revoke the appointment of anyone who misses the three-month window, and the appointment becomes void. Contact your county clerk's office ahead of time about hours and any clerk fee.

A New Jersey commission runs five years under 52:7-11. Neither the 2021 law nor the DORES manual imposes a surety bond, though some notaries buy errors and omissions insurance on their own for personal protection.

Before your first act you will need an official stamp showing your name, the title 'Notary Public, State of New Jersey' and your commission expiration date, and a journal that meets the manual's format rules. Both belong to you, not to your employer, even when the employer pays for them.

Renewals are filed the same way as original applications, including the legislator endorsement and the $25 fee. Under 52:7-12(c), a non-attorney renewing a commission must complete a continuing education course; DORES's 2022 announcement describes it as three hours, and it applies to notaries who completed the initial course and to those first commissioned before October 22, 2021. The renewal itself does not require a new exam. The portal warns, however, that if your commission has been expired for more than 30 days you are treated as a new applicant and must pass the exam again.

If you adopt a new name, file a sworn statement on the Treasurer's online form before you sign anything as a notary under that name.