How to Become a Notary Public in Oregon

The core requirements, with the statute behind each:

ORS 194.315(2) sets the eligibility list. You must be at least 18, able to read and write English, and either an Oregon resident or someone with a place of employment or practice in Oregon, so a Vancouver, Washington resident who works in Portland can qualify. The law bars anyone convicted within the previous ten years of a felony or of a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit, and anyone whose notary commission was revoked in that period.

Some disqualifications have no time limit: a conviction for impersonating a notary, for obstructing governmental or judicial administration, or for the unlawful practice of law, or a court finding that you practiced law without a license or committed a particular unlawful trade practice listed in ORS 646.608. The Division runs a background check on every application through the Oregon State Police under ORS 194.370.

The Secretary of State's own training is free and runs through the state's Workday Learning system. You can take it as a self-paced online course, as a four-hour instructor-led webinar, or in person at the Public Service Building in Salem on scheduled dates. When you finish, you retrieve an education identification number from Workday; you will need it to open the exam.

You may instead take a course from a private education provider holding a Certificate of Approval from the Secretary of State under OAR 160-100-1010. Those courses charge a fee, and the Division warns applicants to check the cost, since only the state's training is free. Only Basics counts: the Division's refresher, advanced webinar and open house sessions do not meet the requirement, and exam practice products from any company are not training at all. The course certificate is good for six months (OAR 160-100-1060(4)).

From the notary home page choose the option to take the exam and apply, select your education provider and enter your education number. The application is completed in the Oregon notary online system, and the exam sits inside that process. The Notary Public Guide notes that a paper application and exam also exist for people who cannot use the online route.

Your commission name must be your full legal name, with middle names spelled out, as shown on satisfactory evidence under ORS 194.240(2). Your commission signature can be any form of your name, provided an ID verifies it. Choose the public records address carefully, because it appears in the Division's online notary directory.

After the background check clears, the Division emails a PDF containing your application and oath of office. Do not edit the application portion. Sign the oath in front of a commissioned notary, with a signature that matches your ID; you cannot notarize your own oath even if you already hold a commission. Return the notarized oath together with the $40 processing fee, because the Division will not process an oath that arrives without payment.

Payment options are a check or money order by mail or overnight courier, a credit card using the Division's fax cover sheet, or cash at the Salem office. Online payment is not accepted. The guide says the oath must reach the Division within 30 days of being issued; if it does not, you retake the test and pay again.

Once the oath is processed, you receive two PDFs by email: a Commission Certificate and a Certificate of Authorization. Stamp makers must see the Certificate of Authorization before producing your official stamp, and the guide tells you to avoid any vendor that does not ask for it. Buy a journal as well. Check the stamp against OAR 160-100-0100 before your first notarization: state seal, the words Official Stamp, your name, Notary Public Oregon, your commission number and the expiration date with the month spelled out.

Until both certificates arrive, you are not yet a notary, even if you passed the exam weeks earlier. Impersonating a notary is a Class B misdemeanor under ORS 194.990, so hold off on any favors for coworkers until the stamp is in hand.

Oregon does not renew commissions and sends no reminder. You apply for a brand-new commission, with a new number and expiration date, no more than 30 days before the current one expires, and you must complete Basics and pass the exam again first. When a commission ends, disable the old stamp by destroying, defacing or otherwise securing it (ORS 194.295(2)); you may keep using the same journal if you update the information inside the cover. The Guide estimates that the reapplication process can take ten days or more, so starting the course a month or two ahead of expiration leaves room for a gap-free changeover.

During the term, report a legal name change, signature change or new public contact address within 30 days (OAR 160-100-0170). A name change also means buying a new stamp.