How to Become a Notary in Mississippi

How do I renew my notary commission in Mississippi?

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To renew your Mississippi notary commission, you must submit a notary application to be recommissioned sixty days prior to the expiration of your existing commission and follow the same steps you took when you applied to become a notary the first time.

Click here to start the notary renewal application process in Mississippi.

Who appoints notaries in Mississippi?

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The governor of Mississippi approves notary applications, and the secretary of state administers the notary application process, issues notary commission certificates, maintains all the records pertaining to these notaries, and authenticates their acts.

Secretary of State
Business Services Division
P.O. Box 136
Jackson, MS 39205-0136
Toll-free: 800-256-3494
Phone: 601-359-1615
Fax: 601-576-1310

Can a non-resident of Mississippi apply for a commission as a notary public?

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No. A notary applicant who is not a resident of Mississippi cannot qualify for a Mississippi notary public commission.

How long is a notary public's commission term in Mississippi?

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The term of office of a Mississippi notary public is four years. A notary cannot notarize documents after their notary commission expires without first renewing their notary commission.

Is notary training or an exam required to become a notary or to renew a notary commission in Mississippi?

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No. An applicant seeking appointment or reappointment as a Mississippi notary public is not required to complete any notary training or pass a notary course or exam. The American Association of Notaries recommends that all Mississippi notary applicants complete a notary course  so they can clearly understand their state’s notary laws and the duties and responsibilities of a notary.

How much does it cost to become a notary public in Mississippi?

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The costs to become a notary in Mississippi includes:

1. A $25 application fee for processing the notary application.
2. A fee to have your notary application notarized.
3. The price of a four-year, $5,000 Mississippi notary bond. Click here to view our Mississippi notary bond price.
4. A fee to have your notary bond notarized.

Other expenses include the cost of purchasing:

1. A Mississippi notary stamp. Click here to view our notary stamp prices.
2. A Mississippi notary journal. Click here to view our notary journal prices.
3. An errors and omissions insurance policy (optional) to protect yourself in the event you are sued for unintentional mistakes or a false claim is filed against you as a notary. Click here to view our notary e/o policy premiums and coverage amounts.

Do I need a notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy to become a notary in Mississippi?

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A notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy is not required to become a Mississippi notary public or to renew your notary commission. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that every Mississippi notary obtain a notary E&O insurance policy. A notary E&O policy covers unintentional notarial mistakes and pays for legal fees and damages based on the coverage you select as a Mississippi notary public.

Mississippi notary errors and omissions insurance policies are available to order online on the American Association of Notaries website: https://www.mississippinotary.com/notary-insurance.

Do I need a notary bond to become a notary in Mississippi?

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Yes. All Mississippi notary applicants are required to maintain a four-year, $5,000 notary bond. The notary bond must be issued by a surety or other entity licensed by the Mississippi Department of Insurance. The bond protects the public from a notary’s errors.

If a member of the public files a claim against a notary’s bond, the bonding company is very likely to sue the notary to recoup the funds it paid on the notary’s behalf. A notary bond does not protect notaries from mistakes they make. This is why notary errors and omissions insurance (commonly known as “E&O” or “E&O insurance”) is vital.

Mississippi notary bonds are available to order online at the American Association of Notaries website: https://www.mississippinotary.com/mississippi-notary-bond.

Do I need to order a notary stamp in Mississippi?

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Yes. Every time you perform a notarial act, you must affix an inked notary stamp impression on the notarial certificate you complete. A notary seal embosser may be used in addition to but not in place of an inked notary stamp. The Mississippi notary stamp must show all the following clearly and in the following order:

1. The words “State of Mississippi.”
2. The notary public’s name as it appears on the commission.
3. The words “Notary Public.”
4. The name of the county in which the notary public maintains an office.
5. The notary public's current commission expiration date.
6. The notary public’s commission identification number assigned by the secretary of state.

Note:

• The official notary stamp may not contain the Mississippi state seal.
• Words or terms on the official stamp may not be abbreviated, except for name suffixes as specified in Revise Notary Rule 5.01(d) (relating to name of notary public).

The American Association of Notaries offers quality notary stamps and seals at savings of up to 40% compared to the cost of the same products elsewhere. Click here to order your Mississippi notary stamp, notary seal, complete notary package, and other notary supplies.

What are the steps to replace a lost or stolen Mississippi notary seal?

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If your notary stamp is lost or stolen, you must:

1. Notify the secretary of state in writing or electronically within ten calendar days of discovering that the notary stamp was lost or stolen. The notification must include the required information under Section 3.3(A) of the Revised Notary Rules.
2. Obtain a replacement official stamp that contains a distinct difference from the original lost or stolen notary stamp.

Note: If you subsequently reacquire possession of a lost or stolen notary stamp, you must file with the secretary of state a written statement of explanation of how the notary stamp was recovered within ten calendar days after the date you reacquired possession of the notary stamp.

How much can a Mississippi notary public charge for performing notarial acts?

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A notarial officer may charge a fee for services rendered unless otherwise prohibited by law or by rules promulgated by the secretary of state. The fees charged for traditional or electronic notarizations may not exceed the following amounts:

1. For acknowledgments: $5 per signature.
2. For oaths or affirmations without a signature: $5 per person.
3. For jurats: $5 per signature.
4. For witnessing a signature: $5 per signature.

Note:

• Notaries public must waive the fee for notarizing an absentee voter application or ballot.
• An employer may prohibit an employee who is a notary public from charging for notarial acts performed on the employer’s time.
• Any fees paid to a notary public prior to performance of a notarial act are non-refundable if the act was completed, or, in the case of travel fees, the act was not completed after the notary public had traveled to meet the principal.
• A notary public may require payment of any fees specified in this chapter prior to performance of a notarial act.
• A notary public may charge a travel fee when traveling to perform a notarial act, if:
  1. The notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the travel fee in advance of the travel.
  2. The notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the travel fee is both separate from the notarial fee and neither specified nor mandated by law.

Is a notary journal required in Mississippi?

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Notary journal requirements for traditional notarizations and electronic notarizations in Mississippi – A Mississippi notary is required to record each notarial act in a journal. The journal can be maintained on a tangible medium or in an electronic format. A notary public shall maintain only one journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts, whether those notarial acts are performed regarding tangible or electronic records. If the journal is tangible, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages and conform to the Revised Notary Rules. An electronic journal must also conform to specifications set forth in the Revised Notary Rules.

A notary journal (also known as a record book, log book, or register book) is your first line of defense in proving your innocence if a notarial act you performed is questioned or if you are requested to testify in a court of law about a notarial act you performed in the past. A properly recorded notarial act creates a paper trail that will help investigators locate and prosecute signers who have committed forgery or fraud. Properly recorded notarial acts provide evidence that you followed your state laws and notary’s best practices.

The American Association of Notaries offers notary journals in tangible and electronic formats.

Click here to purchase a tangible notary journal.

Click here to become a member and access our electronic notary journal.

What information must Mississippi notaries record in their notary journals?

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For Traditional and Electronic Notarizations - Mississippi notaries are required to chronicle the following information in their notary journals:

1. The date and time of the notarial act.
2. A description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act.
3. The full name and address of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed.
4. If the identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect.
5. If the identity of the individual is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method of identification and the identification credential presented, if any, including the date of issuance and expiration of any identification credential.
6. The address (city and state only) where the notarial act was performed (if not the notary’s business address).
7. The fee, if any, charged by the notary public. If a fee is waived or not charged, the notary public should indicate this fact in the journal entry using notations such as ''n/c,'' ''0'' (zero) or ''—'' (dash). Clerical and administrative fees, if charged, must be separately itemized in the journal.

Optional entries:

1. The signature of the individual for whom the notarial act is performed.
2. Any additional information about a specific transaction that might assist the notary public to recall the transaction.

What steps should I take if my Mississippi notary journal is lost or stolen?

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If your notary journal is lost or stolen, you must:

1. Notify the secretary of state in writing or electronically within ten calendar days of discovering that the notary journal was lost or stolen. The notification must include the required information under Section 4.5(B) of the Revised Notary Rules.
2. Purchase a new notary journal.

Note: If you subsequently reacquire possession of a lost or stolen notary journal, you must file with the secretary of state a written statement of explanation of how the notary journal was recovered within ten calendar days after the date you reacquired possession of the notary journal.

How long should I retain my Mississippi notary journal?

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For Tangible Notary Journals – Retain your tangible journal for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in it. The journal must be destroyed after ten years by shredding or other destruction that leaves any entry in the journal illegible.

For Electronic Notary Journals – Retain your electronic journal for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in it. The journal must be destroyed after ten years by deleting any remaining records pertaining to the electronic journal and deleting any remaining tamper-evident technology in your possession.

Where can I perform notarial acts in Mississippi?

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Once you are commissioned as a Mississippi notary public, you are authorized to perform notarial acts throughout the state of Mississippi. While you may notarize in any county within Mississippi, your official notary stamp must show your residence county in Mississippi.

Mississippi notaries public may not perform notarial acts if they are physically outside the geographical borders of the state of Mississippi or in other states or jurisdictions unless authorized by the other states or jurisdictions to perform such acts.

What notarial acts can a Mississippi notary public perform?

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A notarial officer may perform the following notarial acts:

1. Take acknowledgments.
2. Administer oaths and affirmations.
3. Take verifications on oath or affirmation.
4. Certify depositions of witnesses.
5. Witness or attest signatures.
6. Make or note a protest of a negotiable instrument.
7. Make an affidavit regarding the truth of any witnesses or attested signatures in question along with any corrected language, and, if the authenticity or correctness of language affects real property, file the same in the land records in the office of the chancery clerk where the land is located.
8. Any other acts so authorized by the law of this state.

What kind of notarizations are allowed in Mississippi?

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Mississippi law allows the following two types of notarizations:

Traditional notarization – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notary to meet physically in the same room within face-to-face proximity of one another. Traditional notarization involves an individual signing a tangible document with an inked pen and a notary public signing and affixing an inked notary stamp impression to the tangible notarial certificate.

Electronic notarization (in-person) – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notary to meet physically in the same room within face-to-face proximity of one another. However, the notarization is performed on an electronic document using electronic signatures, an electronic notary seal, and an electronic notarial certificate.

What are the steps to register to perform electronic notarizations in Mississippi?

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To register to perform electronic notarizations in Mississippi, you must:

1. Hold a current and unrestricted notary commission.
2. Contract with an E-notary vendor that meets the minimum requirements of the Revised Notary Rules. The secretary of state’s website provides a list of E-notary vendors to choose from.
3. Submit an application for performing in-person electronic notarial acts on the secretary of state’s website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/e-notary-registration.
4. Receive proof that the additional application to perform in-person electronic notarial acts has been approved by the secretary of state.

For more information on electronic notarizations, visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.

How do I update my address on my Mississippi notary commission?

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If your residential, business, or mailing address information on file with the secretary of state changes, you are required to notify the secretary of state within thirty days of the change. Complete the Application for Change of Notary Address form and mail it to the secretary of state along with the $20 filing fee.

If you move to a new county, notify the secretary of state of the address change and obtain a new notary stamp showing your new county of residence.

Click here to download the Application for Change of Notary Address form.

How do I change my name on my notary commission in Mississippi?

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If your name changes during your notary commission term, you are required to notify the Mississippi Secretary of State within thirty days of the change. Mail an Application for Notary Public Change of Name form, along with a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or any other evidence of the name change, the bond rider, and a filing fee of $20 to the secretary of state.

You may continue using your former name when performing notarial acts until you receive a new notary commission certificate. You can obtain a new Mississippi notary stamp bearing your new name at that point.

Click here to download the Application for Change of Notary Name form.

Revised:

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January 2024