Not a government website. We are a private company, not affiliated with any Secretary of State, notary commissioning office or contractor licensing board. Renewal applications are filed directly with your state.
Renewal of notarial commission: requirements side by side
These are the rules for renewing a traditional (paper) commission as a current notary, read from each state's notary pages and statutes on 2026-11-15. Click a state for its full table and steps.
| Requirement | New York | Texas | Florida | Illinois | California | Colorado | North Carolina | New Jersey | Georgia | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | 4 years[4] | 4 years[9] | 4 years[13] | 4 years[16] | 4 years[28] | 4 years[29] | Check with the North Carolina Secretary of State | 5 years[34] | 4 years[36] | 4 years[51] |
| Apply from | 90 days before expiration[1][4] | 90 days before expiration[9] | No earliest day in the law[12] | No first day published[16] | No earliest day in the law[21][25] | 90 days before expiration[29] | No first day published[32] | No first day published[34] | 30 days before expiration[37] | 90 days before expiration[52][40] |
| State fee | $60[2][4] | $21[9][7] | $39[10][13] | $15[17][18] | $40[23][27] | $10[31][29] | $50[32] | $25[34] | $40–$55[37] | $42[53][51] |
| Bond | None[4] | $10,000[9][7] | $7,500[13][10] | $5,000[16][17] | $15,000[28][26] | None[30] | Check with the North Carolina Secretary of State | Check with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | None[36] | $25,000[49][42][51] |
| Course to renew | No[1] | Yes, 2 hours max[9][7] | No[10][15] | Yes[17][18] | Yes, 3 hours[22][21] | Yes[29] | No[32] | Yes[34][35] | Yes[38] | Yes, 3 hours[51][44] |
| Exam to renew | No[1][4] | No[7] | Check with the Florida Department of State notary section | Yes[17] | Yes[21][23] | Yes[29] | Yes[32] | Check with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | No[38] | No[40] |
| Fingerprints | No[4] | No[5] | No[10] | Check with the Illinois Secretary of State | Yes (Live Scan)[24] | No[29][30] | Check with the North Carolina Secretary of State | Check with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services[34] | No[37] | No[50] |
| Oath or filing deadline | No day limit stated | No day limit stated | No day limit stated | Check with the Illinois Secretary of State | 30 days[26] | No day limit stated | 45 days from the oath notification email[32] | 3 months from receiving the commission[34] | No day limit stated | 45 days[42] |
| Journal required | Yes[3] | Yes[9] | No (paper)[12] | Check with the Illinois Secretary of State | Yes[28] | Check with the Colorado Secretary of State | Check with the North Carolina Secretary of State | Check with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | Check with your county's Clerk of Superior Court | Yes[51] |
| E&O insurance required | Check with the New York Department of State | No[6] | No[10] | Check with the Illinois Secretary of State | Check with the California Secretary of State | No[30] | Check with the North Carolina Secretary of State | Check with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | Check with your county's Clerk of Superior Court | No[42] |
"Check with …" means the state sources we read do not state it; we leave it to the state instead of guessing.
How do I renew my notary license? 5 steps
To renew notary commission or license status, every state takes the same five steps; only the details change.
- Read your expiration date on the commission and find your state's first day to apply: 90 days ahead in Texas, New York and Pennsylvania; no set day in California or Florida, where the state advises about 6 months.[9][1][52][21][12]
- Finish any course or exam the state requires. California needs the refresher, the exam and Live Scan; Illinois needs the course of study and its exam; Texas needs its own course; Florida and New York need none of them to renew.[22][23][24][17][7][10][1]
- Get the new bond where one is required. Each bond covers one term.[9][28][13]
- Apply and pay the state fee before the commission expires: online in Texas and New York, at the exam site in California, through a bonding agency in Florida.[7][1][23][10]
- Finish the oath step: 30 days to file oath and bond with the county clerk in California; in New York the new oath goes in with the online renewal; in Texas you sign the oath on the new commission.[26][3][5]
Where the states differ most
The biggest differences are the exam, the bond and the county deadline. California and Illinois retest every renewing notary, and California fingerprints again; Texas, New York and Florida have no renewal exam.[21][17][24][7][1][10] New York is the lightest: no course, no exam, no bond, one $60 online renewal.[1][2][4]
A missed date costs the most in California, where the 6-hour course replaces the refresher once the commission has expired.[22] Texas and Florida have no grace period either: you stop notarizing on the expiration date, and in Florida the full application is filed again.[9][13][14] Pennsylvania is strict too: an application that arrives after expiration means the basic course and the exam again, and its bond rose to $25,000 on March 28, 2026.[40][49] New York lets the qualifying requirements be waived for a renewal filed within 6 months after expiration.[4]
Frequently asked questions
What are the notary renewal requirements?
Every state asks for a new application and fee before the commission expires. Beyond that it varies: a course in California, Illinois and Texas, the exam again in California and Illinois, a new bond in Texas, California, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania, and fingerprints in California.[22][17][7][21][9][13][24]
Is renewing a notary commission the same as applying for the first time?
Do I need a new bond when I renew my notary commission?
Sources
- Renew or Update Notary Public License
- Become a Notary Public
- Notary Public Frequently Asked Questions
- Notary Public License Law (September 2026): Executive Law §§130–137 and 19 NYCRR Part 182
- Notary Public
- Notary Public Frequently Asked Questions
- How to submit or renew a traditional notary application (guide, rev. 12/16/2025)
- Notary Educational Information
- Texas Government Code, Chapter 406: Notary Public; Commissioner of Deeds
- Notary Section
- Notary FAQ (updated 6/21/2018)
- Governor's Reference Manual for Notaries (12-17-19)
- Florida Statutes §117.01 (2026): Appointment, application, bond and oath
- Florida Statutes §117.05 (2026): Use of office; seal; prohibitions
- Florida Statutes §668.50 (2026)
- Notary Public (Index Department), copy archived October 4, 2026
- Illinois Notary Public Handbook (March 2026, includes 5 ILCS 312), copy archived October 4, 2026
- Notary public application instructions, I 269 (June 2024), copy archived October 4, 2026
- Notary Public
- Qualifications (notary public checklist)
- Notary Public Frequently Asked Questions
- Checklist: Complete approved education
- Checklist: Take the exam
- Checklist: Fingerprints
- Checklist: Commission packet
- Checklist: Oath and bond
- Notary forms, services and fees
- 2026 Notary Public Handbook (includes the Government Code text)
- Notary FAQ: Applying for a commission
- Notary FAQ: General
- Notary fees
- Notary reappointment
- Notary Public Section
- Notary Public Frequently Asked Questions
- Notary Public Manual
- General notary information
- Notary public application
- Notary public education rules
- Notaries
- Notary application information
- Apply to be a notary
- Bonding requirement
- Examination requirement
- Mandatory education requirement
- Prothonotary and recorder of deeds registration
- Update your information
- Notary public equipment
- Electronic or remote notarization
- Notary regulation changes (effective March 28, 2026)
- Character, criminal convictions and prior sanctions
- 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3: Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts
- 4 Pa. Code Chapter 167: Notaries Public
- 4 Pa. Code Chapter 161: Fees