Filing Fee
$30 application fee
Make checks payable to the Secretary of State. For credit-card payment, include a telephone number where staff may reach you during processing.
South Dakota · Notary Public
Become or Renew as a Notary Public
New applicants and renewing notaries use the same Application and Oath form. Complete each step carefully to prevent rejection and processing delays.
Start with the Notary Commissions portal
Use the Secretary of State's Notary Commissions portal for current processing information, forms, commission-record searches, and other notary services.
Visit the Notary Commissions portal Download the application and checklist (PDF)
New and Renewal Applications
Application checklist
Names and signatures must match the notary seal exactly.
- Obtain your notary seal.
- The seal may be a rubber, electronic, or embossing stamp and may be circular, square, or rectangular.
- It must show your name exactly as you will be commissioned and sign notarizations.
- It must include your name and the words “Notary Public” and “South Dakota.” A rubber stamp must also include the word “Seal.”
- Do not place a commission expiration date inside the seal's border.
- Complete the application.
- Place a legible seal imprint in the application box. If two seals do not fit, include both on a separate sheet.
- Enter your name exactly as it appears on the seal.
- Provide your physical residence address. A post office box, business address, or mailing address alone is not acceptable.
- If you live in an out-of-state county bordering South Dakota, provide your employer or business name and a South Dakota business address.
- Answer every application question, including prior commissions, date of birth, felony history, previous commission names, and whether you will provide electronic-notary services.
- Complete the Oath.
- Enter the county where the oath is signed.
- Enter, date, and sign your name exactly as it appears on the seal and application.
- Review the bond requirement.
Effective July 1, 2025, a surety bond or Personal Surety Form is no longer required. If you voluntarily purchase a bond, keep it in your records; do not file it with the Secretary of State. See SDCL 18-1-2.
- Review the entire application before submitting it.
Missing information, unanswered questions, mismatched names, or omitted signatures may cause the application to be rejected.
Fee and Mailing Address
Submit your application
Mail To
Secretary of State
500 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 204
Pierre, SD 57501
Authorization
Wait for your certificate
You may perform notarial acts only after receiving a Notary Commission Certificate issued by the Secretary of State.
Existing Notaries
Renew a notary commission
The renewal process uses the same application, oath, $30 filing fee, and checklist as a new application.
Renewal window
A renewal application may be submitted no more than 60 days before the current commission expires. To keep the same commission month and day, submit the completed application before the existing expiration date.
If you want the next six-year term to begin on a different date, enter the requested date. The application must arrive before that date; the Secretary of State cannot backdate a commission.
Six-Year Term
Commission and expiration dates
A commission begins on the date the Secretary of State appoints the notary and issues the commission. It expires at midnight exactly six years later.
The commission expiration date used on notarizations must match the Notary Commission Certificate. Renewing notaries must continue using the current expiration date until that commission expires, then begin using the new date.
A separate “My Commission Expires” date stamp may be purchased from an office-supply provider. Those words and the date must remain outside the border of the official notary seal.