How to Become a Notary in Utah

How do I renew my notary commission in Utah?

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To renew your notary commission in Utah, follow the same steps you took when you applied to become a notary the first time. You may renew your notary commission up to ninety days before your current commission term expires.

If your legal name changes during your notary commission, you must create a new account on the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’s website to proceed with a notary application for reappointment.

To apply for reappointment as a notary public, go to the Office of the Utah Lieutenant Governor's website.

Who appoints notaries in Utah?

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The lieutenant governor commissions applicants as notaries public. The Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues the Certificate of Authority of Notary Public to Utah notaries.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Notary Office
PO Box 142325
350 N. State Street, Suite 220
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2325
Phone: 801-538-1041
Fax: 801-538-1133

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

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Yes. A non-resident notary applicant can apply to become a Utah notary public if the applicant has had a primary place of employment in Utah for at least 30 days [UCA 46-1-3(2)(b)].

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

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The term of office of a Utah 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 Utah?

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Yes. All new notary applicants and notaries renewing their commissions in Utah must pass the online notary test provided by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. The online test consists of thirty-five multiple-choice questions totaling sixty-five points. Notary applicants must score sixty-one points or higher to apply for a notary commission.

To take the initial online test, each applicant must create an account on the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’s website. A notary applicant can view the notary test results after paying a $95 administrative and test fee. Applicants who fail the initial online notary test have thirty days after the first test date to retake the online test for a $40 fee. After thirty days, the applicant is required to pay the administrative and testing fee of $95, submit a new notary application, and take the notary test. The administration fee and testing fees are non-refundable.

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

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To become a notary in Utah, you will need to:

1. Pay a $95 testing and administrative fee to take the notary test and to submit your notary application on the Office of the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s website.
2. Pay a $40 testing fee to retake the test (if applicable).
3. Purchase a four-year, $5,000 notary bond.
4. Pay a fee to have your oath of office notarized by a Utah notary.

Other expenses include:

• The fee to have your Certificate of Authority of Notary Public notarized by a Utah notary.
• The cost of purchasing a Utah notary stamp. Click here to view our notary stamp prices.
• The cost of purchasing a Utah notary journal. Click here to view our notary journal prices.
• The cost of an errors and omissions insurance policy (optional). This insurance policy is designed to protect you if you are sued for unintentional mistakes or if a false claim is filed against you. 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 Utah?

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A notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy is not required to become a notary public in Utah or to renew your notary commission. However, the American Association of Notaries strongly recommends that every Utah 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 Utah notary public.

Utah notary errors and omissions insurance policies are available to order online at the American Association of Notaries website.

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

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Yes. All Utah notary applicants are required to maintain a four-year, $5,000 notary bond. The notary bond protects the public from notary 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.

Visit the American Association of Notaries website to order your four-year Utah notary bond online.

Do I need to order a notary stamp in Utah?

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Yes. The Utah notary statute requires all notaries public to use a notary official seal to authenticate all their official acts. Utah Code Annotated 46-1-16 provides the legal specifications regarding the layout and the information required on a notary official seal.

A notary official seal must:

• Contain the following elements:
  • The notary public’s name exactly as indicated on the notary’s commission.
  • The words “Notary Public.”
  • The words “State of Utah.”
  • The words “My Commission Expires on (commission expiration date).”
  • The notary’s commission number exactly as indicated on the notary’s commission.
  • A facsimile of the great seal of Utah.
• Have a rectangular border no larger than one inch by two and a half inches surrounding the required words and official seal.
• Be in purple ink.
• Make a sharp, legible, and photographically reproducible impression.

Note:

• A notary stamp vendor may not provide an official notary seal to a notary unless the notary attaches a copy of their notary certificate of authority to a notarized declaration.
• A Utah notary may use a notary seal embosser that is not photographically reproducible in addition to, but not in place of, the photographically reproducible official seal required in UCA 46-1-16.

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 Utah notary stamp, notary seal, complete notary package, and other notary supplies.

What should I do if my Utah notary stamp or seal is lost or stolen?

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If a notary discovers that unlawful interference has occurred in relation to the notary, or to an official seal over which the notary has custody or control, the notary must immediately:

1. Notify a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction over the violation.
2. Provide written notice of the discovery to the lieutenant governor.

If a notary discovers that an official seal over which the notary has custody or control has been lost, damaged, or destroyed, the notary must immediately provide written notice of the discovery to the lieutenant governor.

A notary must provide the written notice by:

• email, using the address provided on the website for the Notary Department within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor;
• certified mail; or
• another delivery method that provides a receipt confirming delivery.

The written notice must include:

• The notary’s name, address, and commission number.
• A description of the discovery and the relevant facts.
• If the matter involves a journal or an electronic recording of a remote notarization, the time period covered by the affected journal or electronic recordings.
• If the discovery involves unlawful interference under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-16(10)(b), the information necessary for the lieutenant governor to identify and obtain the related police report.

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

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Utah notary fees are set by state notary statute UCA 46-1-12.

Maximum Fees for Traditional Notarizations and Notarizations of Electronic Signatures (In-Person):

• For an acknowledgment, $10 per signature
• For a certified copy, $10 per page certified
• For a jurat, $10 per signature
• For an oath or affirmation without a signature, $10 per person
• For each signature witnessing, $10

Maximum Fees for Remote Notarizations:

• For an acknowledgment, $25 per signature
• For a certified copy, $25 per page certified
• For a jurat, $25 per signature
• For an oath or affirmation without a signature, $25 per person; and
• For each signature witnessing, $25

Note:

• A notary may not charge a fee of more than $10 per individual for each set of forms relating to a change of that individual's immigration status. This fee limitation applies regardless of whether the notary is acting as a notary. However, this limitation does not apply to a licensed attorney (who is also a notary) rendering professional services regarding immigration matters.
• A notary must display an English-language schedule of fees for notarial acts and may display a non-English-language schedule of fees.
• A notary may charge a travel fee, not to exceed the approved federal mileage rate, when traveling to perform a notarial act if: a) the notary explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the travel fee is separate from the notarial fee in UCA 46-1-12(1) and is neither specified nor mandated by law; and b) the notary and the person requesting the notarial act agree upon the travel fee in advance.

Is a notary journal required in Utah?

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Notary journal requirements for a Utah notary public commissioned before May 06, 2026:

• A notary may keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection a chronological, permanently bound official journal of notarial acts containing numbered pages.
• If the notary keeps a journal under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(1)(a), then Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(3) and (4) apply in relation to the journal.
• A remote notary must keep a secure electronic journal of each remote notarization the notary performs.
• Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(3) and (4) apply in relation to an electronic journal described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(1)(c).

Notary journal requirements for a Utah notary public who receives a commission, or a new commission, on or after May 6, 2026:

• In accordance with Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14, the notary must keep, in a secure location, a physical journal of each notarial act, other than a remote notarization, that the notary performs.
• In accordance with Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14, the notary must keep a secure electronic journal of each remote notarization that the notary performs.
• The notary is subject to the provisions of Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(3) and (4) in relation to the notary's journal.
• If a notary keeps a tangible journal, the it must consist of one or more permanently bound records with each page listed in chronological order.

Exceptions:

• Under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(4)(a), a notary who is employed by an attorney or a law firm is not required to keep a journal of notarial acts performed by the notary in the course and scope of the notary's employment by the attorney or law firm.
• Under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13(4)(d), a notary who is employed by a title agency is not required to keep a journal of notarial acts performed by the notary in the course and scope of the notary's employment by the title agency.

A notary journal (also known as a notarial journal, official journal of notarial acts, 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 Utah notaries record in their notary journals?

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Information to be recorded by notaries public commissioned before May 06, 2026
A notary may, for each notarial act the notary performs, and a remote notary must, for each notarial act the remote notary performs remotely, record the following information in the journal described in (Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-13 at the time of notarization:

• The date and time of day of the notarial act.
• The type of notarial act.
• The type title or description of the document, electronic record, or proceeding that is the subject of the notarial act.
• The signature and printed name and address of each individual for whom a notarial act is performed.
• The evidence of identity of each individual for whom a notarial act is performed, in the form of: i) a statement that the person is personally known to the notary; ii) a description of the identification document and the identification document's issuing agency, serial or identification number, and date of issuance or expiration; iii) the signature and printed name and address of a credible individual swearing or affirming to the person's identity; or iv) if used for a remote notarization, a description of the secondary authentication of identity used for the remote notarization.
• The fee, if any, the notary charged for the notarial act.

A remote notary must include, for each electronic notarization recorded in the electronic journal, a copy of the electronic recording of the remote notarization.

A notary may record in the journal a description of the circumstances under which the notary refused to perform or complete a notarial act.

Information to be recorded by notaries public who received a commission, or a new commission, on or after May 6, 2026
The notary must include the following information in the notary journal at the time the notary completes the notarial act:

• The date and time of the notarial act.
• The type of notarial act performed.
• The title of the record for which the notary performs the notarial act or a description of the record or proceeding for which the notary performs the notarial act.
• If the satisfactory evidence of identity of the individual for whom the notary performs the notarial act is of the type described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-2(25)(a)(i)(A) or (B), a description of the identification that states: the identification type; the issuing agency of the identification; the last four digits of the identification number; the date the identification was issued; and the date the identification expires.
• If the satisfactory evidence of identity of the individual for whom the notary performs the notarial act is a credible individual described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-2(25)(a)(i)(C): an indication that the notary administered an oath or affirmation to the credible individual, including the individual's signature; a statement that the individual described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14.1(2)(b)(v)(A) is a credible individual whom the notary personally knows; and the printed name and address of the credible individual.
• If the satisfactory evidence of identity of the individual for whom the notary performs the notarial act is a credible individual described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-2(25)(a)(i)(D):
  1) an indication that the notary administered the oath or affirmation to the credible individual, including the individual's signature, to verify the identity of the individual seeking the notarial act and that the credible individual personally knows the individual seeking the notarial act; 2) the printed name and address of the credible individual; and 3) a description of the identification, described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-2(25)(a)(i)(D)(III), of the credible individual that states the identification type, the issuing agency of the identification, the last four digits of the identification number, the date the identification was issued, and the date the identification expires.
• For a remote notarization only, in addition to the information required under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14.1(2)(b)(iv) through (vi), a record of the secondary authentication of identity.
• If the notary administered an oath or affirmation, an indication that the notary administered the oath or affirmation.
• The signature, printed name, and address of the individual for whom the notary performs the notarial act.
• The fee charged, if any, by the notary.

A remote notary must, for each electronic notarization performed by the remote notary, record in the remote notary's electronic journal, the information described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14.1(2)(b) and include with the notary's electronic journal a copy of the electronic recording of the remote notarization.

A notary may make a single entry in a journal to document more than one notarial act if the notarial acts are performed for the same individual at the same time on one record or similar records.

When performing a notarial act for an individual, a notary is not required to have the individual sign the journal if:

• A) the notary has performed a notarial act for the individual within 180 days before the day on which the notary performs the notarial act; B) the notary has personal knowledge of the identity of the individual; C) the individual is an employer or a coworker of the notary; D) the notarial act relates to a transaction performed in the ordinary course of the individual's business; and E) the notary enters "known personally" in place of the evidence otherwise required for the detailed record described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14.1(4); or
• for a remote notarization, the notary uses the electronic journal to: A) capture and record the individual's signature; and B) associate the signature with the remote notarization.

If a notary or remote notary refuses to perform or complete a notarial act, the notary must record in the journal: a) the information described in Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-14.1(2)(b) that the notary was able to obtain; and b) a description of the reason the notary refused to perform or complete the notarial act.

What should I do if my Utah notary journal is lost or stolen?

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Please see the section titled “What should I do if my Utah notary stamp or seal is lost or stolen?” It explains the notice requirements that apply to lost or stolen notary journals.

How long should I retain my Utah notary journal?

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Utah law requires notaries to retain their journals for a specified period to protect the integrity of notarial records and ensure they are available if needed. The retention requirements differ slightly depending on whether the journal is maintained in a tangible or electronic form.

Tangible Notary Journal – A Utah notary must retain a notary journal for ten years after the day on which the notary records the last notarial act in the journal, regardless of whether the notary ceases to be a notary. Following the ten-year period, the notary must destroy the journal by shredding or another means of destruction that renders all information in the journal illegible.

Electronic Notary Journal - A Utah remote notary must maintain, or ensure that a person that the notary designates as a custodian under Utah Code Ann. § 46-1-15(2)(b)(i) maintains, the electronic notary journal and each electronic recording of a remote notarization for ten years after the day on which the notary records the last notarial act in the journal, even if the notary ceases to be a notary.

Following the ten-year period, the notary must destroy (or ensure that the custodian erases and overwrites or otherwise destroys) the electronic journal and, for each remote notarization recorded in the journal, the electronic recording of the remote notarization, including all backups, by a means that renders all of the data irretrievable.

Note: The notary journal retention requirements also apply to Utah notaries commissioned before May 6, 2026, who were keeping a notary journal.

Where can I perform notarial acts in Utah?

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Utah notaries are authorized to perform notarial acts while physically located anywhere within the geographic borders of the state of Utah.

What notarial acts can a Utah notary public perform?

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A Utah notary is authorized to (UCA 46-1-6):

• Take acknowledgments
• Administer oaths or affirmations
• Perform jurats
• Certify copies
• Witness signatures

What kind of notarizations are allowed in Utah?

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Utah law allows the following three types of notarizations:

Traditional Notarizations (In-Person Notarizations) – 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. In-person 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.

Notarizations of Electronic Signatures – This type of notarization requires the signer and the notarial officer 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 stamp, and an electronic notarial certificate.

Remote Notarizations (Electronic Notarizations) – The signer appears remotely before a remote notary via audio-visual communication technology. The notarization is performed on an electronic document using electronic signatures, an electronic notary stamp, and an electronic notarial certificate.

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

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To register to perform electronic notarizations in Utah, you must apply to become a remote notary. Click here to learn how to become a remote notary.

What are the steps to become a remote notary in Utah?

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To become a remote notary in Utah, you must:

1. Hold an active Utah notary public commission.
2. Complete a Remote Notary Application.
3. Have the application notarized by an active notary public.
4. Select an approved remote notary vendor listed on the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’s website.
5. Purchase a $5,000 remote notary bond or increase your current notary bond to $10,000.
6. Obtain an electronic seal and signature from your selected vendor.
7. Email the application, bond (or bond rider if you increased your notary bond), and a PDF file containing your electronic signature and seal to notary@utah.gov.
8. Pay the $50 application fee. Payment instructions will be emailed to you from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor after your documents are reviewed.
9. Wait to receive your approval by email.

For more information on becoming a remote notary in Utah, visit the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’s website.

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

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If your residential or business address on file with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor changes, you must notify that office within thirty days of a change by providing the old and new addresses to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

You can update the address for your Utah notary commission by:

1. Submitting an address change online at the Office of Lieutenant Governor’s website.
2. Informing the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the change by:
   • Calling 801-538-1041.
   • Emailing notary@utah.gov.
   • Faxing 801-538-1133.

Note: No fee is required for an address change.

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

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Within thirty days of a name change, you must provide the lieutenant governor with the following:

• A bond policy rider. To obtain a rider, you must contact your insurance company and request a bond rider that will reflect both your previous and new notary name.
• A copy of the document reflecting the changes to your name (marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.).
• Your updated contact information reflecting your current address, phone number, and email (if applicable).
   

Email all documents to notary@utah.gov or submit them by mail to:

Lieutenant Governor’s Office
350 North State Street, Suite 220
PO Box 142325
Salt Lake City, UT 84114

Note: You are not required to change your name by adopting your spouse's surname.

Revised:

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June 2026