Notary Public
Louisiana
Notary Public Commission Requirements
Lifetime (commission does not expire, but bond must be renewed every 5 years)
Commission Term
before renewal
Yes
Education Required
check format
Yes
Exam Required
Scaled score of 70 out of 100
$50,000 (effective February 1, 2026; previously $10,000)
Bond Required
surety bond
Application Process
VerifiedMeet eligibility requirements (18+, Louisiana resident, registered voter in parish of commission, high school diploma or equivalent, good character, no unpardoned felonies, English proficiency)
Submit Application to Qualify to the Secretary of State ($35 fee) and receive approval
Complete the mandatory Notary Exam Pre-Assessment ($30 fee, at least 37 days before exam; not required for attorneys)
Purchase the official study guide 'Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice' ($100)
Register for and pass the state notary exam ($100 exam fee, registration at least 30 days before exam; attorneys exempt)
Obtain a $50,000 surety bond (effective Feb 1, 2026; attorneys exempt)
Submit oath and bond documentation to the Secretary of State ($35 commission filing fee)
File duplicate oath with the parish Clerk of Court within one month of commissioning
Basic Requirements
Minimum Age
18 years old
Residency
Must be a Louisiana resident and a registered voter in the parish of commission.
Citizenship
U.S. citizen or legal alien (resident alien). Must be a registered voter in the parish of commission.
Background Check
No unpardoned felony convictions. Good moral character required. Verified through the Application to Qualify process with the Secretary of State.
Education & Exam Requirements
Education
RequiredHigh school diploma or equivalent required as a baseline. Formal notary training courses are NOT legally required by the state, but strongly recommended by the Secretary of State. A mandatory Pre-Assessment must be completed at least 37 days before the exam (for non-attorneys). The SOS maintains a list of registered exam prep course providers. The official study guide ('Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice') costs $100.
Exam
RequiredNon-attorneys must pass the Louisiana state notary exam. Attorneys admitted to practice in Louisiana are exempt. The exam is a computer-based, 4-hour assessment covering Louisiana notarial law, including general knowledge questions and scenario-based items. Applicants may bring the official study guide into the testing room. The exam is administered at least twice per year. Must register and pay $100 fee at least 30 days before the exam date. A mandatory pre-assessment must be completed prior to sitting for the exam.
Passing score: Scaled score of 70 out of 100
Administered by: Louisiana Secretary of State
Bond, Insurance & Seal
Surety Bond
Required$50,000 (effective February 1, 2026; previously $10,000)
As of February 1, 2026, Louisiana HB 259 increased the bond requirement from $10,000 to $50,000. The option to file an errors and omissions policy in lieu of a bond has been removed. Bond must be renewed every 5 years. Attorneys admitted in Louisiana are exempt from the bond requirement. Bond must be filed with the Secretary of State.
Errors & Omissions Insurance
Not RequiredAs of February 1, 2026, HB 259 removed the option to file an E&O policy in lieu of a surety bond. E&O insurance is no longer an alternative to the bond requirement.
Seal / Stamp
Not RequiredLouisiana is unique: a notary's signature IS their seal. No rubber stamp or embosser is required. However, specific information must be typed, printed, or stamped on every notarized document, including the notary's name, identification number, and title 'Notary Public'.
Fee Breakdown
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Application Fee | $35 (Application to Qualify) |
Bond Premium Premium for $50,000 surety bond. Actual cost varies by surety company and applicant credit. Bond must be renewed every 5 years ($20 renewal filing fee). | $110-$250 |
Stamp / Seal No physical seal/stamp required. The notary's signature serves as the seal. | N/A |
Education Course Official study guide costs $100 and is required. Pre-assessment is $30. Prep courses are optional but recommended and vary in cost. | $100+ (official study guide) + $30 (pre-assessment) + optional prep courses |
Total Estimated Cost $35 application + $100 study guide + $30 pre-assessment + $100 exam + $110-$250 bond + $35 commission filing. Does not include optional prep courses. | $410-$550+ |
Commission Term & Renewal
Commission Term
Lifetime (commission does not expire, but bond must be renewed every 5 years)
Renewal Process
Commission itself does not expire. However, surety bond must be renewed every 5 years ($20 bond renewal filing fee). Annual reporting to the Secretary of State is also required to maintain active status.
Renewal Fee
$20 (bond renewal filing fee every 5 years)
Remote Online Notarization (RON)
Louisiana authorized RON effective February 1, 2022. Current notaries may register with a state-approved provider after completing an SOS-approved course and paying a one-time $100 fee. The notary must be physically located in Louisiana during RON sessions, though signers can be located anywhere.
Additional Requirements
Must hold active notary commission; complete SOS-approved RON course; register with state-approved technology provider; pay $100 RON registration fee; must be physically in Louisiana during sessions
Important Notes
What Makes Louisiana Unique
Louisiana notaries are unlike any other state's notaries. As quasi-judicial officers in a civil law system, they have the authority to prepare and execute legal documents (including authentic acts), powers reserved for attorneys in every other state. They receive lifetime commissions, use their signature as their seal (no stamp needed), and must pass a rigorous 4-hour exam similar to parts of a bar exam. This reflects Louisiana's civil law heritage rooted in French and Spanish legal traditions rather than English common law.
LOUISIANA NOTARIES ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER U.S. STATES. Louisiana is the only U.S. state with a civil law system (based on French/Spanish civil law rather than English common law), and notaries are quasi-judicial officers with powers far exceeding other states.
Louisiana notaries can draft, prepare, and execute legal documents including authentic acts, affidavits, and acknowledgments. Much of the transactional work reserved for attorneys in other states is within a Louisiana notary's authority.
Authentic Acts (Louisiana Civil Code Article 1833): Writings executed before a notary in the presence of two competent witnesses constitute 'full proof' of the agreement - a legal concept not found in common law states.
Louisiana notaries are considered public officials, not merely private practitioners. They are entrusted with upholding the integrity of legal transactions.
Commission is for LIFE - Louisiana is the only state that issues lifetime notary commissions (per Attorney General Opinion 1940-42).
The notary's SIGNATURE is their seal - no physical rubber stamp or embosser is required (unique among all states).
Non-attorney notaries have parish-level jurisdiction only. Attorney-notaries have statewide jurisdiction.
Attorneys admitted to practice in Louisiana are exempt from both the exam and the bond requirement.
The notary exam is substantial - a 4-hour computer-based assessment similar in difficulty to aspects of a bar exam, with open-book access to the official study guide.
As of February 1, 2026, HB 259 increased the bond requirement from $10,000 to $50,000 and eliminated the option to file E&O insurance in lieu of a bond.
⚠ Data Conflicts Found
The following fields have conflicting information across sources.
bond.amount
The NNA page accessed on 2026-02-24 initially referenced the pre-February 2026 $50,000 amount under the new HB 259 law. Multiple sources including Pro Stamps and some older pages still reference the old $10,000 figure. As of February 1, 2026, the correct amount is $50,000 per HB 259.
bond_cost
Bond premium estimates are based on the previous $10,000 bond figures from NNA. The actual premium for the new $50,000 bond may be significantly higher. Marked as medium confidence.
Sources
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