Become a Kentucky notary public with Notary Rotary, Inc.

Qualifications:

A prospective notary public for the state of Kentucky must meet the following qualifications.

• Be eighteen (18) years of age
• Be a resident of the county from which she/he makes application or be principally employed in the county from which he/she makes the application,
• Be of good moral character and capable of discharging the duties imposed upon her/him by law.

The Secretary of State shall appoint notaries public, who may perform notarial acts in any part of the state for a term of not more than four (4) years, unless sooner removed.

Note: There are two separate types of commissions available for prospective Kentucky notaries public.

• A special commission notary is a resident or nonresident of Kentucky who is appointed by the governor of Kentucky to perform notarial acts inside or outside this state covering documents to be recorded in this state only.
• A notary public state at large is a resident or a nonresident of Kentucky who is appointed to perform notarial acts within the state of Kentucky, but these documents can go to other states for recording.

Step 1: Download the Kentucky notary public handbook and complete the included application.

Kentucky notary public handbook and notary public application

The handbook contains the relevant information regarding notarial procedure in the state of Kentucky as well as the applications for both types of notary public commission. Please read the handbook and complete the application according to the instructions provided therein.  Once you have completed the application, including the certificate of approval form, mail it and a check or money order in the amount of $10.00 made payable to the "Kentucky State Treasurer" to the following address:

148 Capitol Building
700 Capitol Avenue
PO Box 821
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Step 2: Order your official bond and other supplies from Notary Rotary, Inc.

Once you receive notice from the state that the Certificate of Appointment is in the county clerk's office you will need to order your supplies from Notary Rotary. Please visit our store by clicking on the following link: Kentucky Notary Supplies

Choose Kentucky from the drop down menu and enter the store. Fill out the required information and place an order for your surety bond and Kentucky notarial seal.  Although many states require a notary public to keep a journal, this is not the case in Kentucky. However, it is advisable to keep a record book of your official acts because a journal provides documentation of the notary’s personal knowledge of performance of the notarization. If you choose to keep a journal, you may purchase the Modern Journal of Notarial Events while in the online store. This journal was designed specifically for notaries public and includes many features not available in other journals. Your order will be processed as quickly as possible and will usually ship in less than three days.

Step 3: Proceed to the county clerk's office to complete the commissioning process.

After the Secretary of State has processed the application, your Certificate of Appointment will be sent to the county clerk in the county of application. For a Kentucky resident, the county of application is the county where the applicant resides or is principally employed as designated in line 3. For an applicant who is not a resident of Kentucky, but is employed in Kentucky, the county of application is the county in which the non-resident is principally employed. At the same time the Secretary of State sends the Certificate of Appointment to the county clerk, a written notice will be sent to the applicant stating the Certificate of Appointment is in the county clerk's office.

Within thirty (30) days of receiving your notice, you must go to the county clerk's office and:

• Post Bond;
• Take the Oath of Office; and
• File and record your commission in the office of the county clerk.

For specific information regarding these requirements, you should make direct contact with your county clerk.