Become a Montana notary public with Notary Rotary, Inc.

Qualifications:

To be a notary in Montana, you must:

• Be a resident of Montana for at least one year preceding your appointment.
• Continue to live in Montana for the duration of your appointment.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Not be a convicted felon.
• Never have had a notary commission revoked or terminated in this or any other state.

Term of commission and jurisdiction:

The term of office of a notary public is four years. A notary has jurisdiction to perform his or her official duties in every county in Montana, not just the county in which he or she lives. In some cases, a Montana notary public may perform a notarial act in an adjoining state, if the state recognizes his or her authority.

Step 1: Order your $10,000 surety bond from Notary Rotary, Inc.

All applicants for the office of notary public for the state of Montana must obtain a surety bond in the amount of $10,000 as part of the application process. A surety bond is a form of insurance that protects the public from mistakes you may make in the performance of your official duties as a notary. If you perform an illegal notarization, you may be held personally liable for damages caused by your act.

Please visit the Notary Rotary online store, choose Montana from the menu, and enter the store to purchase your Montana notary bond. 

An errors and omissions insurance policy does not replace a bond, but will help to repay the bonding company if a claim is ever made. An errors and omissions policy is not required by law, but may be purchased as it protects the notary public and pays for any charges the notary might owe for legal fees and costs should the notary be sued.

To order, enter the required information, scroll down through the page to locate and select the desired products, and follow the instructions through checkout. Your supplies will be shipped as soon as possible, usually no more than one to two days. Once you receive your official surety bond from Notary Rotary, Inc. make a copy of the actual bond for your records.

Step 2: Download and complete the Montana notary public application.

Montana Notary Public Application

This is also an appropriate time to download the Montana Notary Public Handbook  

As you complete your application, keep the following in mind:

• You must type, print, and sign your name exactly the same way on your application, surety bond, and oath of office. This is the name in which your commission will be issued, and this is the name you will use when performing all notarial acts.
• The place of residence you list on your application must correspond with the place of residence on your surety bond.
• Do not list the same address for your residence and your employer unless you work out of your home. If you're not presently employed, please enter N/A (not applicable) in the space provided for employer information.
• If you don't complete your application completely and truthfully, your commission may be denied or revoked.
• Your application and oath of office must be properly notarized.

When you have completed the application you will need to send it, your surety bond, and a $25 filing fee to the Montana Secretary of State. You may pay the $25 fee for a commission or renewal of a commission using a personal check, cashier's check, or money order made payable to the Secretary of State. If your payment is returned for any reason, your commission will be suspended. Once you have prepared these items they should be mailed to the following address:

Montana Secretary of State
Notary Section
P.O. Box 202801
Helena MT 59620-2801

Step 3: Order your official seal and the remainder of your supplies from Notary Rotary, Inc.

Once your application, bond, and fee have been approved, the Secretary of State will send you a certificate of commission. At that point, you must obtain an official seal with which to authenticate your official acts. This may be either a rubber stamp or an impression seal, which you can get from Notary Rotary, Inc. Although Montana law does not require that notaries keep a journal of their notarial acts, it is a strong recommendation of the Office of the Secretary of State that they do so. A journal is a record of the notarial acts performed and can be vital in protecting the notary from possible liability.

Please visit our store for your official Montana seal stamp, Montana notary journal, and any other supplies you may need, by clicking on the following link: Montana Notary Supplies 

Choose Montana from the drop down menu and click the enter store button to view all products available to Montana notaries from Notary Rotary. Follow the onscreen instructions through the order process and your order will ship as soon as we are able to process it, usually no more than two days before shipping.