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 30 days prior to applying
• 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
• Have satisfactorily completed the certified training course

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 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 within 2-3 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, statement, and oath of office forms.

Application, Statement, and Oath of Office for Appointment as a Notary Public.

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

To ensure that your request is successfully processed, please carefully check the following. These are the top 5 reasons applications are rejected and returned:

1. That your name is exactly the same on the application and the bond
2. That your signatures match the name on the bond and application
3. That you have signed the bond as the “Principal”
4. That the city and county listed on the bond are the location of your personal residence
5. That the effective date of the bond is within 30 days (before or after) the date that your submission will be received in the Secretary of State's office

Submitting documents that are incorrect or incomplete will delay your request.

When you have completed the application form, 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. The application, bond and filing fee must be sent to:

Montana Secretary of State
Notary and Certification Services
P.O. Box 202801, 1301 6th Avenue
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.

Enter the store to view all products available to Montana notaries from Notary Rotary. Follow the onscreen instructions through the order process and your order will shipped as soon it is processed, usually within 2-3 days.

Only after being properly commissioned, bonded, and obtaining his or her seal and journal should the notary perform notarial acts.