Becoming a notary public in Michigan is one of the most accessible ways to add a credential to your career or start earning extra income on the side. Unlike many states, Michigan doesn’t require you to pass an exam or complete formal training — just meet a handful of eligibility requirements, purchase a surety bond, and file your paperwork with your county clerk. Most people go from “interested” to “commissioned” in a matter of weeks.
Whether you’re a real estate professional looking to offer mobile notary services, an office manager whose job increasingly involves notarizing documents, or someone hunting for a flexible side hustle, this guide walks through every step of the process: eligibility, costs, the application itself, how long it takes, and what comes after you’re commissioned — including Michigan’s option for remote online notarization (RON).
Let’s start with whether you actually qualify.
What Does a Michigan Notary Actually Do?
Before diving into the application process, it’s worth understanding what you’re actually signing up for. A notary public is a state-commissioned official who acts as an impartial witness during the signing of important documents — their core job is to deter fraud by verifying identity, confirming the signer understands what they’re signing, and making sure it’s done willingly.
In Michigan, a commissioned notary is authorized to:
- Take acknowledgments — confirming a signer’s identity and that they signed voluntarily (common on deeds, powers of attorney, and contracts)
- Administer oaths and affirmations — for affidavits, depositions, and sworn statements
- Certify jurats — witnessing a signature and administering an oath about the truthfulness of a document’s contents
- Perform verifications upon oath or affirmation
Just as important is what a notary cannot do. You can’t give legal advice unless you’re also a licensed attorney, you can’t notarize your own signature, and you can’t notarize a document if you have a financial or beneficial interest in the transaction. Violating these boundaries isn’t just an ethics issue — it can void the notarization and expose you to liability, which is part of why the state requires that surety bond.
With that context, let’s look at whether you’re eligible to apply.
Eligibility Requirements
Michigan’s eligibility bar is fairly low compared to other professional certifications — there’s no exam and no formal background check — but you do need to meet every item on this list before you apply.
To qualify for a Michigan notary commission, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a Michigan resident, or maintain a place of business in Michigan
- Be a resident of (or maintain a business in) the county where you’re applying — your commission is tied to your county
- Be a U.S. citizen, or have proof of legal presence in the United States
- Be able to read and write English
- Not currently be serving a term of imprisonment in any state, county, or federal facility
- Be free of felony convictions within the past 10 years. If you were previously convicted, the 10-year clock includes your full sentence, any parole or probation, and payment of all fines, costs, and assessments
- Not have multiple qualifying misdemeanors — specifically, two or more convictions involving a violation of the Michigan Notary Public Act within a 12-month period while commissioned, or three or more within a 5-year period regardless of commission status
A note on two things people often get wrong: there is no written exam to become a Michigan notary, and there is no formal state-run background check — the state relies on you accurately disclosing your criminal history on the application, backed by the disqualifiers above. You’ll see some sites claim otherwise; that’s outdated or simply incorrect information, so it’s worth cross-checking against michigan.gov if you’re ever unsure.
One practical tip that trips people up later: your address on the application must match the address on your driver’s license or state ID exactly, or your approval can be delayed.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Once you’ve confirmed you’re eligible, the process itself is straightforward. Here’s exactly how it works, in order.
Step 1: Complete the Application
Fill out the Application for Notary Public Commission, either online through the Michigan Department of State’s website or by mail using Form 98. Fill in every field to avoid delays — pay special attention to the “Commissioned Name” field, since this is the exact signature you’ll use for every notarization you perform once commissioned. Your name and address must match your driver’s license or state ID.
Step 2: Purchase a $10,000 Surety Bond
Michigan law requires you to carry a $10,000 surety bond for your entire six-year commission. This isn’t insurance for you — it protects the public from financial harm caused by your errors or misconduct. You can buy one through an insurance agency or bonding company (Michigan’s DIFS maintains a list of licensed agencies). Premiums are typically a small fraction of the bond’s full value. Attorneys are exempt from this requirement.
Step 3: File Your Bond and Application with the County Clerk
Take your completed application and your surety bond in person to your county clerk’s office. The clerk will file your bond, administer your oath of office, and hand the application back to you. Expect a filing fee of around $10–20, depending on the county.
Step 4: Submit to the State and Pay the Processing Fee
Log back into your account on the Michigan Department of State’s website to upload your signed application and pay the $10 state processing fee. This step matters for your timeline — online submission is processed much faster than mail.
Step 5: Receive Your Commission
Once approved, your notary certificate is emailed to you directly from the Department of State’s Office of the Great Seal.
Step 6: Get Your Notary Stamp
With your commission in hand, order your official notary stamp or seal. This is what you’ll use to authenticate every document you notarize going forward.
Costs Breakdown
Becoming a Michigan notary is inexpensive compared to many professional certifications. Here’s what to actually budget for:
| Item | Typical Cost | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Surety bond premium ($10,000 bond) | ~$50–$100 | Yes (exempt if attorney) |
| County clerk filing fee | $10–$20 | Yes |
| State processing fee | $10 | Yes |
| Notary stamp/seal | $20–$40 | Yes |
| Notary journal | $10–$25 | No, but recommended |
| E&O insurance | $20–$50/year | No, but recommended |
| Notary training course | $20–$50 | No |
Realistic total to get commissioned: roughly $90–$170, depending on your bond provider and whether you buy a stamp bundle. If you skip the optional items (journal, E&O insurance, training), you can get through the whole process for well under $100.
Worth noting: the bond premium varies by provider, so it’s worth comparing a couple of bonding companies rather than just going with the first one you find — the coverage is identical ($10,000), but the price you pay for it isn’t.
Timeline: How Long It Takes
The biggest factor in your timeline is whether you apply online or by mail — the gap between the two is significant.
Online application: Once you’ve filed your bond and oath with the county clerk and uploaded everything to the state, processing typically takes about two weeks. This is the route the Department of State recommends, and it’s the fastest path from start to commissioned notary.
Mailed application: If you use Form 98 and mail your paperwork to the Office of the Great Seal in Lansing, expect four to six weeks for processing — roughly triple the wait.
Realistic End-to-End Timeline
- Day 1: Complete and fill out your application
- Day 1–3: Purchase your surety bond (often same-day or next-day online)
- Day 3–5: Visit the county clerk’s office to file your bond, take your oath, and pay the filing fee
- Day 5: Upload your application to the state and pay the processing fee
- Week 2–3 (online) or Week 5–7 (mail): Receive your commission certificate by email
- A few days after that: Order and receive your stamp
So if you move efficiently and apply online, you can realistically go from “starting the paperwork” to “notarizing your first document” in about three to four weeks. Mailing it in stretches that closer to six to eight weeks.
One thing to plan around: the county clerk step requires an in-person visit, so it’s worth checking your county clerk’s office hours before you buy your bond, since you’ll want that appointment to happen soon after.
Remote Online Notarization (RON) in Michigan
Once you’re commissioned, Michigan gives you the option to notarize documents entirely online — no in-person meeting required. This has become especially popular in real estate and mortgage closings, where signers and notaries are often in different locations.
The Legal Basis
Michigan legalized remote online notarization through legislation signed in December 2018 (Public Acts 360 and 361), which took effect in March 2019 — building on an earlier 2018 law that first authorized electronic notarization starting that September. The Michigan Department of State, together with the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, is responsible for approving the technology platforms notaries use to perform RON.
Eligibility to Offer RON
You can’t jump straight into remote notarization — it’s an add-on to an existing commission, not a separate credential. To offer it, you must:
- Already hold an active traditional notary commission in Michigan
- Select and purchase an approved RON platform from the state’s list of authorized vendors (examples include Pavaso, NotaryCam, Nexsys, and E-Mortgage Law — note that approved vendors can change, so check the current list on michigan.gov before choosing one)
- Register your chosen platform with the Secretary of State, typically by submitting a Request for Duplicate/Notice of Change form with the vendor’s contact information
How a RON Session Actually Works
- The signer and notary connect via live two-way audio-video technology — they never need to be in the same room, or even the same state
- The signer’s identity is verified using knowledge-based authentication (KBA) questions tied to their personal history, plus a government-issued photo ID
- The notary applies a tamper-evident digital seal and certificate to the document
- Michigan law requires the entire session to be recorded and securely stored for a minimum of 10 years, accessible to all parties if a dispute ever arises
eNotarization vs. RON — What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to conflate these, but they’re distinct:
- eNotarization (IPEN): The signer is physically present with the notary, but the document itself is digital and signed/sealed electronically
- RON: The signer and notary are in separate locations entirely, connected only via audio-video
Is RON Worth Setting Up?
For most new notaries doing occasional personal or small-business notarizations, it’s not necessary out of the gate — the platform fees add an extra cost layer. But if you’re planning to work in real estate closings, loan signings, or want to build a mobile/remote notary side business, RON significantly expands your reach and client base beyond your immediate geographic area.
Your Commission Term & Renewal
Once you’re commissioned, it’s worth knowing how long that credential lasts and what happens when it’s time to renew.
Commission Length
A Michigan notary commission runs for a six-year term, ending on your birthday (some sources describe this as a 6-to-7-year window, since it depends on how close your commission date falls to your birthday in that first partial year). Mark this date somewhere you’ll actually see it — a lapsed commission means you legally cannot notarize anything until you renew.
Renewing Your Commission
Renewal isn’t a separate, simpler process — you essentially repeat the original application steps:
- Complete a new application
- Purchase a new (or renewed) $10,000 surety bond
- File the bond and application with your county clerk, and retake your oath
- Submit to the state and pay the processing fee again
The good news: since you’ve done this before, it tends to move faster the second time around. It’s worth starting the renewal process a few weeks before your commission expires, especially if you plan to mail anything rather than apply online, to avoid a gap where you’re technically not commissioned.
Updating Your Information Mid-Commission
You don’t need to wait for renewal to update your records. If you move, change your name, or need a replacement stamp, you’ll file a Request for Duplicate/Notice of Change with the Department of State. Keep in mind:
- A name or address change may require a new bond rider or updated bond paperwork
- A new address may also mean a new county — and since your commission is tied to your county of residence, moving counties can require re-filing your bond and oath locally, not just updating a form
What Happens If Your Commission Lapses
If your six-year term ends and you haven’t renewed, your notary powers end immediately — any notarization performed after expiration is invalid and could expose you to liability. There’s no grace period built into the law, so treat your expiration date the same way you’d treat a driver’s license renewal deadline.
Notary Fees You Can Legally Charge
Michigan caps what notaries can charge, so it’s worth knowing the actual numbers before you plan any income around this.
Standard Notarial Acts
Under Michigan law (MCL 55.285), a notary cannot charge more than $10 for a standard notarial act — this covers acknowledgments, oaths, affirmations, jurats, and verifications. You’re required to either post a visible sign stating your fee or clearly tell the person the fee before performing the act.
You generally can’t tack on extra charges beyond that $10 for a standard in-person notarization — with one exception: travel fees. If you’re traveling to the signer as a mobile notary, you and the client can agree on a separate travel fee before you leave to perform the act. That fee isn’t capped by statute the same way — it’s negotiated.
Remote Online Notarization (RON) Fees
RON acts are priced differently under the law:
- Up to $45 for the first notarial act performed during a remote session
- Up to $15 for each additional act in that same session
One consumer protection built into the law: any fees the notary pays to use a RON platform can’t be passed on to the person being notarized. Platform costs are the notary’s business expense, not the client’s.
A Note on Pending Changes
As of this writing, there’s a bill in the Michigan legislature (HB 5900) that would raise the standard notarial act fee cap from $10 to $15. It hasn’t been enacted yet, so the current legal maximum remains $10 — but it’s worth checking the bill’s status before publishing, since fee caps like this are exactly the kind of detail that goes stale fast.
Should You Get Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Your surety bond is required by law — but it’s easy to misunderstand what it actually protects, and that gap is where E&O insurance comes in.
Bond vs. E&O Insurance: They’re Not the Same Thing
This trips up a lot of new notaries, so it’s worth being explicit:
- Your $10,000 surety bond protects the public. If you make a mistake that causes someone financial harm, the bonding company pays the claim — but then the bonding company can come after you to recoup that money. The bond doesn’t shield you from liability; it just guarantees the injured party gets paid.
- E&O insurance protects you. If you’re sued or make an honest mistake — misidentifying a signer, notarizing an incomplete document, a clerical error — E&O coverage pays for your legal defense and any damages, up to your policy limit, without you having to reimburse anyone afterward.
In other words: the bond is for your client’s protection, and it’s mandatory. E&O insurance is for your own protection, and it’s optional but strongly recommended by virtually every notary association.
Typical Cost and Coverage
- Annual premiums: roughly $20–$50 per year for $10,000–$25,000 in coverage; higher coverage tiers (up to $100,000) are available for a bit more
- Multi-year policies are often available at a discount, similar to the bond
Who Should Prioritize It
- Mobile and loan signing agents — higher volume means higher exposure to error
- Anyone offering RON services — remote transactions carry additional identity-verification risk
- Notaries in real estate or legal-adjacent work, where a mistake on a document can carry real financial consequences
For someone doing the occasional notarization for coworkers or neighbors, E&O insurance is a nice-to-have. For anyone building this into an actual income stream, it’s close to essential — the $20–50/year cost is negligible next to the legal exposure it removes.
Common Mistakes New Michigan Notaries Make
Even though the process itself is simple, there are a handful of avoidable errors that trip up first-time notaries — some during the application, some after they’re commissioned.
During the Application
- Address mismatches. Your application address must match your driver’s license or state ID exactly. Even small discrepancies (an abbreviated street type, an old address on file) can delay approval.
- Signature inconsistency. Whatever you write in the “Commissioned Name” field becomes your official notarial signature. If it doesn’t match how you actually sign, you’ll create confusion — and potential legal issues — on every document you notarize later.
- Mailing when you didn’t need to. Choosing the mail-in route out of habit costs you weeks of processing time compared to applying online.
After You’re Commissioned
- Letting the bond lapse. Your bond has to stay active for your entire six-year term. If it lapses mid-commission — say, from a missed renewal payment — you’re technically notarizing without valid coverage, which is a serious compliance issue.
- Notarizing for family or financially interested parties. Notarizing a document where you or a close family member has a financial or beneficial interest can void the notarization and expose you to liability. This is one of the most common ways notaries unintentionally break the rules.
- Skipping a journal. Michigan doesn’t legally require a notary journal, but going without one removes your best evidence if a notarization is ever challenged or disputed. Most experienced notaries treat it as non-negotiable, even though it’s technically optional.
- Charging more than the legal fee cap. It’s easy to round up “for convenience,” but charging more than $10 for a standard act (or more than the RON caps) is a statutory violation, not just a bad look.
- Letting your stamp go stale. If you move counties, renew your commission, or your stamp becomes damaged or illegible, you need a new one that reflects your current, accurate information — an outdated stamp can invalidate your notarizations.
The Bigger Picture
Most of these mistakes come from treating notary work as purely administrative. In reality, every notarization carries legal weight — which is exactly why the state requires the bond in the first place. A few minutes of care per document is what keeps you protected.
Turning It Into Income
Once you’re commissioned, plenty of Michigan notaries do far more than the occasional favor for a coworker. Here’s how notary work can actually turn into money, and roughly what to expect.
Mobile Notary Work
This is the most accessible way to earn beyond the $10-per-act cap: charge a separate, negotiated travel fee on top of your notarial fee. Mobile notaries serve people who can’t easily come to you — elderly clients, hospital patients, busy professionals — and travel fees are where the real earning happens, since they aren’t capped by statute the way the act fee is.
Loan Signing Agent Work
This is the highest-earning path for most notaries, but it’s a separate skill and certification layer on top of your state commission — not something your notary commission alone qualifies you for. Loan signing agents specialize in guiding borrowers through real estate closing documents (refinances, purchases, HELOCs), making sure every signature and notarization is correct so the loan can fund on schedule.
- Training/certification cost: typically in the range of $100–$300 depending on the course
- Typical pay: loan signing agents can make $75 to $200 per appointment, with a well-trained agent completing a signing in about an hour
- You’ll also want a solid E&O policy and reliable printer/scanner setup, since document accuracy is the whole job
Worth flagging: these per-appointment figures come from a training company selling its own course, so treat them as an optimistic ceiling rather than a guarantee — actual earnings vary a lot by market and experience.
Combining RON with Mobile/Signing Work
Notaries who offer both in-person mobile service and RON tend to have the widest client base — RON lets you serve clients outside your immediate driving radius, while mobile work covers people who need an in-person presence (common for certain real estate documents).
A Realistic Starting Point
Most new Michigan notaries start small — notarizing for local businesses, apartment complexes, or via a mobile listing — before deciding whether to invest in loan signing certification. It’s a low-cost way to test demand in your area before committing another few hundred dollars to specialized training.
FAQs
Is an exam required to become a notary in Michigan?
No. Michigan is one of the states that doesn’t require a written exam. You just need to meet the eligibility requirements and complete the application, bond, and filing process.
Is a background check required?
There’s no formal, separate background check process. The state relies on the disclosures in your application, combined with the felony and misdemeanor disqualifiers built into the eligibility requirements.
Are attorneys exempt from the surety bond requirement?
Yes. Licensed attorneys are exempt from the $10,000 surety bond requirement that applies to everyone else.
Can I notarize documents in another state?
No. Your Michigan commission only authorizes you to perform notarizations within Michigan. If you need to notarize documents for someone in another state, they generally need a notary commissioned in their own state — Remote Online Notarization has started to blur this in practice, but the notary performing the act must still be commissioned in the state where they’re physically located.
What happens if I move to a different county?
Since your commission is tied to your county of residence, moving counties typically requires updating your records with the state and may involve re-filing your bond locally. It’s worth contacting the Department of State as soon as you know you’re moving to confirm exactly what’s needed.
How much does the whole process cost, all-in?
Realistically $90–$170 to get commissioned, covering the bond premium, county filing fee, state processing fee, and your stamp. Optional extras like a journal, E&O insurance, or a training course will push that higher.
Do I need to keep a notary journal?
It’s not legally required in Michigan, but it’s strongly recommended — it’s your best protection if a notarization is ever disputed or challenged later.
How long does my commission last, and when do I need to renew?
Six years, ending on your birthday. Start the renewal process a few weeks before it expires, especially if you’re mailing anything, to avoid a gap where you’re not legally able to notarize.
Conclusion
Becoming a notary in Michigan is refreshingly straightforward compared to most professional credentials — no exam, no formal background check, and a total cost usually under $200. If you meet the eligibility requirements, the whole process comes down to four things: complete the application, purchase your surety bond, file with your county clerk, and submit to the state. Do it online, and you could be notarizing your first document within three to four weeks.
Where it gets more interesting is what you do with the commission afterward. Whether that’s the occasional notarization for neighbors and coworkers, building a mobile notary side business, or working toward loan signing certification for real estate closings, the commission itself is just the starting point — the real value comes from how you use it.
Before you apply, it’s worth bookmarking the Michigan Department of State’s notary public page directly, since bond requirements, fee caps, and approved RON vendors are all things that can change over time. Everything in this guide reflects the current rules as of publication, but a five-minute check against the official source is cheap insurance against outdated information.
Ready to get started? Head to the Michigan Department of State’s website to begin your application, and revisit the sections above — eligibility, the step-by-step process, and the cost breakdown — as you work through it.
