Tablet, notebook and coffee mug on a clean desk, Become a Notary in Nevada: Steps, Fees and Bond

How to Start a Notary Business in Nevada

Last verified: November 5, 2026

In Nevada the commission and the business are two separate things. The Secretary of State appoints you as a notary for 4 years (NRS 240.020), and that appointment is cheap: a $35 application fee, a 3-hour course and a $10,000 bond. The business part is what you charge, who hires you and whether you carry insurance, and most of that is not set by the state. My position: treat the commission as a license to sell a small, capped service, and only build a business around it if you have a channel for volume, such as title and escrow signings or mobile work.

Become a Notary in Nevada: Requirements

The statute sets the basic qualifications in NRS 240.015. You must:

  • Live in Nevada: A resident of an adjoining state can be appointed only if they keep a registered place of business in Nevada or are regularly employed here, and they file a copy of that business license every year (NRS 240.015, NRS 240.031).
  • Be 18 or older and possess your civil rights.
  • Complete the Secretary of State's course: The training is at least 3 hours with an exam, and first-time applicants and renewing notaries must both take it (NRS 240.018).
  • Clear the character screen: The Secretary of State cannot appoint someone whose earlier notary appointment was revoked for cause, who has a pending complaint, or who has a conviction for a crime of moral turpitude or an offense such as fraud, forgery, embezzlement or identity theft. A moral turpitude conviction can be reconsidered after more than 10 years, with restitution and restored civil rights (NRS 240.010).

The law does not ask for U.S. citizenship, a minimum credit score or a background-check waiting period of five years. Fingerprints are required only "if required by the Secretary of State" (NRS 240.030). Confirm the current requirements on the Nevada Secretary of State: notary pages.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Nevada Notary Commission

Step 1: Take the Secretary of State's Course

Do this first, because proof of completion goes with your application (NRS 240.030). The course must include at least 3 hours of instruction and an exam, and it is run by the Secretary of State or an approved vendor (NRS 240.018). The fee is "reasonable" and not fixed in statute, so read the current amount on the Secretary of State notary forms and fees page. Training from a provider the state has not approved does not count.

Step 2: Buy the $10,000 Bond and File It With Your County Clerk

The bond is $10,000, made out to the State of Nevada, issued by a surety authorized to do business here, and it covers your 4-year term (NRS 240.030, NRS 240.033). It is not filed with the Secretary of State. You file the bond and your oath with the clerk of the county where you live (or, for an adjoining-state resident, where you work), and the clerk certifies the filing to the Secretary of State on the state's form. Neither the premium nor the clerk's filing fee is set by statute, so get a quote from the surety and ask your county clerk for its fee. The bond indemnifies people harmed by your violations of the notary chapter; it is not insurance for your own losses.

Step 3: Submit the Application and the $35 Fee

The application fee is $35 (NRS 240.030). The Secretary of State issues your certificate of appointment once it has the application, the fee and the clerk's certification. The step-by-step page lists the current submission method and form: Secretary of State: step-by-step guide to a notary commission. Processing times are not set by statute, so confirm the current wait with the Secretary of State before you promise a start date to a client.

Step 4: Wait for the Certificate Before You Notarize

Your term begins on the effective date of the bond, but you may not perform a notarial act until the Secretary of State has issued your certificate of appointment (NRS 240.030). Acting before that, or after your appointment expires, is unlawful and carries a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per violation (NRS 240.010).

Step 5: Order Your Stamp and a Bound Journal

Nevada requires an ink stamp, not an embosser: an embossed seal has not been required since 1965 (NRS 240.040). The stamp is a rectangle no larger than 1 inch by 2 1/2 inches and must show your name, "Notary Public, State of Nevada," your expiration date and your certificate number. An adjoining-state notary adds the word "nonresident." Never stamp over printed text.

The journal must be a bound volume with preprinted page numbers and is open to public inspection. For each act you record the fee charged, the document title, the date, the signer's name and signature, how you verified identity, whether you gave an oath, and the type of certificate used. You keep every journal for 7 years after you stop being a notary, and a lost or stolen journal must be reported to the Secretary of State and law enforcement (NRS 240.120).

What a Nevada Notary Can Charge

Fees are capped by statute, and a notary may not charge for a service the law does not list (NRS 240.100, NRS 240.130). That cap is the main reason a notary business is a volume business.

ServiceMaximum feeSource
Acknowledgment, first signature of each signer$15NRS 240.100
Each additional signature of each signer$7.50NRS 240.100
Jurat, each signature on the affidavit$15NRS 240.100
Oath or affirmation; certified copy$7.50NRS 240.100
Marriage ceremony$75NRS 240.100
Travel, requested between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.$15 per hour, 2-hour minimumNRS 240.100
Travel, requested between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.$30 per hour, 2-hour minimumNRS 240.100

The travel fee is allowed only if the client asks you to travel, you explain that it is not required by law, and you agree the hourly rate in advance. Record the amount and your travel start and end times in the journal. This is the legal basis for a mobile notary business: the notarial act is capped, the travel is not free for the client, and the rate must be agreed up front.

Signing Agents, Title Work and the Fee Cap

Loan-signing work is where most notary income is claimed, but the law does not give a notary room to be paid per transaction. A notary may not act if they will receive, directly from a transaction relating to the document, a fee or other consideration above the NRS 240.100 amount (NRS 240.065). The statute makes exceptions for attorneys and for notaries registered as a document preparation service, who may be paid for those separate services. How your signing fee from a title or escrow company is structured under that rule is a legal question: ask the Secretary of State notary office or a Nevada attorney before you quote a per-closing rate. I have not found an official source for what signing agents are paid in Nevada, so this page gives no figure.

Electronic and Remote Online Notarization

Remote notarization is not available to every notary. You register as an electronic notary public on top of your commission, pay a $50 registration fee, and complete an electronic-notarization course of up to 3 hours that the Secretary of State may require (NRS 240.192, NRS 240.195). Your e-notary registration ends when your regular term ends and is renewed with it (NRS 240.194). An e-notary may use audio-video communication under NRS 240.1991 and the Secretary of State's rules. Start with the in-person commission and add the registration when you have a clear source of remote clients. See the Secretary of State: electronic notary registration guide.

Advertising Rules That Catch New Notaries

If you advertise in a language other than English and you are not a Nevada-licensed attorney, the ad must carry a notice, in that language, that you are not an attorney and cannot give legal advice. You may never use "notario," "notario publico" or "licenciado" in advertising. A first violation means a suspension of at least 1 year and a civil penalty of up to $2,000 (NRS 240.085). Do not give legal advice or choose the type of notarial act for a signer; that is the practice of law, and the statute is aimed at it.

Setting Up the Business Around the Commission

A notary commission is an appointment, not a business. If you notarize for pay as a business, Nevada's state business license law in NRS Chapter 76 applies: the license costs $200 for an LLC or sole proprietor, renewed every year, with a $100 late penalty. A home-based sole proprietor may qualify for the exemption in NRS 76.020; read the Secretary of State exemption FAQ and see our guide to Nevada home-based business rules. City and county licenses are separate; see Nevada business license requirements.

Most notaries start as a sole proprietor (see sole proprietorship in Nevada) and trade under a fictitious name only if they use one (NRS Chapter 602; see DBA registration). An LLC separates your personal assets from business debts, but it does not replace the bond and it does not shield you from your own notarial errors. If you form one, the state costs are $75 for the articles, a $150 initial list and the $200 license, so $425 at formation and $350 a year after (NRS 86.561 and 86.263). Read how to start an LLC in Nevada first, then compare LLC formation services in Nevada if you would rather not file it yourself. Nevada has no personal income tax (Nevada Department of Taxation: income tax in Nevada), but self-employment tax is federal.

Costs at a Glance

ItemCostSource and notes
Notary application$35NRS 240.030
Required course and examSet by the Secretary of StateNRS 240.018; current amount on the forms and fees page
$10,000 surety bondSet by the suretyNRS 240.033; get a quote
County clerk bond filingSet by the county clerkNRS 240.030; ask your clerk
Duplicate or amended certificate$10NRS 240.030; the first duplicate is free if requested within 60 days
Electronic notary registration$50, plus any course feeNRS 240.192
Stamp and bound journalRetail price, no official figureNRS 240.040, NRS 240.120
State business license (if you operate as a business)$200 a yearNRS Chapter 76

Renewal and Common Mistakes

Your appointment lasts 4 years, and a renewing notary must complete the course again (NRS 240.020, NRS 240.018). Start about three months before expiry. Because the term runs from the bond date, the bond must cover the whole 4 years (NRS 240.033).

Mistakes the statute punishes: notarizing a signature when the signer is not in front of you (NRS 240.155), acting on a document that names you or a relative, or one where you have an interest (NRS 240.065), and charging a fee the chapter does not list (NRS 240.130). Report a name or address change to the Secretary of State for an amended certificate (NRS 240.036). Errors and omissions insurance is not required by statute; whether a client or title company asks for it is up to them, so ask before you buy. See our Nevada business insurance guide.

Where This Guide Stops

This guide covers the statute and the pages the Secretary of State publishes. It does not give legal advice and it does not predict how much a Nevada notary earns. For questions about a specific document, the signer's capacity or your signing fee, ask the Secretary of State notary office or a Nevada attorney. See also the cost to start a business in Nevada.

Disclaimer

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check current requirements with the Nevada Secretary of State: notary office before you apply.

Sources

Keep exploring: related Nevada guides