Notary
rankings by state.
Use the figures to narrow your reading, then check the state’s license level, pathway and qualifications. A low issuance fee does not establish the cheapest overall route to licensure.
Lowest license fee
Ranked only by the recorded license issuance fee. Application, exam, training and other costs are not included. This is not a ranking of total cost to qualify.
5 of 51 jurisdictions ranked. Equal values share a rank; the next rank skips tied places. Calculations use unrounded values. Source scope may differ between states.
| 1 | Alabama | $25.00Source and scopetwenty-five dollars ($25) for each notary commission issued.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Vermont | $30.00Source and scopeFor the issuance of a commission as a notary public, the Office shall collect a fee of $30.00.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $35.00 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $75.00Source and scopeFor every commission issued to a justice of the peace or to a notary public, $75Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $100.00Source and scopeIssuance of notary public commission ………………………………………… 100.00Official source Last verified Oct 24, 2026 |
46 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Fewest required hours
Ranked only where the required-hours field is a single verified number. Conditional text and alternative pathways are excluded. Hours are not elapsed time to licensure.
4 of 51 jurisdictions ranked. Equal values share a rank; the next rank skips tied places. Calculations use unrounded values. Source scope may differ between states.
| 1 | Florida | 3 hoursSource and scopecompleted at least 3 hours of interactive or classroom instructionOfficial source Last verified Oct 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | 3 hoursSource and scopeNon-attorney notary commission applicants must complete a three-hour education program Attorney notary commission applicants must successfully complete a three-hour education programOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 3 hoursSource and scopea three-hour preapproved notary public education courseOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 4 | Montana | 4 hoursSource and scopeat least 4 hours of notary public educationOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
47 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Fastest time to get licensed
Requires a verified total time-to-license figure in days for the cited pathway. Training hours, experience requirements and agency processing estimates cannot establish that total.
Not verified yet
The current records do not establish total time to get licensed. No fastest state is named.
Read the verified state requirements and official sources51 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Renewal cost per year
Calculated as the verified renewal fee divided by its verified renewal period in years. This is an annualized fee, not an annual bill; CE and other costs are not included. An initial fee or initial license term is never substituted.
Not verified yet
A separate renewal fee and its matching renewal period are needed. Initial license fees cannot fill that gap.
Read the verified state requirements and official sources51 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Read before you choose a route
Last verified Oct 25, 2026.
Official sources (9)
- https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/notaries-public/Act%202023-548.pdf
- https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/103/05324
- https://www.sos.la.gov/notary/forms-fee-schedule
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/I/5/5-10.htm
- https://ag.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Notary-Fee-Schedule-2020.pdf
- https://notaries.dos.fl.gov/notary.html
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-111:6-1-03
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/notaries/mandatory-education-requirement
- https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0010/chapter_0050/part_0060/section_0200/0010-0050-0060-0200.html
Not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the official agency before filing.