Arkansas Notary 2026: No Exam, $20 Fee, 10-Year Term

How to Become a Notary Public in Arkansas

Arkansas does not require an exam to become a notary public. The application process is handled through the Arkansas Secretary of State using their online Notary Management System. Arkansas offers one of the longest commission terms in the nation at 10 years.

Arkansas Notary Requirements at a Glance

Why Become an Arkansas Notary?

• No exam required - Straightforward application process
• 10-year commission - Longest term in the nation
• Low costs - Affordable bond and fees
• No set fee limits - Notaries set reasonable rates
• eNotary available - Perform Remote Online Notarization (RON)
• Military spouse friendly - Can apply even if not a resident

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Looking for notary study materials or guides for other states? Check out our comprehensive resources. For additional education and supplies, visit the National Notary Association.

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Step-by-Step: How to Become an Arkansas Notary

Step 1: Meet Eligibility Requirements

To become an Arkansas notary public, you must:

• Be a United States citizen or permanent resident
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be an Arkansas resident OR regularly work in Arkansas
• Be able to read and write English
• Have no felony convictions in the past 10 years
• Have no revoked notary commissions in the past 10 years
• Military spouses stationed in Arkansas may also qualify

Step 2: Obtain Your Surety Bond

Before applying, obtain a $7,500 surety bond:

• Bond Amount: $7,500
• Bond Term: 10 years (matches commission term)
• Typical Cost: $35-$55 for the 10-year term (excellent value!)
• Provider: Must be from an approved surety company

The bond protects the public from potential errors or misconduct during notarial acts.

Step 3: Create Account and Apply Online

Apply through the Arkansas Secretary of State Notary Management System:

1. Create an account on the Notary Management System
2. Complete the online application
3. Pay the $20 application fee
4. Upload your surety bond
5. Print and notarize your application
6. Submit the notarized application and bond to the Secretary of State

Submit to: Arkansas Secretary of State Business & Commercial Services Division 1401 W. Capitol Avenue, Suite 250 Little Rock, AR 72201

Step 4: Receive Your Commission

Once approved:

• You'll receive two oath of commission certificates
• Take both to your county Recorder of Deeds
• Sign the oaths
• Pay the county filing fee (typically $15 for first page, $5 for additional pages)

Step 5: Purchase Notary Supplies

After receiving your commission, purchase required supplies:

Official Notary Seal (Required):

• Rubber stamp OR metal embosser
• Must be clear, legible, and reproducible
• Blue or black ink only
• Must include: Your name, county where bond is filed, "Notary Public," "Arkansas," commission expiration date, and commission number
• Cannot include the Great Seal of Arkansas or state outline
• Cost: $25-$50

Notary Journal (Recommended):

• Not legally required for paper notarizations
• Required for electronic notarial acts
• Strongly recommended for record-keeping and legal protection
• Cost: $15-$30

Arkansas Notary Fees

Arkansas does not set maximum notary fees by state law.

Important Guidelines:

• Fees must be reasonable
• Fees must be disclosed to and agreed upon by the client before the notarial act
• You are not required to charge for your services

Arkansas-Specific Requirements

Seal Requirements

Your Arkansas notary seal must include:

• Your name exactly as you sign your official signature
• The county where your bond is filed
• The words "Notary Public" and "Arkansas"
• Your commission expiration date
• Your commission number issued by the Secretary of State

Ink Color: Blue or black only

Prohibited: The Great Seal of Arkansas or an outline of the state

New Seal Required: If your name or county changes, you must get a new seal (destroy the old one).

Journal Requirements

For Paper Notarizations:

• A journal is not required by law
• However, it is highly recommended by the Secretary of State
• A journal helps you recall past notarial acts if you need to testify in court

For Electronic Notarizations:

• An electronic recordbook/journal is required

Certificate Requirements

Every notarial certificate must include:

• Your official seal impression (blue or black ink)
• Your signature
• Your commission expiration date (on seal)
• Your commission number (on seal)

Remote Online Notarization (RON) in Arkansas

Arkansas permanently authorized RON on April 29, 2021 (SB 340, Act 1047).

Becoming an Arkansas eNotary

To perform RON in Arkansas:

1. Be an Arkansas notary in good standing
2. File an amendment for "eNotary initial application" ($25 fee: $20 application + $5 convenience)
3. Complete mandatory eNotary training and exam ($30 fee)
4. Pass the exam - Course and exam are online, self-paced
5. Complete refresher training every 2 years

No additional bond required for RON in Arkansas.

RON Technology Requirements

• Must use an SOS-approved RON solution provider (listed on Secretary of State website)
• Examples include DocVerify, Pavaso, SIGNiX
• Cannot use FaceTime, Zoom, or other general video conferencing

RON Location Requirements

• Notary must be in Arkansas when performing RON
• Signer can be anywhere - in the US or internationally

RON Record Retention

• Recording of the remote notarial act must be retained by the solution provider for 5 years
• Fraud is classified as a Class D felony

Total Cost to Become an Arkansas Notary

For eNotary (additional):

Timeline: How Long Does It Take?

Renewing Your Arkansas Commission

Arkansas notary commissions are valid for 10 years - the longest in the nation!

Important: There is no formal renewal process:

• You must reapply for a new commission before expiration
• Applications can be submitted up to 60 days before expiration
• Need to purchase a new bond and pay the $20 application fee
• Need a new seal with updated expiration date

Start Your Arkansas Notary Career Today

Arkansas offers an excellent opportunity to become a notary public with no exam, no mandatory education, and a 10-year commission term. The low costs and long commission make it one of the most accessible states to become a notary.

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How to Turn This Arkansas Notary Guide Into a Passing Study Plan

A notary exam or appointment review is not just a vocabulary test. It measures whether you can protect the signer, the document, the public record, and your own commission when the facts are messy. Read the rules above once for orientation, then convert them into a procedure checklist you can apply to acknowledgments, jurats, oaths or affirmations, copy certifications if allowed, and any remote or electronic notarization rules that apply in Arkansas.

Your first checklist should follow the order of a real appointment. Confirm that the requested act is one you are authorized to perform. Confirm personal appearance under the rules that apply to the act. Identify the signer using the acceptable evidence described in your Arkansas materials. Screen for willingness, awareness, and basic communication. Complete the notarial certificate with the correct venue, date, signer name, notarial wording, signature, seal, and commission information. Record the act in your journal if required, or keep a careful voluntary record when allowed and appropriate.

That sequence is important because many exam questions describe a signer who appears at the wrong time, presents weak identification, asks for legal advice, wants a blank document notarized, or asks the notary to choose the certificate. In those scenarios, memorizing definitions is not enough. You need to know the next lawful step. Usually the safest exam answer is the one that preserves impartiality, requires proper identification and personal appearance, refuses unauthorized practice of law, and follows the certificate requirements exactly.

Arkansas Commission Workflow and Documents to Verify

Before relying on any checklist, verify the current Arkansas commissioning process with the Secretary of State, commissioning authority, approved education provider, or official handbook named in your materials. Administrative steps can change even when the core notary duties stay the same. Confirm the current application form, training or exam requirement, bond requirement if any, oath filing, seal requirements, commission term, renewal timing, and whether remote online notarization has separate registration rules.

Keep a small commissioning file with your application confirmation, education certificate, exam result if applicable, bond or insurance documents, oath filing receipt, commission certificate, stamp order, and journal purchase record. If you plan to offer loan signing or mobile notary services, keep those business records separate from your official notary records. Your commission duties come first; marketing, travel fees, and signing-agent assignments never expand what state law allows you to notarize.

When you review fees, separate maximum notarial fees from optional charges such as travel or business service fees. If the article above lists a fee cap, treat it as a rule to verify and apply carefully. Fee questions often test whether the candidate can distinguish a notarization fee from a separate travel agreement, whether the fee must be disclosed in advance, and whether remote online notarization has a different fee structure.

Procedure Drills That Build Exam Readiness

The fastest way to improve is to practice short appointment scenarios. Write five columns on a page: requested act, signer identity evidence, document condition, certificate wording, and notary action. Then create examples. A signer wants an acknowledgment but has not signed yet. A signer wants a jurat but refuses an oath. A signer brings an expired ID. A spouse asks you to notarize for an absent signer. A customer asks whether a power of attorney is legally sufficient. A remote signer passes credential analysis but cannot communicate clearly. For each scenario, write what you would do and why.

Focus especially on the difference between acknowledgments and jurats. In an acknowledgment, the signer acknowledges signing willingly; the document may have been signed before appearing if state law and the certificate allow it. In a jurat, the signer swears or affirms the truth of the document and usually signs in the notary's presence. Exam questions often hide the correct answer in those verbs. If the certificate says subscribed and sworn, think oath or affirmation. If it says acknowledged before me, think acknowledgment and voluntary execution.

Also drill refusal rules. A notary should refuse when the signer is not properly identified, does not personally appear as required, appears unwilling or unaware, asks the notary to perform an unauthorized act, presents a document with blanks that cannot be completed, or asks for legal advice. A refusal should be calm, specific, and tied to the rule. On the exam, avoid answers that make the notary a document adviser, immigration consultant, attorney, or party to the transaction.

Recordkeeping, Seal, and Certificate Traps

Recordkeeping questions are easy points if you learn the pattern. The journal entry, when required or recommended, should document the date and time, type of act, document description, signer identity method, fee, and any signature or thumbprint requirement that applies. Do not invent information after the fact. Do not share journal details casually. Do not let an employer take control of official records unless your state rules clearly allow a specific arrangement.

Seal questions usually test completeness and control. Keep your stamp secure, use the exact name and commission information required, and never let another person use your seal. If a stamp is lost, stolen, damaged, or replaced after a name or commission change, follow the reporting and replacement process in your Arkansas rules. If a certificate has an error, correct it only in the manner allowed by your commissioning authority; do not backdate or attach a loose certificate unless the facts and state rules support that action.

Certificate wording is another common trap. A notary may identify the type of notarial act requested, but should not choose the legal effect of a certificate for a signer. If the document lacks a certificate, the signer or document recipient may need to choose or provide the wording. Your role is to complete the notarial act correctly, not to decide which form gives the document legal effect.

If You Miss Questions in Practice

Use missed questions as a routing tool. If you miss identification questions, reread acceptable ID, credible witness, and personal knowledge rules. If you miss jurat questions, drill oath language and signature timing. If you miss fee questions, build a small chart of allowed fees and when they apply. If you miss remote notarization questions, separate traditional personal appearance from remote appearance, credential analysis, audio-video session rules, electronic journal requirements, and technology-provider rules.

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