How to Become a Notary in South Dakota 2026: Complete SD Notary Guide

How to Become a Notary Public in South Dakota

South Dakota does not require an exam or education to become a notary public. As of July 1, 2025, the state also eliminated the surety bond requirement, making it even easier and more affordable to become commissioned. Applications are processed through the South Dakota Secretary of State.

South Dakota Notary Requirements at a Glance

Why Become a South Dakota Notary?

• No exam or education required - Simple application process
• No surety bond required - Eliminated in 2025, reducing costs
• 6-year commission - Longer term than many states
• Low application fee - Only $30
• Border county flexibility - Bordering state residents with SD workplace can apply
• Remote notarization - South Dakota allows Remote Online Notarization (RON)

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Step-by-Step: How to Become a South Dakota Notary

Step 1: Meet Eligibility Requirements

To become a South Dakota notary public, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a South Dakota resident OR live in a bordering county (in Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, or Iowa) and maintain a physical place of work/business in South Dakota
• Have no felony convictions

Step 2: Complete the Application

Obtain and complete the application from the South Dakota Secretary of State:

1. Download the application from sdsos.gov or obtain it by mail
2. Complete all required fields accurately
3. No bond required as of July 1, 2025 (HB 1133)

Online Portal: Applications can be submitted through the Secretary of State's online business services portal.

Step 3: Submit Application and Fee

Submit your completed application to:

South Dakota Secretary of State 500 East Capitol Avenue Pierre, SD 57501

Include:

• Completed application
• $30 filing fee (for appointment or reappointment)

Note: The fee is the same for new applications and renewals.

Step 4: Receive Your Commission

Once approved:

• You'll receive your Notary Commission Certificate from the Secretary of State
• Your commission is valid for 6 years
• You can begin performing notarial acts after obtaining your seal

Step 5: Purchase Notary Supplies

After receiving your commission, purchase required supplies:

Official Notary Seal (Required):

• South Dakota law requires all notaries to use an official seal
• Can be either an embossing seal or rubber stamp
• Must include at minimum: Your name as commissioned
• Cost: $20-$50

Notary Journal (Not Required):

• South Dakota does not require notaries to maintain a journal
• However, keeping a journal is recommended for your protection
• Cost: $15-$30

South Dakota Notary Fees

South Dakota notaries may charge reasonable fees for their services. While there is no statutory maximum, fees should be fair and disclosed upfront.

Important Notes:

• Fees should be reasonable and disclosed before performing services
• Travel fees are by separate agreement
• Some employers may prohibit their employees from charging notary fees

South Dakota-Specific Requirements

Seal Requirements

Your notary seal must contain at minimum:

• Your name as it appears on your commission

South Dakota law allows either:

• Metal embossing seal (leaves raised impression)
• Rubber stamp with ink

Recommendation: Include "Notary Public" and "South Dakota" on your seal even though not strictly required by statute.

Certificate Requirements

Every notarial certificate should include:

• Your signature
• Your official seal impression
• Date of notarization
• Venue (state and county where act occurred)

Record Keeping

South Dakota does not require notaries to maintain a journal of notarial acts. However, keeping a journal is strongly recommended because:

• It provides documentation if acts are questioned
• It protects you from liability claims
• It helps track your notarial activity

Recommended journal entries:

• Date and time of notarization
• Type of notarial act
• Document type and description
• Signer's name and identification method
• Fee charged (if any)
• Your signature

Remote Online Notarization (RON) in South Dakota

South Dakota authorized Remote Online Notarization effective July 1, 2024 (Senate Bill 211, SDCL 18-1-11.2 et seq.).

RON Key Requirements

To perform RON in South Dakota:

1. Hold a valid South Dakota notary commission
2. Use compliant technology that provides audio-visual communication
3. Perform two-factor identity proofing of the signer

Note: No separate e-notary commission is required - any valid SD notary may perform RON if compliant with the law.

RON Technical Requirements

• Notary Location: Must be physically in South Dakota during RON
• Signer Location: Can be anywhere in the world
• Identity Verification: Two different methods required:
  • Remote ID presentation (government photo ID via video)
  • Credential analysis (software validation of ID)
  • Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) or similar second method
• Recording: Audio-visual recording required with 10-year retention

Remote Ink-Signed Notarization (RIN)

South Dakota also allows Remote Ink-Signed Notarization:

• Paper-based notarization performed virtually
• Signer signs physical document on camera
• Original document mailed to notary for completion
• Useful for situations requiring wet ink signatures

2025 Bond Elimination

Important Update: South Dakota HB 1133 eliminated the $5,000 surety bond requirement effective July 1, 2025. According to the Secretary of State, this change "streamlines the notary process and removes a barrier" to becoming a notary.

Before July 1, 2025: Required $5,000 surety bond After July 1, 2025: No bond required

This makes South Dakota one of the most affordable states to become a notary.

Total Cost to Become a South Dakota Notary

Timeline: How Long Does It Take?

South Dakota Notary Renewal

Renewal Process

• Commission term: 6 years
• Renewal fee: $30 (same as new application)
• Bond required: No (as of July 2025)

Tips for Renewal

• Apply before your current commission expires
• Update your notary seal if it includes expiration date
• Notify regular clients of your renewed commission

Start Your South Dakota Notary Career Today

South Dakota offers one of the simplest and most affordable paths to becoming a notary public. With no exam, no education, and no bond requirement (as of 2025), you can be commissioned for as little as $50-$80.

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How to Turn This South Dakota 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 South Dakota.

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 South Dakota 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.

South Dakota Commission Workflow and Documents to Verify

Before relying on any checklist, verify the current South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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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