4.3 Application Process

Applying After You Pass

Passing the exam does not make you a notary — you must file the online application with the Colorado Secretary of State and pay the fee. The window is tight: you have 90 days from passing the exam to apply, or the exam result expires and you must retest.

Fees

Because the Secretary of State's training and exam are free, the only mandatory state cost is the $10 filing fee. That makes Colorado one of the cheapest states to commission. Note that the optional stamp and journal are bought separately from private vendors and are not state fees — budget roughly $15–$40 for a self-inking stamp and a few dollars for a journal.

Required Uploads

The online application requires you to attach scanned or photographed documents:

• Signed affirmation — your sworn statement that the information is true and that you will perform notarial acts faithfully
• Government-issued photo ID — both sides (driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, or for non-citizens a foreign passport)
• Training certificate — proof you completed the SOS eLearning
• Lawful-presence documents — for non-citizens, both sides of the Green Card or visa

After Approval — Don't Skip the Tools

Approval gives you a commission, but you may not notarize until you have your official stamp and a journal. A common new-notary error is performing an acknowledgment the day approval comes through, before the stamp arrives — an act performed without the required stamp is improper.

Commission Term and Jurisdiction

Renewing

You may renew up to 90 days before your commission expires. Renewal is not automatic: you must again complete the training, pass the exam, and submit the $10 application, which starts a fresh four-year term. If you let the commission lapse, you reapply as a new applicant.

Worked Example

Priya passes the exam on March 1. She gets busy and does not file until June 15 — 106 days later. Her exam result has expired (the 90-day window closed around May 30), so she must retake the free exam before she can apply. Had she filed by late May and paid the $10, her four-year commission would have started on the approval date.

Two 90-Day Windows — Don't Mix Them Up

Colorado uses the number 90 days in two different places, and the exam loves to test whether you can keep them straight:

The first is a deadline you must beat; the second is a head start you may take. Confusing them is a classic trap answer. Remember: 90 days after passing = apply now; 90 days before expiring = renew early.

What "Statewide Jurisdiction" Really Means

A Colorado commission lets you perform notarial acts anywhere within Colorado, regardless of the county where you live or work — there is no county-level registration step as some states require. But jurisdiction is tied to where you physically are when you notarize, not where the signer or the document lives. If you cross into another state to meet a signer, your Colorado commission does not travel with you. The document's destination does not matter; your physical location at the moment of the notarial act does.

Step-by-Step Application Walkthrough

1. Complete the free SOS training and pass the exam (32+ of 40).
2. Log in to your Colorado SOS online account within 90 days.
3. Upload the signed affirmation, both sides of your photo ID, your training certificate, and lawful-presence documents if a non-citizen.
4. Pay the $10 fee by card.
5. Wait for approval (usually a few business days), then download your commission certificate.
6. Buy your stamp and journal from a vendor.
7. Only now may you begin notarizing.

Worked Example: The Lapse

Tom's commission expires October 1. He does nothing until October 20. Because he let the commission lapse, he cannot simply "renew" — he must reapply as a brand-new applicant: retrain, retest, repay the $10, and wait for a fresh approval. Had he started his renewal in July (within the 90-days-before window), there would have been no gap in his authority. The lesson: renew early, never late.

Exam Pointers

• 90 days is the application deadline after passing — high-yield number.
• A separate 90-days-before window lets you renew early — don't confuse the two.
• The state fee is $10 for both new and renewal; stamp and journal are extra and private.
• Commission term is 4 years, statewide jurisdiction (no county registration).
• A lapsed commission means reapply as new, not renew.
• You cannot notarize until you have a stamp and journal, even after approval.