1.1 Basic Qualifications

Who May Apply

Colorado notaries are appointed under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), codified at C.R.S. 24-21-501 and following. The Secretary of State, not a county clerk, issues every commission, and the eligibility rules are uniform statewide. Exam writers love this section because each requirement is a discrete, testable fact, so master the checklist precisely rather than approximately.

There are five threshold qualifications. Miss any one and the application is rejected:

Lawful presence, not citizenship

A frequent exam distractor states that a notary must be a "U.S. citizen." That is false. Colorado accepts U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green-card holders), and other individuals lawfully present in the country. If a question offers "must be a U.S. citizen" alongside "must be lawfully present," the lawful-presence phrasing is correct.

Residency versus employment

The residency requirement is satisfied in either of two ways: you live in Colorado, or you have a regular place of employment or practice in Colorado. A paralegal who lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but works full-time at a Fort Collins law firm meets the standard through the employment nexus. Conversely, a Colorado resident who works remotely for an out-of-state company still qualifies through residency. The applicant attests to this on the application; furnishing a false address or work location is grounds for denial or later revocation.

Character and Disqualifying History

RULONA bars applicants whose background suggests they cannot be trusted with the public trust of a notarial seal. The Secretary of State may deny, refuse to renew, suspend, or revoke a commission for any of the following:

• A felony conviction, of any kind, at any time (no lookback window resets it).
• A conviction of, or a finding or admission of liability for, an act involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit.
• A misdemeanor conviction involving dishonesty within the prior five years.
• A prior notary commission that was revoked, suspended, or restricted in Colorado or any other state.
• A finding that the applicant engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.
• Failure to disclose a disqualifying matter on the application (the nondisclosure itself is fraud-adjacent and is independently disqualifying).

Worked example

Maria was convicted of misdemeanor theft (a dishonesty offense) three years ago. Because the offense involves dishonesty and falls inside the five-year window, she is currently disqualified; she would generally become eligible only after the five-year period elapses, assuming no other bar applies. By contrast, a misdemeanor speeding ticket from last year does not involve dishonesty and is not disqualifying.

The practical exam takeaway: distinguish the permanent bar (any felony, any prior revocation) from the time-limited bar (misdemeanor dishonesty within five years). Questions that pair a felony with a long-ago date are testing whether you know the felony bar never expires.

Mandatory Training and Examination

Unlike some states that grandfather experienced applicants, Colorado requires every applicant, new and renewing, to complete training and pass the exam each commission cycle. The proof-of-completion certificate must accompany the application.

The state course is free

The Colorado Secretary of State publishes a free eLearning notary training course and a free online examination on its website. Third-party vendors (the National Notary Association, Aardvark, and others) sell paid courses that bundle study aids, but no applicant is required to pay for training. If an exam item asks for the cost of the required training, the correct answer is that the state course and exam are free.

Exam logistics

Because the exam is open-book and untimed in practice, the bar is set so that applicants demonstrate they can correctly find and apply the rules, not merely memorize them. Most training providers advise that you must answer roughly 80% of items correctly to pass; do not treat the open-book format as a reason to skip the course, because the questions track the course content closely.

Application sequence

1. Complete the free training course and download the completion certificate.
2. Pass the free online exam and save the passing result.
3. Submit the online application to the Secretary of State, attaching proof of training/exam.
4. Pay the $10 filing fee.
5. Receive the commission and the official record, typically within a few business days.
6. Obtain a notary stamp/seal that meets statutory format rules — a step that comes after appointment, not a qualification.

A classic distractor blends a post-appointment duty (buying a seal, keeping a journal) into the list of applicant qualifications. Keep them separate: qualifications gate the commission; the seal and journal govern how you act once commissioned.

Fees, Term, Bond, and the Bottom Line

Colorado is one of the least expensive states in which to become a notary, which is a frequently tested fact. The only mandatory cost imposed by the state is the filing fee.

Commission term and jurisdiction

No bond — a key contrast

Many states (for example, California and Texas) require a surety bond as a condition of commissioning. Colorado does not. A signer harmed by a notary's misconduct must pursue the notary directly, which is one reason the statute emphasizes character screening up front. If your employer asks you to carry E&O insurance, that is a private requirement, not a state one.

Putting it together: scenarios

• A 19-year-old green-card holder who lives in Denver, has no convictions, finishes the free course, passes the exam, and pays $10: eligible.
• A 30-year-old citizen with a felony conviction from a decade ago: ineligible (felony bar is permanent).
• A Wyoming resident who works in Grand Junction, age 25, clean record: eligible through the employment nexus.
• A Colorado resident who skips the training but pays the $10: ineligible until training and the exam are completed.

The through-line for this whole section: a clean, lawfully present, English-literate adult with a Colorado residency or work tie, who completes the free training and exam and pays the $10 fee, earns a four-year statewide commission — no bond required.