2.2 Application Process Step-by-Step

The Commissioning Pipeline

Becoming a commissioned Louisiana notary runs through the Secretary of State (SOS) in a fixed sequence. Skipping or mis-timing a step (especially the pre-assessment) is a frequent reason applicants miss an exam cycle.

Step 1 — Application to Qualify

File the Application to Qualify with the SOS and pay the $35 non-refundable qualifying fee. The SOS verifies the eligibility gates from Section 2.1 (age, parish residency, voter registration, education, character, capacity). You cannot register for the exam until you are qualified.

Step 2 — One-Time Online Pre-Assessment

After qualifying, complete the mandatory online pre-assessment, administered through Louisiana State University (LSU) for a $30 fee. Key facts:

The pre-assessment is a readiness/orientation tool; you do not have to "pass" it, but you cannot register for the actual exam without having completed it.

Step 3 — Register for the State Exam

Ignore older guides that describe a December-only, paper exam at regional centers. Since the spring-2025 move to a computer-based format at LSU, seats open on multiple dates each month, so a fail no longer costs a full half-year — but you must still complete the pre-assessment and qualify before you can register. Confirm your sitting's deadline on the SOS calendar rather than relying on memory.

Step 4 — Obtain the Study Guide

Purchase the official study guide, "Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice" (2026 edition), for $100 (non-refundable). It is the source text for every exam item, and — because the exam is open-book — you may bring your tabbed, annotated copy into the testing room.

Step 5 — Pass the Exam

The exam is a scenario-based, multiple-choice, open-book test scored on a scaled score of 70 (of 100) to pass. (Format and the scaled-score standard are detailed in Section 2.3.) The historical pass rate is only about 20%, so most candidates plan for at least one retake.

Step 6 — File Commissioning Documents

Within the SOS deadline after passing, file:

The Attorney Exemption

Louisiana-admitted attorneys are exempt from the examination and the bond requirement. They must still file the Application to Qualify, pay applicable fees, and file the oaths and signature page. The exemption is a benefit of bar admission — it is not available to paralegals, out-of-state attorneys, or other professionals.

Timing the Cycle: A Worked Calendar

Even though seats now open on multiple dates each month, the pipeline is still gated by SOS verification and the pre-assessment window. Work backward from your chosen exam date so you do not miss a registration cutoff:

Worked example: Andre wants to test in June. If he waits until May to file his Application to Qualify, SOS verification plus the 37-day pre-assessment window will likely push him past the cutoff for any June date, delaying him to a later month. The lesson the exam reinforces: the pre-assessment must precede registration, and each sitting has a hard cutoff.

Re-Qualifying When You Move Parishes

A commissioned notary who relocates to a new parish must re-qualify there. The steps mirror a fresh appointment minus the exam:

1. File a new Application to Qualify in the new parish ($35).
2. Pay the new commission fee ($35).
3. File a new oath of office with the SOS and the new parish clerk of court.
4. Post the required surety bond for the new commission.

The exam is not retaken — you already hold a passing result — but the bond, oaths, and qualifying filing are parish-specific and must be redone. A frequent distractor claims the commission "automatically transfers" on a move; it does not.

Where Documents Are Filed

Note the dual filing of the oath of office: one copy goes to the Secretary of State and one to the parish clerk of court. The clerk-of-court filing is what makes the notary's authority a public record in the parish. The official signature page establishes the exact signature the notary will use on every act, which downstream parties and recorders rely on to authenticate documents.

Approximate Cost Stack (Non-Attorney)

Exam Focus Points

• The pipeline order is Qualify → Pre-assessment → Register → Exam → Commission filings.
• Pre-assessment is $30, one-time, no passing score, completed ~37+ days out.
• Exam offered computer-based on multiple monthly dates at LSU Baton Rouge (SOS must offer it at least twice per year); $100 to register.
• Two oaths are filed — SOS and parish clerk of court.
• The bond is $50,000 for applicants on/after February 1, 2026.