1.2 Application Process

The Five-Step Pipeline

Once you meet the basic qualifications, appointment follows an ordered sequence. Skipping or reversing a step delays your commission, and the exam tests the order as much as the content.

Step 1 — Complete the 6-Hour Education Course

Non-attorneys take a 6-hour course approved by the State Treasurer covering the New Jersey Notary Public Manual. You must also read the Manual in full and watch the official training videos, then attest you completed them. Keep your certificate of completion — you upload proof during the application.

Step 2 — Pass the Examination

The $2.50 exam fee is separate from the application filing fee — a classic distractor pairs the two.

Step 3 — Obtain Legislator Endorsement

Every non-attorney application must be endorsed by a New Jersey State Legislator — either a State Senator or a General Assembly member. When you file online, the legislator endorses the application electronically through the portal; paper applications must be physically routed to a legislator first. Licensed New Jersey attorneys are exempt from the endorsement, the course, and the exam.

Step 4 — File Online Through DORES

Complete every field accurately, attach proof of education, and confirm the legislator endorsement before submitting payment.

Step 5 — Receive and Activate the Commission

Upon approval, your commission shows your commissioned name, commission number, and expiration date. Many counties have notaries take an oath of office with the county clerk before performing acts — confirm your county's procedure.

Commission Term and Renewal

Worked example: A notary commissioned in 2021 who already passed the 6-hour course and exam needs only the 3-hour continuing education course to renew. A brand-new applicant in 2026 must take the full 6-hour course and pass the exam. Don't swap these numbers.

Required Supplies After Commissioning

Official Stamp or Seal (Required)

For every tangible (paper) notarization, you must affix an official stamp near your signature so it is clear and reproducible. New Jersey permits a rubber ink stamp OR an embosser (and an electronic stamp for digital acts) — it does not mandate one type, nor does it dictate ink color, shape, or size. The stamp must contain:

• Your name as commissioned
• The title "Notary Public, State of New Jersey"
• Your commission expiration date

A frequent trap claims only a rubber stamp is allowed or specifies a required ink color — both are wrong.

Journal of Notarial Acts (Required)

Under P.L. 2021, c.179 every notary must keep a journal of all notarial acts. It may be a bound paper book with sequentially numbered pages or a tamper-evident electronic record. Typical entries include the date and time, type of act, signer's name, the identification relied upon, and the type of document.

The journal is your own evidence trail. If a notarization is later challenged in court, a well-kept journal entry — showing the date, the identification you examined, and the act performed — is your best defense. Make a contemporaneous entry at the time of each act, not afterward from memory.

Fees at a Glance

Candidates routinely confuse the several dollar amounts in this process. Keep them straight:

The exam fee and the filing fee are independent: passing the exam does not commission you, and paying the filing fee does not register your exam result. You complete both.

Sequencing Pitfalls

The ordered pipeline matters on the exam. Two ordering traps recur:

1. "File the application, then take the course." Wrong — education and the exam come first; you upload proof of completion when you file.
2. "Buy your stamp before commissioning." Premature — your stamp must show the commission expiration date, which you do not have until the commission issues. Order supplies after approval.

On the Exam

Expect 2-3 process questions. The highest-yield facts: the 5-year term, the 3-hour renewal CE (versus the 6-hour initial course), the mandatory legislator endorsement for non-attorneys, the mandatory stamp and journal, and the $25 filing fee that is separate from the $2.50 exam fee. A lapsed commission generally means reapplying as a new applicant, so renew before expiration.