Notary Commisions

The following requirements must be met:

• Must be eighteen (18) years old or older;
• Be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States
• Be a resident of or have a place of employment or practice in the county within this Commonwealth where the application is made;
• Be able to read and write English;
• Not be disqualified to receive a commission under KRS 423.395;
• Submit to the Secretary of State any application forms, information, disclosures, and verifications as are required by administrative regulations promulgated by the Secretary of State;
• Submit to the Secretary of State proof of having obtained the requisite surety bond required under KRS 423.390(4) (File actual bond with County Clerk);
• Take an oath of office as set forth in KRS 423.390(4)

• Visit the Secretary of State’s website to complete the application.  The fee for application is $10.00.
• If approved, the applicant will be notified that a “Certificate of Appointment” has been made available to the county clerk’s office in the applicant’s county. The applicant then has 30 days to appear at the County Clerk’s Office to post bond and be sworn in.
• A notary surety bond in the amount of $1,000.00 is required. Check with the insurance agency of your choice to request your notary bond, and bring all paperwork when you visit our office.
• There is a $19.00 fee at the County Clerk’s Office per KRS 64.012.
• If you wish to also become an electronic or online notary after you complete the notary public state at large commission bonding, please contact the Secretary of State’s Office .

The County Clerk may by law apply a certification to a notarized document stating the notary’s signature is known to them, and the bond is current.  This is usually required in advance of applying to the Secretary of State’s Office for ‘apostille’ certification on a document intended to be sent overseas.

In order for our office to certify a notary’s signature:

• The notary must be commissioned in Fayette County.
• The notary must sign exactly the same way as they signed on their commission paperwork (i.e., signed as Mary J. Smith, cannot notarize as M. Jane Smith).
• The notary must include an acknowledgement statement identifying the signatory and the date of the document, and this statement must be written in English. The body of the document can be in another language.  
• As of January 1, 2020, a notary may also certify that a document is a ‘true and correct copy of an original document’.

You may visit our office in-person during regular office hours to request a certification, or mail your document to our office at Fayette County Clerk, Land Records, 162 E. Main St., Lexington, Ky. 40507.

The fee is $5 per certification.  If mailing in, checks or money order should be payable to Fayette County Clerk.  We are happy to forward your certified document to the Secretary of State if you include a stamped, addressed envelope, and their paperwork and fee.