Renewing your Notary Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is not a complex process.

However, we know that the choices for the education and supplies are numerous and confusing. Let's take a minute to explain the differences and similarities to make your choices easier and more understandable.

Pennsylvania's Department of State, Notary Division is the governing body for all Pennsylvania Notaries Public. They alone process and approve all applications for new and renewing Notaries in Pennsylvania. They enforce all laws governing Notaries and they maintain the educational requirements according to state law. Any entity wishing to become an approved provider must submit their courses for approval to the Notary Division. These courses must contain the pertinent information required by the State Department and the Notary law. Therefore all approved providers and their courses contain the same information regardless of presenter, organization or provider.

Requirements to renew a commission in Pennsylvania

There are only a few but important requirements to renew a Notary Public commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to the Notary Act of Pennsylvania, an applicant must met the following requirements.

• The Notary Public Law, as amended by Act 151 of 2002 (effective July 1, 2003), requires that applicants for both initial appointment and reappointment as a notary public complete at least three hours of approved notary education within the six months immediately preceding their application for appointment or reappointment. However, any applicant for reappointment who was appointed on or before July 1, 2003 and whose notary commission was in effect on July 1, 2003, is permanently exempted or "grandfathered" from the education requirement. In other words, all notaries public who held active commissions on July 1, 2003 are not required to complete approved notary education upon their reappointment. Excluded from the "grandfather claus" ruling are those notaries who:
  
  • Received a letter of appointment or reappointment prior to July 1, 2003, but failed to obtain a bond and have the bond, the commission and oath recorded within the allotted 45 days;
  • Resigned their commissions prior to July 1, 2003, and did not seek reappointment prior to July 1, 2003;
  • Permitted their commissions to expire prior to July 1, 2003, and did not seek reappointment prior to July 1, 2003; and
  • Had a commission revoked prior to July 1, 2003, as the result of a disciplinary action taken by the Department This applies to any new applicants also. A Notary Public who was actively commissioned on or before that date is permanently exempt from this requirement. However, if there was a lapse in their commissions after that date they must now take the course at renewal time. This course must be provided by a Department of State approved educator.
  And the usual requirements.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must live or work in the Commonwealth.(Your office must be physically located in PA, P.O. Boxes are not acceptable.)
• Applicant must be of good moral character, integrity and ability.
• You must attend a three-hour Notary education course from a certified trainer.
• Complete the application from the Department of State, attach a copy of your certificate from your educational program along with your check to the Commonwealth of PA for $40.00 and send it to the State Senator of your district. Your Senator will then forward it on to the Department of State for you.
• Your approval letter and your blank bond sheet from the State Department will arrive shortly after. Pay very close attention to the appointment date on your letter. You have 45 days to follow the additional steps needed. Make sure you complete all the steps and register within that time frame or you must start the process all over!
• Execute your $10,000. bond from any insurance agent.
• Take the approval letter and your completed bond to your local recorders office. They will guide you through the process of registering your signature and your bond. We suggest you call your local recorder first and inquire about fees and locations.
• Purchase your stamp and notary log. And you are all set!

Don't need education to renew? Click here!

Our courses have been approved by the State Department Notary Division to provide the mandatory education for new and renewing applicants. Our Basic Notary 101 is the required course to apply to be a Notary Public. For renewing Notaries Public the course is our Notary Reappointment course. They include instruction in understanding the law, our functions and general knowledge of being a Notary Public. We offer the opportunity to obtain this education in many ways, from online courses to live seminars.

The process of applying for a commission is also the same. The state approved application must be forwarded to the local State Senator of the applicant for execution. They forward it to the State Department through legislative channels for final processing and approval. Regardless of the provider or organization that is used for processing or even when doing it yourself, the process is the same.

Marketing techniques and general advertising practices over the years has created the impression that some organizations are the governing entity or at least affiliated in some associated capacity with the State Department or the county governments. This is simply not true. The final processing of the applications is in the hands of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Department. They process and approve all applications. All contact and mailings will be through the applicant not the organization. Upon receipt of approval paperwork, the applicant will either execute through personal means or send it to their processor of choice for execution. Using any organization does not speed up the process or guarantee the process. Choosing your processer on these assumptions is misleading.

As experienced Notaries we also know that handling the commission processing is quite simple. We believe it is your commission and you should control it from start to finish. So first and foremost we encourage you to handle the process on your own. We will guide you through each step of the appointment process and fix any problems or help handle any concerns you run into.

If you would like us to handle the commission process, we do offer a commission processing package that includes processing your application, executing your bond and acquiring your equipment at one low price. It is your choice. Again our price either way is one of the lowest prices you will find.

With all that being said we wanted to show the difference between us and other providers. And the biggest difference is in the price. The "prices" you pay an in state, out of state or national "membership organization" to handle the application or renewal of a commission includes items such as the educational course, fees, the required bond and equipment, and sometimes they include "perks". These are free items or services if you buy a "membership". All of this for one "special price" and these prices range from $300 dollars to $500. You pay those high prices for a "membership". We offer the same as other associations, educators and membership organizations with prices that are lower, much lower. That is because we are not a membership organization. With us you pay less, much less and receive the same education, the same services and the same resources.

PA Notary Academy is the now the #1 education provider for Notaries Public in Pennsylvania.

We are a women owned business located in Pennsylvania, operated by Pennsylvania Notaries Public. Additionally, we offer many more educational courses. These are offered online and on a regular basis throughout the Commonwealth in a live seminar setting for better comprehension and more information exchange. They include, Accredited Signing Agent, DMV Agent and E~Notary, and more. All of our instructors are hands on notaries; they are not employed as teachers. Each one of them is successful in their own businesses, as Notaries Public, Signing Agents and DMV clerks here in Pennsylvania. Our students tell us not only are we the most educational, and affordable, but the most enjoyable courses they have attended. So compare us to the others.... you will have fun, and you will save hundreds! We thank you for your interest PA Notary Academy and if you have any questions or concerns please contact us.