For Notaries · Kentucky
How to Become a Notary in Kentucky
To become a notary in Kentucky, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, and either live or work in the county where you apply. File your application with the Secretary of State, pay the $10 state fee, and post a $1,000 surety bond. No exam or course is required, and commissions run a 4-year term.
Last updated: July 16, 2026 · By Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC — CEO & Founder, USA Notary
Kentucky notaries are commissioned by the Secretary of State as a "notary public, state at large," making this one of the simpler states to enter—there is no mandatory course and no exam. You apply directly to the Secretary of State with a $10 fee, and once approved you have 30 days to finish your appointment at the county clerk's office by taking the oath and filing a $1,000 surety bond. Recording fees at the clerk total about $19. Commissions last four years and can be renewed by reapplying. If you want to notarize digital documents or serve signers over live video, Kentucky also lets commissioned notaries register with the Secretary of State to perform electronic and remote online notarizations.
Kentucky Notary Requirements at a Glance
| Eligibility | Be at least 18 years old; be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident; be a resident of Kentucky OR have a place of employment or practice in the Kentucky county where you apply; be able to read and write English; and not be disqualified under KRS 423.395 (grounds include fraud, dishonesty, deceit, or certain felony convictions). |
|---|---|
| Surety bond | Yes. Post a $1,000 surety bond for the 4-year commission, obtained from an insurance company approved by the Kentucky Department of Insurance. Since January 1, 2020, a property owner may no longer sign as surety—an insurance bond is required. The bond is filed at the county clerk's office when you take your oath. |
| State filing fee | $10.00 non-refundable application fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer, submitted to the Secretary of State. Separately, the county clerk charges a $19.00 recording fee ($10 to record the bond, $4 to take/prepare the bond, $5 to administer the oath). |
| Commission term | 4 years |
| Notary education | Not required. Kentucky does not mandate any notary education, training course, or class to be commissioned. |
| Exam | Not required. Kentucky does not require a proctored or written notary exam. |
Kentucky requires a $10 application fee to the Secretary of State, a $1,000 surety bond, and issues commissions valid for four years, with a $19 county clerk recording fee. — Kenton County Clerk – Notary Public
How to Become a Notary in Kentucky: Step by Step
- 1
Confirm you're eligible
Verify you are at least 18, a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, can read and write English, and either live or work in the Kentucky county where you apply. You must not be disqualified under KRS 423.395.
- 2
Submit your application to the Secretary of State
Complete the Notary Public State at Large form and submit it online or by mail with the $10.00 fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. No exam or training course is required.
- 3
Obtain your $1,000 surety bond
After the Secretary of State approves your application, purchase a $1,000, 4-year surety bond from an approved insurance company. You have 30 days from the approval notice to finish your appointment.
- 4
Take your oath and file at the county clerk
Visit your county clerk's office to take the oath of office and file your bond and certificate of appointment, paying the $19.00 recording fee.
- 5
Get your supplies and start notarizing
Order a notary stamp/seal (optional for paper acts but commonly used) and a journal, then begin performing notarizations across Kentucky.
- 6
Optional: register for online notarization
To perform electronic or remote online notarizations, register with the Secretary of State, contract with an approved RON technology vendor, and pay the $10 registration fee.
How to Become an Online (Remote) Notary in Kentucky
Kentucky has operative remote online notarization. A commissioned traditional notary registers with the Secretary of State as an online notary public: hold an active commission, contract with one or more state-approved RON technology providers, submit a PDF of your digital certificate (electronic signature and digital stamp), provide proof of your $1,000 surety bond, and pay a $10 registration fee (in addition to the commission fee). Online notaries must keep an electronic journal and retain the audio-video recording of each remote session.
Online / remote notary application fee: $10 registration fee (in addition to the $10 commission fee)
Remote/online notarization operative in Kentucky as of January 1, 2020 under KRS 423.300–423.455 (KRS 423.355, 423.390).
See how RON is authorized in Kentucky — and state by state →
Remote online notarization changes the economics of a Kentucky commission. A traditional notary serves the signers they can physically reach; a registered online notary can take sessions from wherever the work comes from, stacking remote appointments alongside in-person ones. The requirements in the summary above are Kentucky's own rules — meet them once, and the online side of the practice is open to you.
New to the online side of the work? Start with whether you can become a notary entirely online — it separates the commission, the RON registration, and the platform account, the three pieces first-timers most often blur together.
Walk through the Kentucky remote online notarization process →
Need a document notarized in Kentucky instead? Notarize online with a Kentucky commissioned notary.
Traditional Notary vs. Remote Online Notary in Kentucky
Kentucky allows remote online notarization, so once you hold a Kentucky commission you can register to notarize for signers who appear over live video — and take on assigned online signings.
| Traditional (in-person) notary | Remote online notary (RON) | |
|---|---|---|
| How the signer appears | In person, in the same room | Over a live, recorded audio-video call |
| Available in Kentucky? | Yes | Available now — register once commissioned |
| What you need | Seal and journal | An approved RON platform, identity-proofing, and a digital certificate |
| Where the work comes from | Local, walk-in and mobile appointments | Nationwide — e.g. assigned online signings through USA Notary |
What Does It Cost to Become a Notary in Kentucky?
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State application fee (Secretary of State) | $10 |
| County clerk recording fee (bond + oath) | $19 |
| $1,000 surety bond (4-year) | ~$35–$55 |
| Notary stamp/seal & journal | Varies by supplier |
| Education / exam | $0 (not required) |
| Optional RON registration (Secretary of State) | $10 + provider fees |
See costs and fees on USA Notary for platform-side details.
What a Kentucky Notary Can Charge
The costs above are what you pay to get commissioned — this is the other side of the ledger. Kentucky is one of the states that sets no statutory maximum on the in-person notarial fee, so the per-act price is whatever you and the signer agree to.
| Maximum in-person fee (per notarial act) | No cap |
|---|---|
| Maximum remote online notarization (RON) fee | No cap |
Two things to keep straight about these numbers. First, a statutory maximum is a ceiling, not a price list — a notary may always charge less, never more, and the figure applies per notarial act or signature. Second, the cap covers the notarial act itself: travel to a signer, printing, or after-hours convenience are separate charges, and how those extras are regulated differs from state to state — so quote them as their own line items, never folded into the notarial fee.
A per-act cap also explains why volume, not the stamp price, is what makes notary work pay — the notaries earning real income stack signings, loan packages, and online sessions on top of the base fee. To see how Kentucky's numbers compare with every other state — including which states set no cap at all — check the full 50-state breakdown of how much a notary costs.
Verified July 2026 against the National Notary Association "Notary Fees by State" table and primary state statutes/Secretary of State rules. Several states (WA, VA, NC) raised caps in 2023–2024. Fees are per notarial act/signature; a notary may charge less, never more. Confirm your state before relying on a figure.
Renewing Your Notary Commission in Kentucky
Commission term in Kentucky
4 years
A notary commission is not a one-time credential: it runs for the term shown above, and the authority ends the day the commission does. No state renews a commission automatically — the renewal is on you, and notarizing on a lapsed commission is treated as acting without authority everywhere.
What renewal actually involves differs by state — some treat it as a lighter re-file, others repeat the education, exam, or bonding steps — so when your date approaches, work from the official Kentucky sources listed at the end of this guide rather than a supplier's summary. The practical rule that holds everywhere: start well before the expiration date, because a gap between commissions means turning away work until the new one is issued.
For timelines, typical costs, and what to do if you've already let a commission lapse, see our step-by-step notary commission renewal guide.
Turn Your Kentucky Commission Into Income
Getting commissioned is step one. USA Notary connects commissioned notaries with assigned, paid remote signings — so your commission actually earns. Learn how Kentucky notaries earn, see what platform membership costs a Kentucky notary, check the platform requirements for Kentucky notaries, and browse become-a-notary guides for other states.
Join USA Notary as a notaryFrequently Asked Questions
How long does a Kentucky notary commission last?
Kentucky notary commissions are valid for four years. The Secretary of State does not send expiration reminders, so reapply before your commission lapses—typically about four weeks in advance.
Do I need to take a class or pass an exam?
No. Kentucky does not require any notary education course or exam. You simply meet the eligibility rules, apply to the Secretary of State, and post your bond.
What does it cost to become a notary in Kentucky?
Expect roughly $60–$90 total: a $10 state application fee, a $19 county clerk recording fee, and about $35–$55 for the required $1,000 surety bond, plus optional stamp and journal supplies.
Who appoints notaries in Kentucky?
The Kentucky Secretary of State commissions notaries public, state at large. After approval you complete your appointment at your county clerk's office by taking the oath and filing your bond.
Can Kentucky notaries perform remote online notarizations?
Yes. Since January 1, 2020, commissioned notaries can register with the Secretary of State as online notaries, contract with an approved technology provider, and pay a $10 registration fee to perform electronic and remote online notarizations.
Is a surety bond required?
Yes. You must post a $1,000 surety bond from an approved insurance company for your four-year term. As of January 1, 2020, a property owner can no longer act as surety.
How much can a notary charge in Kentucky?
Kentucky sets no statutory maximum on what a notary may charge for an in-person notarial act — the fee is whatever the notary and signer agree to, so disclose it up front, before the appointment. Travel or convenience charges are separate from the notarial fee itself.
How much can a Kentucky notary charge for online notarization?
Kentucky sets no statutory cap on the fee for a remote online notarization. Platform or technology charges are separate business costs on top of whatever fee you and the signer agree to.
When does a Kentucky notary commission expire?
The Kentucky commission term is: 4 years. No state renews a commission automatically — once yours lapses you cannot perform notarial acts until the renewal or reappointment is complete, so calendar the expiration date and start the paperwork early.
Where to Go From Here
This guide covers what's specific to Kentucky; a few of the questions that come next are the same in every state. If you're mapping out the calendar, our breakdown of how long it takes to become a notary walks through each stage of the timeline — the application, the processing queue, and the waiting you can't control. Budgeting instead? The companion piece on what it costs to become a notary itemizes the same line items you saw in the Kentucky cost table above, across every state's version of the process, so you can sanity-check any package a vendor quotes you.
Two topics trip up more new notaries than anything else. The first is protection: a surety bond protects the public while errors-and-omissions insurance protects you, and our notary bond vs. E&O insurance explainer untangles which is a state requirement and which is your own call — start from the bond details in the requirements table above. The second is income: the highest-earning specialization for a commissioned notary is loan signings, so once your Kentucky commission arrives, read what a loan signing agent does and earns to decide whether that's your next step.
Becoming a Notary in Other States
Requirements differ by state — here are nearby East South Central guides and other popular states. See the full 50-state directory.
About the author
Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC
CEO & Founder, USA Notary Services LLC
Andrew Ray Yon is the founder and CEO of USA Notary Services LLC and the architect of the SharpNote remote online notarization platform. A Certified Notary Signing Agent since 2005, he has handled mortgage and title loan signings for two decades and holds an MBA and the ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation. Based in Virginia’s Greater Richmond region, he leads the company’s strategy, compliance, and platform development.
Connect on LinkedInOfficial sources
- Kentucky Secretary of State – Notary Public State at Large
- American Society of Notaries – Kentucky Requirements
- Kenton County Clerk – Notary Public (fees, bond, term)
- National Notary Association – How to Become a Remote Online Notary in Kentucky
This guide summarizes public requirements from Kentucky's notary authority and is for general information, not legal advice. Requirements and fees can change — always confirm current details with your state before applying.