For Notaries · South Carolina
How to Become a Notary in South Carolina
To become a notary in South Carolina, you must be a registered South Carolina voter who can read and write English. Have your application endorsed by your county legislative delegation, pay the $25 fee to the Secretary of State, and take the oath. No surety bond or exam is required, and commissions last ten years.
Need a document notarized instead? This guide covers becoming a commissioned notary in South Carolina. If you are looking for a notary today, compare where to get a document notarized or notarize it online in minutes.
Last updated: July 9, 2026 · By Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC — CEO & Founder, USA Notary
South Carolina takes a distinctive path to the notary seal. Instead of a bond and an exam, the state relies on a registered-voter requirement and a legislative endorsement: your application must be signed by members of your county legislative delegation before the Secretary of State can process it and the Governor formally appoints you. There is no surety bond, no proctored exam, and no mandatory training course — just a $25 filing fee and a commission that runs a full ten years, among the longest terms in the country. One important caveat for anyone chasing online work: South Carolina has not authorized true remote online notarization. SC notaries may notarize electronic documents only when the signer is physically present, so the online-notary path here looks different from states like Texas or Florida.
South Carolina Notary Requirements at a Glance
| Eligibility | You must be a registered voter in South Carolina (which requires being at least 18 years old), able to read and write the English language, and able to submit an application containing no significant misstatement or omission of fact. South Carolina has no separate residency filing beyond SC voter registration, and there is no citizenship-based path around the voter requirement. |
|---|---|
| Surety bond | Not required. South Carolina does not require notaries to obtain a surety bond, making it one of the few states with no bonding requirement and one of the least expensive to get commissioned. Errors-and-omissions (E&O) insurance is optional and is for your own protection, not a state mandate. |
| State filing fee | $25 (payable to the South Carolina Secretary of State) |
| Commission term | 10 years |
| Notary education | Not required — South Carolina does not mandate a notary training course. |
| Exam | Not required |
South Carolina's electronic notarization — known as IPEN — requires that the notary public and the signer be in the presence of one another when the notarization takes place. The Secretary of State commissions notaries public, and you must be a registered voter to become one. — South Carolina Secretary of State — Notaries
How to Become a Notary in South Carolina: Step by Step
- 1
Confirm you're eligible
You must be a registered voter in South Carolina — which requires being at least 18 — able to read and write English, and able to certify that your application contains no significant misstatement or omission of fact.
- 2
Complete the notary application
Complete the notary public application from the South Carolina Secretary of State, entering your name exactly as you want it to appear on your commission and seal.
- 3
Get your legislative delegation endorsement
South Carolina uniquely requires a legislative endorsement. Have your application signed either by at least half of your county legislative delegation, or by both your state senator and your state representative, who list their district numbers.
- 4
Submit your application and $25 fee
Submit the endorsed application to the South Carolina Secretary of State with the $25 filing fee. After the office processes it, the Governor formally appoints you and your commission is mailed to you.
- 5
Take the oath and qualify within 15 days
Within 15 days of receiving your commission, enroll with your county Clerk of Court and take the oath of office. Order a notary seal showing your name, 'Notary Public,' and 'State of South Carolina,' and you're ready to notarize.
Remote Online Notarization in South Carolina
South Carolina has not authorized true remote online notarization (RON). A South Carolina notary may perform electronic notarizations only when the signer is physically present in the same room (S.C. Code Ann. § 26-2-40) — there is no remote-appearance RON and no separate online-notary registration for SC-commissioned notaries.
Online / remote notary application fee: None — South Carolina does not commission remote online notaries.
South Carolina does recognize valid remote online notarizations performed by notaries commissioned in other RON-enabled states (S.C. Code Ann. § 26-3-20), but SC-commissioned notaries cannot perform them. Confirm current status with the Secretary of State before relying on any online notarization.
See how RON is authorized in South Carolina — and state by state →
The commission, the RON registration and the platform account are three separate things — which of them you can do entirely online sorts them out.
Walk through the South Carolina remote online notarization process →
Need a document notarized in South Carolina instead? Notarize online with a South Carolina commissioned notary.
Traditional Notary vs. Remote Online Notary in South Carolina
South Carolina has not yet made remote online notarization operative for its notaries, so today the practical path is a traditional commission. Here's how the two compare for when RON goes live.
| 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 South Carolina? | Yes | Not yet — authorized but not operative |
| 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 South Carolina?
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $25 (payable to the SC Secretary of State) |
| Surety bond | Not required in South Carolina |
| Exam / training course | Not required |
| Notary seal & supplies | Varies by provider |
| Online / remote notary | N/A — South Carolina does not authorize RON |
See costs and fees on USA Notary for platform-side details.
What a South Carolina Notary Can Charge
The costs above are what you pay to get commissioned — this is the other side of the ledger. South Carolina caps what a notary may charge per notarial act, and here is exactly where those ceilings sit.
| Maximum in-person fee (per notarial act) | $5 |
|---|
No remote online notarization fee is on the books for South Carolina — see where RON stands in South Carolina in the section above.
A statutory maximum is a ceiling, not a price list, and it covers the notarial act only — travel, printing and after-hours convenience are quoted as separate line items. See how South Carolina compares with every other state in the full 50-state breakdown of what 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 South Carolina
Commission term in South Carolina
10 years
No state renews a commission automatically, and notarizing on a lapsed one is treated as acting without authority — start the renewal before the date above arrives.
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 South Carolina Commission Into Income
USA Notary connects commissioned notaries with paid signing work — and the moment South Carolina makes remote online notarization available to you, you can add assigned, paid remote signings through the platform. How South Carolina notaries earn · membership cost · platform requirements · other states · compare RON platforms
Join USA Notary as a notaryFrequently Asked Questions
How long is a South Carolina notary commission valid?
South Carolina notary commissions run for a ten-year term — one of the longest in the nation. Commissions are not renewed automatically and you get no expiration notice, so plan to reapply at least a month before yours expires.
Does South Carolina require a surety bond to become a notary?
No. South Carolina does not require notaries to carry a surety bond, which makes it one of the least expensive states to get commissioned. You may still choose to buy errors-and-omissions (E&O) insurance to protect yourself, but the state does not mandate it.
Can I become a remote online notary in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina has not authorized true remote online notarization. State notaries may perform electronic notarizations only when the signer is physically present in the same room (S.C. Code Ann. § 26-2-40). South Carolina does, however, recognize valid remote notarizations performed by notaries commissioned in other states.
Why does my notary application need a legislator's signature?
South Carolina is unusual in requiring a legislative endorsement. Before the Secretary of State will process your application, it must be signed either by at least half of your county legislative delegation, or by both your state senator and your state representative, listing their district numbers.
How much does it cost to become a notary in South Carolina?
The state filing fee is $25, payable to the South Carolina Secretary of State. Because there is no surety bond and no required exam or course, your main additional costs are a notary seal and any supplies you choose to buy.
Is there an exam or training course to become a notary in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina does not require a notary exam or a state-approved training course. You must be a registered South Carolina voter, be able to read and write English, and submit an accurate application.
How much can a notary charge in South Carolina?
South Carolina's maximum fee for a standard in-person notarial act is $5, per act or signature.
When does a South Carolina notary commission expire?
The South Carolina commission term is: 10 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
The rest of the questions are the same in every state, so they live in one place each:
- How long it takes to become a notary — application, processing queue, and the waiting you can't control.
- What it costs to become a notary — the same line items as the South Carolina cost table, priced across every state.
- Notary bond vs. E&O insurance — which one is a state requirement and which is your own call.
- What a loan signing agent does and earns — the highest-earning specialization once your commission arrives.
Becoming a Notary in Other States
Requirements differ by state — here are nearby South Atlantic 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 — personally completing more than 10,000 notarizations — 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
- South Carolina Secretary of State — Notaries
- American Society of Notaries — South Carolina
- Proof — South Carolina State Legislation (RON status)
This guide summarizes public requirements from South Carolina'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.