How to Become a Notary in South Dakota

Not required.

No training is required.

No exam is required

No exam is required.

No background check is required

Effective July 1st, the surety bond/Personal Surety Form is no longer required to apply and become a South Dakota Notary Public. If you would like to wait until July 1st or after to apply, please ignore the below instructions. For a six-year, $5,000 surety bond, contact a local insurance company to obtain a policy. Your insurance company will have a form that looks like the application at the link below for you to complete with your information pre-filled. Date the section. BOTH you and the surety must sign. The insurance company typically has their signature pre-filled. Do not complete the Personal Surety Form. If the insurance company has a Power of Attorney, please send along with the application. We do not need a copy of your errors and ommissions policy. If you prefer the personal surety, do not complete this section. An alternate option is to choose to obtain a Personal Surety. Do not complete the bond section of the application. Complete the Personal Surety Form on the third page. A personal surety can be a friend, relative, spouse or co-worker whom will sign on their own behalf and be liable for your $5000 bond if you perform any unlawful acts with your notary commission. A personal surety cannot be a company, business or organization. Both you and the personal surety must sign the form, with each of your signatures being separately notarized. A personal surety cannot have his/her name removed for any reason. A Notary cannot be their own personal surety. A Personal Surety CANNOT be a person from out-of-state.

Yes, a $5,000 bond is required

Obtain your Notary Seal. Can be rubber, electronic or embossing stamp, shaped as a circle, square or rectangle, that reflects your name EXACTLY as you will be commissioned and as you will sign when notarizing. Must include your name and the words “Notary Public” and “South Dakota.” If the seal is a rubber stamp it must also include the word “seal”. DO NOT include an expiration date inside the border of the seal. Complete the Notary Application Make a legible imprint of your seal in the box. If you have two seals, include both on a separate sheet. Complete your name EXACTLY as it appears on your seal. The residence address MUST be your physical address. A post office box, business address or your mailing address alone is not acceptable. If your mailing address is different than your residence address, enter the address, city, state, and zip. If you reside at an address in an out-of-state county bordering South Dakota, complete the Employer/Business Name and South Dakota Business Address. This MUST be a South Dakota address. Complete the questions regarding whether you have been a South Dakota Notary, your date of birth and whether you have ever been convicted of a felony, if you have been a South Dakota Notary before, and if yes, enter your commission expiration date. Also, enter any name(s) you were previously commissioned under and answer whether you will be providing e-notary services. NOTE: Failure to answer any of these questions correctly or leaving them blank will cause your application to be rejected. Complete the Oath portion of the application Enter the county where the oath is signed. Enter your name EXACTLY as it is on your seal and as it is entered in the top section. Date and sign the Oath with your name EXACTLY as it appears on your seal. Effective July 1st, the surety bond/Personal Surety Form is no longer required to apply and become a South Dakota Notary Public. If you would like to wait until July 1st or after to apply, please ignore the below instructions. For a six-year, $5,000 surety bond, contact a local insurance company to obtain a policy. Your insurance company will have a form that looks like the application at the link below for you to complete with your information pre-filled. Date the section. BOTH you and the surety must sign. The insurance company typically has their signature pre-filled. Do not complete the Personal Surety Form. If the insurance company has a Power of Attorney, please send along with the application. We do not need a copy of your errors and ommissions policy. If you prefer the personal surety, do not complete this section. An alternate option is to choose to obtain a Personal Surety. Do not complete the bond section of the application. Complete the Personal Surety Form on the third page. A personal surety can be a friend, relative, spouse or co-worker whom will sign on their own behalf and be liable for your $5000 bond if you perform any unlawful acts with your notary commission. A personal surety cannot be a company, business or organization. Both you and the personal surety must sign the form, with each of your signatures being separately notarized. A personal surety cannot have his/her name removed for any reason. A Notary cannot be their own personal surety. A Personal Surety CANNOT be a person from out-of-state. To obtain a copy of the application click here(Effective 07/01/2025). Enclose the $30.00 filing fee Make checks payable to Secretary of State Send completed application and payment to: Secretary of State 500 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 204 Pierre, SD 57501 Only after you have received a Notary Commission Certificate issued by the Secretary of State, are you authorized to notarize documents.

Yes, application and a fee required

Stamp Required

The Oath of Office signed by the notary public at the time of application states that the notary will “faithfully and impartially” perform all duties as a notary public for South Dakota according to state statutes. This oath applies to every notarial act performed by the notary throughout the course of their commission. It is the notary’s responsibility to ensure they are performing their duties with unquestionable truthfulness and integrity. The application to renew their commission may be submitted no more than sixty (60) days prior to your exploration date.

Yes, an Oath is required