Four years can seem like a long time between applying for your notary commission. Work, family obligations, and of course, a pandemic can make us forget everything that’s involved in getting reappointed.

PAN tries to make things a little easier for first time notaries with our PAN’s Notary Appointment Checklist, which we send out to all notaries. In fairness to our thousands of renewing notaries, here is a revised edition of PAN’s Notary Appointment Checklist.

Step 1: Complete the notary education requirement to obtain your education certificate.

Step 2: Complete the notary application. Sign your name legibly. If your signature is not legible, you must print your name (legibly) on the line next to your signature.

Step 3: Send your application and education certificate along with any supporting documents, if requested, to PAN. Do not send the $42 application fee. It is included with your PAN package. You can email your application and education certificate to: [email protected], fax them to 800-707-7075, or mail them to us in the blue envelope.

• Once we receive your application, we will review it before sending it to the State.
• Please note: this step is for PAN members. If you are not a member of PAN, you will need to submit your application and education certificate along with the application fee to the Department of State.

Step 4: If you have a lapse between commissions and/or you do not take the oath of office, register your bond and signature within the 45 days of receiving your Notice to Appointee letter, you will be required by the notary public law to take the Pearson VUE notary exam.

Step 5: You will receive your Notice to Appointee letter and a blank bond via email from the Department of State. Do nothing with the blank bond. You do not need to email or send your Notice letter or blank bond to PAN. PAN will mail your completed bond and power of attorney with instructions on being sworn into office.

• The Notice to Appointee letter and blank bond are no longer snail-mailed out by the State. They began emailing these documents to commissioned notaries on March 23, 2020.
• If you do not receive a completed bond from PAN within 10 business days after receipt of your Notice letter and blank bond, please call us at 800-944-8790.
• Remember: Once you are appointed by the State, you have 45 days from the date your commission begins to be sworn in.
  • The State is providing a 30-day extension on to the 45 days to get sworn into office. This extension applies to subsequent or additional closures of county offices due to COVID-19. It does not apply to the 75th day. If the relevant county offices are closed on your 75th day, no further extension will be given. In this instance, you have until the next business day after reopening to get sworn in, record your bond and register your signature. DO NOT WAIT. Please try and get sworn in within the 45 days.

Step 6: PAN will mail your new notary stamp. Do not use your new stamp until your new notary commission begins. Then destroy your old stamp.

Step 7: Get sworn into office. Go to your county Recorder of Deeds with your completed bond from PAN and power of attorney along with the proper fees to be sworn in.

• You may be required to register your signature. There may be a separate fee to register your signature.

If you ever have any concerns or questions about the reappointment process, please call our Customer Service Department at 800-944-8790, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.