Maintaining / RenewingYour Notary Public Commission

Maintaining / Renewing Your Notary Public Commission

Commission Renewal
A notary commission is not automatically renewed. The Corporation Division sends out a reminder notice three months prior to the expiration of the four-year commission. You can also download the application packet. The reminder is sent to the notary public's current mailing address. Each notarial commission is its own entity, and a new notarial commission number and expiration date will be issued when your application is accepted. ORS 194.063(1)(2), OAR 160-100-040(1). You MUST fill out a new application and take the test.

For complete instructions, click here.

Name change at renewal:
Do not send a name change with the application. Write your new name in the space where it says “write your name as you would like it to appear on the official seal”. Your previous name will go in the “other names” section.

Please note:
If your commission has expired or will expire before it reaches our office, you will be required to take a 3-hour class. Education is now mandatory for new and inactive notaries.

A notary journal location form should not be filled out if the notary is reapplying. For application packet click here.

If the notary public is reapplying, the same notary journal may be used with the notarial commission, as long as the information required in the front of the notarial journal is updated. The notary public should indicate where the new notarial commission begins on the next notary journal entry line.

The official notary seal from the expiring notary commission must be destroyed by the notary public as soon as the notary commission expires. It will be invalid with the new notary commission. OAR 160-100-300(4).

To destroy the seal, peel off the rubber strip with the tip of your scissors, cut up, and then throw it away.

The notary public will purchase a new official notary seal after the new notary commission is issued. The new official notary seal will not be valid until the effective date of the new notarial commission.

Expiration of Commission
If the notary public decides not to reapply, the notary journal location form must be completed and submitted to the Secretary of State, Corporation Division. OAR 160-100-300(4). The official notary seal from the expiring notary commission should be destroyed by the notary public as soon as the commission expires. It must be defaced so that the stamp becomes illegible and unusable.

Loss of Notary Seal/Certificate
If you lose the notary seal, call the Corporation Division to get a form, download it from this site, or mail a sworn, written notice of the loss to our office within ten (10) days. We will issue a new Certificate of Authorization to Obtain a Seal so you may purchase a new official seal, with a new commission number. If you find the original seal, you must mail it to us within ten (10) days with a written explanation.

This affidavit form is used for several purposes:
• To replace a seal that has been lost, stolen, or broken.
• To issue a duplicate commission certificate (the one that can be hung on the wall).

This form MUST be notarized by another notary.

If you need a duplicate seal, call our office.

Please Note:
Filing this form will not extend your commission expiration date. It will still expire on the original date.

This form is not used when changing the notary commission name.

Name and Address Change
Notaries must notify the Corporation Division of any changes in name or address. First of all, it's the law. Second, we can't notify you of your upcoming renewal if we don't have your address. Finally, notarizing in a different name without amending your commission with the Secretary of State invalidates your notarization.

The name change form will give you two options:
• If you wish to purchase a new seal in your new name, provide a new commission name in the
appropriate section and sign your new name.

          • If you wish to continue to use your old name until your commission expires, do not fill in the
             “new” commission name, and sign with your old name. You must remember to sign the “old”
             name until the commission expires. The name on your seal and your signature must be the
             same.

Please Note:
Filing the name change form will not extend your commission expiration date. It will still expire on the original date. If you have questions regarding changing your name close to the expiration date, please call our office at 503-986-2593.

Waiver of fees
If you signed the waiver on your application and now wish to charge for your services, write us a letter saying you wish to rescind the waiver of fees. Please include your commission number.

Signature change
We have found that sometimes a person’s signature can change quite a bit over time. If this has happened to you, please write us a letter and give us your new “official signature”. If the signature has changed to the degree that you are signing initials rather than your name spelled out, it will be necessary to file a name change and purchase a new seal, because the name on the seal and the signature must read the same. If you have any questions about this, please call for assistance.

Resignation
If you no longer wish to be a notary, or are moving out of state and are no longer qualified to be a notary in Oregon, please fill out the resignation form. You need to indicate where your journal will be stored for the next seven years. Please destroy your seal by peeling the rubber strip off with the point of your scissors and then cut it up.

Death of the notary
When a notary dies, the notary journal must be sent to the Secretary of State for storage. ORS 194.156, OAR 160-100-0340. There is a form for this purpose. While it asks for the signature of the personal representative, we will accept it if signed by the employer.