In Connecticut, notaries public and Commissioners of the Superior Court are two different officials who can both administer oaths, take acknowledgments, and witness signatures — but their authority comes from different places and reaches different distances. A notary earns a five-year commission from the Secretary of the State after passing an exam and paying a $120 fee. A Commissioner is any attorney admitted to the Connecticut Bar in good standing, with no separate application. Commissioners also carry powers that notaries never receive, including signing writs, taking depositions, and issuing subpoenas in administrative proceedings.
What Each Official Can Do
Connecticut General Statutes § 3-94a authorizes notaries to take acknowledgments, administer oaths or affirmations, witness or attest signatures, and complete copy certifications.1Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94a – Notaries Public Definitions A notary confirms that the signer is who they claim to be, understands the document, and is signing voluntarily. Once the notary applies an official signature and, if used, a seal, the document carries a presumption of authenticity that courts, agencies, and banks rely on. A notary cannot notarize their own signature or notarize a document in which they have a direct financial interest.
Every Connecticut attorney in good standing is automatically a Commissioner of the Superior Court under § 51-85. Commissioners share the oath-taking and acknowledgment authority of notaries, but the statute also lets them sign writs and subpoenas, take recognizances, and take depositions.2Justia. Connecticut Code 51-85 – Authority and Powers of Commissioners of the Superior Court They can issue subpoenas to compel witness attendance and subpoenas duces tecum to produce documents in administrative proceedings. That subpoena power under § 51-85 is limited to administrative proceedings, not civil litigation in general. The ability to sign writs and take depositions is what makes commissioners central to starting lawsuits and gathering evidence outside the courtroom.
How You Become a Commissioner
There is nothing to apply for. Commissioner status flows directly from admission to the Connecticut Bar and lasts as long as the attorney remains admitted and in good standing with the Judicial Branch. There is no separate exam, application, or fee. If an attorney is suspended or disbarred, the commissioner authority disappears with the law license.
How You Become a Notary Public
Section 3-94b sets out the eligibility rules. You must be at least 18 years old at the time of application. You must be a Connecticut resident, or your principal place of business must be in Connecticut, at the time of application and throughout the appointment. You must pass a written exam approved or administered by the Secretary of the State. And your application must include a recommendation from someone who has personally known you for at least one year and is not a relative. There is no citizenship requirement.3Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94b – Appointment and Qualifications of Notary, Application Fee, Certificate of Appointment
The Secretary of the State can deny an application based on a felony conviction, a conviction for a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, a prior revocation or suspension of a notary commission or professional license in any state, or a finding of official misconduct even without formal discipline.3Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94b – Appointment and Qualifications of Notary, Application Fee, Certificate of Appointment A criminal record that does not fall into these categories does not automatically disqualify you, though the Secretary evaluates each application on its own.
The Application
Start with the Notary Public Manual published by the Secretary of the State’s office. The application includes an exam on the manual’s contents, and you must answer every question correctly to receive a commission.4Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing You take it as part of the online application, so you can reference the manual, but the questions are specific enough that skimming will not carry you through.
Submit the application through the Secretary of the State’s eLicense portal. You will upload a completed jurat and writing sample as your official signature specimen, and a Certificate of Character signed by a public official or a reputable business or professional person who is unrelated to you and has known you for at least one year.4Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing The $120 fee is nonrefundable and covers the full five-year term.3Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94b – Appointment and Qualifications of Notary, Application Fee, Certificate of Appointment
Oath and Recording
Once the Secretary approves your application, you will receive a certificate of appointment. Before performing any notarial acts, you take an oath of office before a proper authority such as a town clerk, another notary, or a Commissioner of the Superior Court.
Within 30 days of receiving your certificate, record both the certificate and your oath with the town clerk in the municipality where you live. Non-residents whose principal place of business is in Connecticut record with the town clerk of that municipality. If you live and work in different Connecticut towns, you may also record in the town where your business is located.5Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94c – Term of Office of Notary, Recording of Certificate and Oath The recording fee is $20.6Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 92 – Town Clerks
Missing the 30-day deadline does not void your commission or invalidate your notarizations. The statute says explicitly that failure to record “shall not invalidate any notarial act performed by the notary after the date of such person’s appointment.”5Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94c – Term of Office of Notary, Recording of Certificate and Oath Recording is still required, though. Town clerks can only certify the authority and official acts of notaries whose certificates are on file, so leaving yours unrecorded creates verification problems later.
Fees
Connecticut caps notary fees at $5 per act, plus $0.35 per mile of travel.7Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 33 – Secretary That ceiling has been unchanged for decades. As of early 2026, proposed legislation (SB 262) would raise it, but nothing has been enacted. You can always charge less or nothing, but you cannot exceed the cap. Many in-house notaries handle documents for customers or clients at no charge.
Commissioners of the Superior Court acting in their commissioner capacity are not subject to the $5 limit. Their fees follow their attorney fee arrangements or, for deposition work, the rules of civil practice.
Term and Renewal
Notary commissions last five years.5Justia. Connecticut Code 3-94c – Term of Office of Notary, Recording of Certificate and Oath Roughly 90 days before your expiration date, the Secretary of the State’s office mails a letter with a PIN for the fast-track online renewal. The renewal fee is $60, and you do not retake the exam. You can renew during the 90 days before expiration or up to 90 days after. Once a commission has been expired more than 90 days, you must contact the office directly to request reinstatement.4Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing New appointees and renewing notaries both must take a new oath of office before performing acts under the new commission.
Limits on What a Notary Can Do
Non-attorney notaries need to stay clear of the practice of law. You can explain the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat if a signer asks, but you cannot recommend which one they need. You cannot advise on the legal effect of a document, help fill out forms, or choose which document a person should use. If a document arrives without notarial certificate wording, send the signer to the receiving agency or an attorney rather than picking the language yourself.
Connecticut law specifically bars notaries from offering legal advice on immigration matters, representing anyone in immigration proceedings, or using the title “notario” or “notario publico” unless they are admitted to the Connecticut Bar or otherwise authorized under federal regulation to practice immigration law. Violations are treated as unauthorized practice of law, a class D felony in Connecticut.8Connecticut General Assembly. An Act Concerning the Unauthorized Practice of Law The rule exists because in many Latin American countries, a notario publico is a licensed legal professional with far greater authority than an American notary, and the title has been exploited against immigrant communities.
Commissioners of the Superior Court do not face these restrictions. They are licensed attorneys, and the commissioner powers supplement their existing authority to advise clients, draft documents, and choose certificate language.
Liability
Under § 3-94l, a notary is personally liable for damages caused by their official misconduct. Notarize a document without properly identifying the signer, and if a fraud results, you are on the hook. Liability can extend to employers who directed, encouraged, or approved the misconduct. If an employer coerced the misconduct through threats such as demotion or firing, the employer is liable to the notary for any damages the notary ends up paying.9Connecticut Secretary of the State. State of Connecticut Notary Public Manual
Connecticut does not require notaries to carry a surety bond or errors and omissions insurance. The Secretary of the State’s office recommends considering one or both as partial protection against damage claims. Coverage amounts and terms vary; discuss scope with a provider before buying.
Remote Online Notarization
Connecticut has authorized remote online notarization. The notary and signer must communicate in real time by both sight and sound using approved communication technology.10Connecticut General Assembly. An Act Concerning Remote Notarial Acts
Identity can be verified through personal knowledge, a government-issued photo ID shown on camera, third-party identity proofing, or a credible witness who vouches for the signer. After the remote session, the signer must mail or deliver the signed original to the notary, who then completes the certification with an official signature and stamp or seal. That last step keeps a physical document in the notary’s hands before certification is finalized.