Connecticut notary renewal happens online through the state’s eLicense portal for a $60 fee, and you have a 180-day window to complete it: 90 days before your commission expires through 90 days after. Miss that window and you’ll have to reinstate at the full $120 new-application rate. Commissions run for five years, ending on the last day of the month five years after your appointment date.1Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 33 – Secretary
When You Can Renew
The window opens 90 days before expiration and closes 90 days after.2Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing Around the start of that window, the Secretary of the State’s office sends a reminder by mail or email with a PIN for fast-track online renewal.
Figure out your own expiration date rather than waiting for the notice. Take your original appointment date, add five years, and move to the last day of that month. An appointment on March 15, 2021, expires March 31, 2026, with a renewal window running roughly January 1, 2026 through June 29, 2026.
How to Renew Online
You’ll need a few things before you log in:
- Your eLicense User ID and password. Reset them from the login page if you’ve lost them.3State of Connecticut Online eLicense Website. State of Connecticut Online eLicense Website
- The renewal PIN from your reminder notice, if you want to use the fast-track option.2Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing
- The $60 fee, payable by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or ACH from a checking account.2Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing
- Your current name and address on file. Fix anything out of date before you pay.
Connecticut requires no continuing education, no exam, and no surety bond for renewal, which is why the fee is half the $120 cost of a new commission.
Log in, find your active notary commission, and choose the renewal option. Review the pre-filled information, submit payment, and save the confirmation email. That confirmation is your proof of on-time submission if any question comes up later about a gap. The office then issues a new certificate of appointment, delivered digitally or by mail.
Recording the New Certificate With Your Town Clerk
State approval isn’t the finish line. Within 30 days of receiving your new certificate, record it with the town clerk in the Connecticut municipality where you live.1Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 33 – Secretary If you live outside Connecticut but have your principal place of business in the state, record with the town clerk where the business is located. You’ll take the oath of office at the same visit.
The recording fee is $20, set by state statute rather than by the town.4Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 92 – Town Clerks If your principal place of business sits in a different Connecticut town from your home, you may also record there, but that second filing is optional.1Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 33 – Secretary
One point worth understanding correctly: missing the 30-day recording deadline does not automatically void notarizations you perform after your appointment. The statute says so directly.5FindLaw. Connecticut Code 3-94c – Term of Office of Notary, Recording of Certificate and Oath But town clerks can only certify the authority of notaries whose certificates are on file with them, so an unrecorded commission still creates real problems in practice. Do the recording on time.
If Your Commission Has Already Lapsed
Once more than 90 days have passed since expiration, the online renewal path closes. To get reinstated, email the Secretary of the State’s Business Services Division at bsd@ct.gov.2Connecticut Secretary of the State. Notary Public Licensing Reinstatement is treated like a new application: $120 to the state plus another $20 to your town clerk.
Stop notarizing while your commission is lapsed. Documents notarized without an active commission can be challenged, and the Secretary of the State can weigh that misconduct when reviewing future applications.6Justia Law. Connecticut Code 3-94b – Grounds for Denial, Suspension, or Revocation
Name or Address Changes During Your Term
A legal name change has to be reported to the Secretary of the State within 30 days. The filing takes your old name, new name, effective date, and supporting proof such as a court order, marriage certificate, or updated government ID, along with a $15 nonrefundable fee. Once the Secretary issues a replacement certificate, record it with your town clerk within 30 days, the same as with any new certificate. After that, sign your new name on all notarizations and use a seal bearing that name.
Address changes also need to be reported within 30 days. If you move to a different Connecticut town, record your certificate with the new town clerk as well. Keeping your address current with the Secretary of the State also matters for renewal itself: it’s how your reminder notice and PIN reach you when your window opens.
Your renewed certificate will show new commission dates, so if the expiration date is engraved on your seal stamp, order a replacement before you start notarizing again.