Florida Notary Search: Verify Commissions and Seals

To run a Florida notary search, use the free public database at notaries.dos.fl.gov, operated by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations. You can search by name, zip code, commission number, or Notary ID, and the results show each notary’s commission status and expiration date so you can confirm they are authorized to perform notarial acts.¹

Where to Search

The only authoritative source is the search tool run by the Division of Corporations.² Third-party notary directories pull their data from various places and can be out of date. The state’s own database reflects current commission status, so start there.

From the Division of Corporations notary page, select “Notary Search” to reach the query form.¹ The form accepts five fields: Notary ID, Last Name, First Name, Commission Number, and Zip Code. You can fill in one or combine several to narrow results. The database does not let you filter by languages spoken, specialties, or availability, so you will need to contact individual notaries directly for that.

Finding a Notary Near You by Zip Code

If you just need a notary nearby and don’t have a specific person in mind, enter your zip code. The results list every commissioned notary whose records include that location, along with each person’s name, commission number, and commission expiration date. From there you can reach out to arrange the notarial act you need.

A zip code search only shows notaries registered to that area. Many notaries work from banks, law offices, or shipping stores, and mobile notaries travel to the client. The database won’t tell you which notaries are mobile, so a quick call or web search on the notary’s name after you find the record is the practical next step.

Verifying a Specific Notary’s Commission

When someone has already notarized a document for you, or when you are about to sit down with a particular notary, the database lets you confirm the person is currently commissioned. The most precise method is to search by commission number, which is printed on every notary’s rubber stamp seal. You can also search by the exact first and last name or by the Notary ID.

Florida notary commissions last four years from the date of appointment.³ The results show the commission’s current status and expiration date, so you can see at a glance whether the notary’s authority is still in effect. For a document notarized in the past, compare the date of the notarization against the expiration date shown in the database to confirm the notary was active on the day they performed the act.

Reading the Status Field

The status field is the single most important piece of information in the search results.

Active. The commission is current and in good standing. This is the only status under which a notary may lawfully perform notarial acts.
Expired. The four-year term has ended. A notary who knowingly continues performing notarial acts after expiration commits a second-degree misdemeanor.⁴
Suspended or revoked. The Governor has removed the notary’s authority. Grounds include fraud, material false statements on the application, unauthorized practice of law, charging excessive fees, failing to maintain the required surety bond, and official misconduct.⁵

If a search returns anything other than “Active,” do not use that notary. Find someone with a confirmed active commission before signing. A document notarized by someone without valid authority can face challenge later, and the notary may be committing a crime you don’t want your transaction tied to.

Cross-Checking the Seal

After a notarization, you can verify the seal against the database as a second layer of confirmation. Every notarized paper document in Florida must bear a rubber stamp seal in photographically reproducible black ink, and the seal must include four elements:⁴

The words “Notary Public-State of Florida”
The notary’s name
The commission expiration date
The commission number

Take the commission number and name from the seal and run them through the search database. They should match a real, active commission, and the expiration date on the seal should match the expiration date in the record. If any element is missing from the seal, or if the impression is only an embosser without an accompanying rubber stamp, the notarization may not meet statutory requirements. An impression-type embosser is allowed as a supplement, not a substitute.

Remote Online Notaries Use a Different Search

Not every Florida notary is authorized to perform remote online notarizations. A traditional commission covers only in-person acts. To notarize over a video call, a notary must separately register as a Remote Online Notary Public with the Division of Corporations, complete an approved education course, and contract with technology vendors for identity verification and session recording.⁶

The standard notary search will confirm someone’s traditional commission but will not show whether they are approved for remote sessions. For that, use the separate Remote Online Notary search hosted by the Division of Corporations, which accepts a notary’s name, commission number, or Notary ID.⁷ A RON registration expires with the underlying commission, so if the base commission lapses, the remote authorization goes with it.

When the Search Turns Up a Problem

If the database shows a notary is expired, suspended, or revoked, or you cannot find them at all, you have grounds to refuse the notarization and to report the person. Complaints go to the Executive Office of the Governor’s Notary Section, which investigates and recommends disciplinary action.⁸ You can reach the office by mail at P.O. Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314, by email at notary@eog.myflorida.com, or by phone at (850) 717-9310.

Penalties for notary misconduct are significant. Impersonating a notary or knowingly acting on an expired commission is a second-degree misdemeanor. Falsely certifying an acknowledgment or fraudulently making a notarial certificate is a third-degree felony, and using a commission under a false name is also a third-degree felony.⁹ Every commissioned notary is also required to maintain a $7,500 surety bond, payable to anyone harmed by a breach of the notary’s duties, so if misconduct causes you financial damage, the bond is a potential avenue for recovery.⁵

1
Florida Department of State. Notary Search
2
Florida Department of State. Notaries – Division of Corporations – Florida Department of State
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.01 – Notary Public
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Unlawful Use, Notary Fee, Seal, Duties
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation
6
Division of Corporations – Florida Department of State. Remote Online Notary Public (RON)
7
Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. Notary Public – Remote Online Notaries
8
Executive Office of the Governor. Notary
9
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 117 – Notaries Public