Florida Notary Test: Requirements, Course, and Next Steps

The Florida notary test is a short assessment given at the end of a mandatory three-hour education course, and every first-time applicant must pass it before the Governor will issue a commission. Renewing notaries skip both the course and the test. You need to finish the course, pass the exam, and include your certificate of completion with your application package, which also carries $39 in state fees and a $7,500 surety bond.¹

Who Has to Take the Test

The education and testing requirement applies to first-time applicants only. If you are renewing an existing commission without a lapse, you do not retake anything. If you let your commission expire and reapply later, you are treated as a new applicant and must sit for the course and exam again.

Before the test matters, you have to qualify for a commission at all. Florida law requires that you be at least 18, a legal resident of the state, and able to read, write, and understand English. Permanent resident aliens can apply by filing a recorded Declaration of Domicile. Your application must include a sworn affidavit of good character from someone unrelated to you who has known you for at least one year. A felony conviction does not automatically disqualify you, but you must disclose it and show that your civil rights have been restored.²

How the Course and Test Work

The exam is built into the end of the required three-hour education course, not administered separately. You work through interactive or classroom instruction, then take the assessment on the same platform. If you submit incorrect answers, you get one chance to review the relevant material and resubmit.³

Passing generates a certificate of completion. That certificate has to go into your application package, and it has to be dated within one year of when you submit the application. Without it, the Governor’s office will not process your appointment.¹

One clarification worth having up front: the course and exam requirement does not appear directly in Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes. Many guides say it does. It comes from the Governor’s office as a condition of appointment.

What the Test Covers

The material is grounded in Chapter 117, which governs what a Florida notary can and cannot do. A few topic areas take up most of the exam.

Types of Notarial Acts

You need to know the difference between administering oaths and affirmations, taking acknowledgments, attesting to copies, and verifying signatures through jurats. Each act has its own certificate wording. Using the wrong one can invalidate the document.⁴

Identifying Signers

A large share of the material covers signer identification. Florida gives you two paths: personal knowledge of the signer, or acceptable identification. The statute lists the qualifying documents, which include a Florida driver license or state ID, a U.S. passport, a foreign passport stamped by U.S. immigration authorities, an out-of-state driver license, and a military ID card. The document must be current or issued within the past five years and carry a serial or identifying number.⁵

When a signer cannot produce any of those documents, the law allows two credible witnesses (or one who personally knows you) to vouch for the signer’s identity through a sworn written statement. This fallback trips up most test-takers, so expect a question on it.

Prohibited Conduct

The exam tests what you are not allowed to do. You cannot notarize your own signature. You cannot notarize a document if you have a financial interest in the underlying transaction, with narrow exceptions for employees notarizing employer documents and attorneys notarizing client documents. You cannot give legal advice or act as an immigration consultant unless separately licensed.⁶

Electronic Notarization

Under Section 117.021, any document that requires notarization can be notarized electronically. The notary’s electronic signature must be unique to them, independently verifiable, under their sole control with password protection, and attached in a way that reveals any later tampering. It must also include the notary’s full name, commission number, expiration date, and the words “Notary Public State of Florida” in place of a physical seal.⁷

Notary Journals

Florida does not require traditional notaries to keep a journal. The Governor’s Reference Manual calls it a protective measure worth considering for liability purposes, but it is not mandated by statute.⁸ Remote online notaries must maintain electronic records, which is a separate matter. The course may still cover journal best practices, so expect the topic to appear.

Where to Take It

The Florida Department of State runs a free online course and exam through its Notary Education Program. You create an account, complete the three-hour module, and take the assessment on the same platform. That satisfies the requirement at no cost.¹

Private vendors and bonding agencies also offer state-approved versions, often bundled with the surety bond and application filing. These cost money, but they can simplify the process if you want a single provider handling everything. The exam content is the same regardless of who delivers the course.

What Happens After You Pass

Passing the test gets you a certificate, not a commission. You still have to submit an application package with three state fees:

Application fee: $25
Commission fee: $10
Education surcharge: $4

That is $39 total. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more are exempt from the commission fee.²

You also need a $7,500 surety bond, which protects the public against financial loss from notary misconduct. You are not paying $7,500 out of pocket; you pay a premium to a bonding company, typically $35 to $50 for the full four-year commission term. Many applicants use a bonding agency to handle both the bond and the submission to the Department of State.

Your complete package includes the signed and notarized application form, the education certificate, the bond, and the oath of office. In the oath, you swear that you have read Chapter 117 and understand the duties, limitations, and powers of a notary public. Processing takes several weeks depending on volume at the Department of State.

If You Want to Notarize Remotely

A standard commission covers in-person and electronic notarizations only. To notarize remotely using audio-video technology, you need a separate Remote Online Notary registration on top of your commission, and that registration has its own course and certificate. It also requires a contract with an approved RON technology provider and errors and omissions insurance. The Department of State maintains the approved-provider list.⁹

Keeping Your Commission Current

A Florida notary commission lasts four years.² When you renew on time, you file a new application and bond but skip the course and exam. Let the commission lapse and you start over as a first-time applicant, course and test included. Acting as a notary after your commission expires is a second-degree misdemeanor.⁵

1
Executive Office of the Governor. Notary
2
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
3
Florida Department of State. Notary Education Program
4
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 117 – Notaries Public
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission, Unlawful Use, Notary Fee, Seal, Duties, Employer Liability, Name Change, Advertising, Photocopies, Penalties
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.107 – Prohibited Acts
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 117.021 – Electronic Notarization
8
Florida Executive Office of the Governor. Governor’s Reference Manual for Notaries Public State of Florida
9
Florida Division of Corporations. Remote Online Notary Public (RON)