How to Become a Notary Public in Tennessee

Checked against Tennessee Secretary of State (commission issued after election by the county legislative body / county commission) · Verified 2026-10-10

Exam: Not required
Training: Not required
Term: 4 years
State fee: $12 application fee paid to the County Clerk ($7 kept by the county, $5 sent to the Secretary of State)
Bond: $10,000 surety bond (or two or more personal sureties approved by the county commission), payable to the state and filed with the County Clerk in the county of election. T.C.A. 8-16-104.
Commissioned by: Tennessee Secretary of State (commission issued after election by the county legislative body / county commission)

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Who can apply

Be at least 18 years old.
Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident.
Live in, or have your principal place of business in, the county that elects you (at the time of election). A person who lives in another state can be elected in the Tennessee county where their principal place of business is.
Certify under penalty of perjury that you have never been removed from office as a notary for misconduct, never had a notary commission revoked or suspended in any state, and never been found by a court to have practiced law without a license.
Not be disqualified from public office under T.C.A. 8-18-101 (for example, a conviction for bribery, larceny, or another 'infamous' crime unless your rights were restored).

Step by step

Get a notary application from your County Clerk's office, fill it out, and sign it under oath in front of a notary public.
Turn in the application to the County Clerk with the application fee.
Wait for the county commission (county legislative body) to vote on your election.
After you are elected, buy a $10,000 surety bond from a Tennessee insurance agency (or use two or more personal sureties the county commission approves) and give proof of the bond to the County Clerk.
Take the oath of office before the County Clerk or a deputy clerk.
Pick up your commission at the County Clerk's office once the Secretary of State issues it.
Buy an official notary seal that meets the Secretary of State's design.

No state exam here, but notaries are liable for mistakes. Check your notary knowledge with the free practice test →

What it costs in Tennessee

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Application fee to the County Clerk$12
$10,000 surety bond premium$
County Clerk fee to take and record your bond$2
Official notary seal$
Record book (required only if you charge fees)(optional)$
Online notary commission (Secretary of State)(optional)$75

Estimated total in Tennessee$14Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Surety bond premium (set by the bonding company)
County Clerk fee of $2 for taking and recording the bond
Official notary seal (rubber stamp in the Secretary of State's design), bought at your own expense
Record book ('well-bound book' or electronic record) if you charge fees
Online notary commission: $75 initial fee, plus an approved course/exam and a technology vendor contract

Pay in Tennessee

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What other sites get wrong about Tennessee

Myth: Tennessee notaries must keep a journal of every notarization.

Fact: A record of your notarial acts (in a well-bound book or electronic form) is required only if you charge a fee (T.C.A. 8-21-1201). Keeping one anyway is a good idea. source

Myth: You have to live in Tennessee to become a Tennessee notary.

Fact: You can be elected in the Tennessee county where you have your principal place of business even if you live in another state (T.C.A. 8-16-101). source

After you're commissioned

Renewal: Renew the same way you first applied: apply to the County Clerk and be elected again by the county commission.

Remote online notarization: Yes. A current Tennessee notary can apply to the Secretary of State for an online notary commission ($75) after passing an approved course and exam and contracting with a technology vendor; it expires with the regular commission.

Good to know in Tennessee

Renewal cost: Renewal works the same way as your first commission, so you pay the $12 application fee to the County Clerk again, plus the $2 bond recording fee and a new bond premium.

What you can charge: Tennessee sets no dollar cap for in-person acts: notaries may charge "reasonable" fees (T.C.A. 8-21-1201). Online notarizations are capped at $25 each (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1360-07-03).

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Tennessee Secretary of State (commission issued after election by the county legislative body / county commission) before you apply.