How to become a notary public in Alabama

Alabama notary public licenses

Alabama issues 2 notary public credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Who needs a Notary Public license

Administer oaths; take acknowledgments or proofs of written instruments; protest bills of exchange and promissory notes; other powers by commercial usage or Alabama law. Commission is valid in every Alabama county.²

Work that does not need this license:

• Attorneys are exempt from the pre-commission training requirement.¹

Other rules on who may do this work:

• A licensed professional who is a notary (and the professional's notary employees) may notarize documents needed for the professional service even though the professional is paid a fee for that service.⁷

Requirements for a Notary Public license

Minimum age

18 years old⁸

Education or training

Pre-commission training program prepared by the Alabama Probate Judges Association and the Alabama Law Institute, completed within 30 days of applying (new and renewal applicants; attorneys exempt).²
Who may teach it: Alabama Probate Judges Association and Alabama Law Institute¹

Background check

Background check required²
Judge of probate must deny applicants convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude, current bankruptcy debtors, persons under an incapacity order, or applicants who give false information.²

Residency or citizenship

Must be an Alabama resident and apply in the county of residence.²

Surety bond

$50,000⁹

Also required

Seal of office showing name, office and state.¹⁰

Also required

Must not be a current bankruptcy debtor or under an order adjudicating incapacity.²

Also required

Remote notarization: notary must be physically in Alabama and keep the two-way audio-video recording for seven years; signer must be in the United States; not allowed for absentee ballot applications/affidavits or anything related to voting.¹¹

How much a Notary Public license costs

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

What a notary public may charge the public:

• Maximum fee a notary may charge: $10 per notarial act.¹²

How to apply

1. Fill in the statewide notary public application and file it with the judge of probate of the county where you live, paying the $10 non-refundable application fee.²
2. Complete the Alabama Probate Judges Association / Alabama Law Institute notary training within 30 days of applying (attorneys exempt) and keep the completion certificate.¹³
3. Wait for the probate judge's approval (appointment) letter.³
4. Buy a $50,000 notary bond from an Alabama-licensed bond producer.³
5. Within 40 days of the appointment letter, record the bond and present the training certificate at the probate office, paying the county filing/recording fee; the commission is then issued.³
6. Get a seal of office showing your name, office and state.¹⁰

Application form

Form (PDF, alpja.org)³

Renewal and continuing education

How often

Every 4 years²

When it expires

Four years from the commission date; renewal is a new application, and renewing notaries commissioned before Sept. 1, 2023 must complete the training.²

Renewal fee

$10²

Exemptions

Attorneys are exempt from the training requirement.¹

If it expires

Performing a notarial act with an expired commission is a Class C misdemeanor.¹⁴

Moving to Alabama with a license from another state

These are the routes the Judge of Probate publishes for the Notary Public license. The other notary public licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Alabama Civil-Law Notary

Issue brevets, minutes and notarial deeds (authentic acts); authenticate or certify documents, transactions and events; administer oaths and take acknowledgments. Includes all powers of an ordinary notary public.⁴

Requirements

Education or training

Civil-law notary course of study approved by the Secretary of State (curriculum covers civil-law notarial practice, authentic acts, Alabama law and Bar rules, malpractice liability).⁵
Who may teach it: Programs approved by the Secretary of State, renewed annually.⁵

Experience

At least 5 years⁴
Admitted to practice law in Alabama, with at least five years of law practice in a U.S. jurisdiction and five years of Alabama Bar membership.¹⁵
License you must hold first: Alabama law license (certificate of good standing from the Supreme Court of Alabama issued within 90 days).⁶

Exam

Alabama Civil-law Notary examination⁵
Given by: Administered by Secretary of State-approved education program providers under SOS supervision⁵
Passing score: 70%⁵
When you can take it: After the SOS reviews the application and issues a certificate of eligibility; give the SOS at least two weeks' notice before a scheduled exam.⁵
Time limit: Within one year of the date the SOS received the application.⁵

Also required

Within 90 days of appointment file Form ACLN-2 naming another civil-law notary as protocol custodian; register signature and seal on Form ACLN-4.¹⁶

Fees

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

1. Complete Form ACLN-1 and send it to the Secretary of State with a Supreme Court of Alabama certificate of good standing (issued within 90 days) and the $100 processing fee.⁶ Form (PDF, sos.alabama.gov)⁴
2. Receive the SOS certificate of eligibility and exam schedule; complete an SOS-approved civil-law notary course.⁵
3. Notify the SOS at least two weeks ahead and pass the exam with 70% within one year of applying, bringing the eligibility certificate and photo ID.⁵
4. After appointment, file Form ACLN-2 (protocol custodian and seal) within 90 days and register signature and seal on Form ACLN-4.¹⁶

Application form

Form (PDF, sos.alabama.gov)⁴

Renewal

When it expires

Appointment continues while a member in good standing of the Alabama Bar; file Form ACLN-3 annual report by the last business day of January.¹⁶

Renewal fee

$100¹⁶

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $10¹⁶ (per calendar day late, through last business day of February)

If it expires

If the annual report is not filed by the last business day of February the appointment is revoked; reapply within one year without a new exam, after one year a new exam is required.¹⁶

Renew online

sos.alabama.gov⁴

From another state

City and county rules

Notary PublicApply to the judge of probate of the county where you live. Each probate office sets its own procedure and adds county filing/recording fees on top of the $10 state application fee and $25 commission fee.²

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a notary public in Alabama, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Alabama is on the Alabama license lookup page.

Look up a license: Notary Public

sos.alabama.gov¹

File a complaint

sos.alabama.gov¹

Look up a license: Alabama Civil-Law Notary

sos.alabama.gov⁴

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Ala. Code 36-20-70
• Ala. Code 36-20-70.1
• Ala. Code 36-20-71
• Ala. Code 36-20-72
• Ala. Code 36-20-73
• Ala. Code 36-20-73.1
• Ala. Code 36-20-74
• Ala. Code 36-20-75
• Ala. Code 36-20-50
• Ala. Code 36-20-51
• Ala. Code 36-20-52
• Ala. Code 36-20-54
• Ala. Code 36-20-55
• Ala. Admin. Code ch. 820-6-1
• Ala. Admin. Code ch. 820-6-2
• Alabama Secretary of State Fee Schedule (rev. Aug. 23, 2023)

Rule changes since January 2024

• October 1, 2026: Act 2026-536 added remote-notarization requirements (signer understanding and voluntariness, recording notice, signer located in the U.S., refusal for capacity/coercion/security/AI-generated image concerns).¹

Common questions

Notary public licenses in other states

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming