Tennessee Notary Public Requirements
Tennessee notaries aren’t appointed by a state agency the way most states do it — they’re elected by their county’s own legislative body (the county commission), and every application, fee, and bond is handled through the County Clerk’s office rather than a single statewide portal. The bond amount and commission length are fixed by state law, but the application fee genuinely varies by county. Here’s what’s actually required, and why there’s no single “go to this website and apply” answer.
- Quick facts
- Why Tennessee is different
- Steps to become a notary
- Renewal
- FAQ
- Online notarization (RON)
Quick facts
| Who commissions you | Your county’s legislative body (county commission), under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 16; the Secretary of State issues the actual commission certificate once you’re elected |
|---|---|
| Where you apply | Your County Clerk’s office — not a statewide online portal |
| Eligibility | At least 18, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, and a resident of (or maintaining a principal place of business in) the county where you’re seeking election; must certify you’ve never been removed from office for misconduct, had a commission revoked/suspended, or been found to have practiced law without a license |
| Exam or course | None for a standard commission. Starting in 2026, anyone applying for an online notary commission must complete a Secretary of State-approved course and pass an exam (SB 1051) — traditional, in-person notaries still don’t need either. |
| Bond | $10,000 surety bond, payable to the state, filed with your County Clerk |
| Application fee | Set by each county, not a single statewide figure — confirmed directly at $16 in Shelby County and $18.50 (commission only) to $40.45 (with a seal) in Lawrence County. Contact your own County Clerk for your county’s exact fee. |
| Commission term | 4 years |
Why Tennessee is different
Most states run notary commissioning through a single state office — usually the Secretary of State — with one application, one fee, and one place to check your status. Tennessee doesn’t work that way: TCA Title 8, Chapter 16 makes each county’s legislative body (its county commission) responsible for electing its own notaries, and the County Clerk’s office handles the paperwork, the bond filing, and the oath. The Secretary of State’s role is mostly administrative at that point — issuing the commission certificate once a county has elected you. The practical effect is that there’s no single statewide fee schedule to quote: two residents applying in different counties can pay noticeably different amounts for the same $10,000 bond and 4-year term, simply because their County Clerk’s office sets its own processing fee.
Steps to become a notary
- Confirm your eligibility — at least 18, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, and a resident of (or with a principal place of business in) the county where you’re applying.
- Get the application from your County Clerk’s office — each county has its own notary application form; there’s no single statewide online application.
- Arrange your $10,000 surety bond through a Tennessee insurance agency or bonding company (some counties also accept property-owner sureties in place of a bond — ask your Clerk).
- Submit your completed application, bond, and county fee to the County Clerk.
- Wait to be elected by the county legislative body, then receive your commission certificate from the Secretary of State.
- Take your oath of office at the County Clerk’s office, with the bond on file, before you begin notarizing.
Renewal
A Tennessee notary commission lasts 4 years. Renewal runs through the same County Clerk process as the original application — there’s no separate statewide renewal fee, continuing-education requirement, or exam for a standard commission. If you hold (or want) an online notary commission, note that the new course-and-exam requirement under SB 1051 applies to online-notary applicants starting in 2026, including at renewal for that specific credential — it does not apply to a traditional, in-person-only commission.
Why can’t I just apply for a Tennessee notary commission online through one state website?
Because Tennessee notaries are elected by their county’s legislative body, not appointed directly by a state agency. Every application goes through your County Clerk’s office, which is also why the application fee isn’t a single statewide number — each county sets its own.
Do I need to take a class or pass an exam to become a Tennessee notary?
Not for a standard, in-person commission — there’s no education course or exam requirement. The one exception is new as of 2026: anyone applying specifically for an online notary commission must complete a Secretary of State-approved course and pass an exam under SB 1051, covering notarial law, online-notarization technology, and ethics.
How much does it actually cost to become a notary in Tennessee?
The $10,000 bond and 4-year term are the same everywhere in the state, but the County Clerk’s processing fee is set locally and genuinely varies — for example, $16 in Shelby County versus $18.50 to $40.45 (depending on whether you add a seal) in Lawrence County. Add the cost of the bond itself, typically in the $30–$60 range for the 4-year term through most bonding companies. Check with your own County Clerk for the exact local fee before budgeting.
Online notarization (RON)
Tennessee’s Online Notary Public Act (TCA §§ 8-16-301 through 8-16-313) lets a notary apply for a separate online-notary commission to perform remote online notarizations using two-way audio-video technology. Starting in 2026, SB 1051 adds a new requirement specifically for this credential: applicants must complete a state-approved course covering notarial law, online-notarization technology, and ethics, and pass an exam, before the Secretary of State will issue the online endorsement — a traditional in-person commission alone doesn’t qualify you to notarize online. Online notaries must also use a consistent electronic signature and seal for every online act and retain electronic records, including a backup, for five years. A per-act fee of up to $25 for online notarizations is cross-referenced from Tennessee’s administrative rules (Rule 1360-07-03-.03) but could not be confirmed directly against the Secretary of State’s own published rules this run, since publications.tnsosfiles.com was unreachable (see the source note above) — reconfirm before relying on that figure.