The following data is an excerpt from the Louisiana Notary Law Book published by the Secretary of State. Information on how you can obtain your own bound copy of the Louisiana Notary Law Book can be found at the end of this page.









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Application must be made with the local district court. Testing may be dispensed with by the court if the applicant is duly admitted to the practice of law.

To obtain a notary commission, file the following with the Secretary of State:

  1. A certificate of competency from the district court for the judicial district in which the applicant is qualified to perform the duties of a notary. Contact the local notarial commissioner regarding additional parish requirements.
  2. An oath of office properly executed.
  3. An official signature (as will appear on documents).
  4. Check or money order for $35 payable to Secretary of State.
  5. Non-attorneys: a Surety Bond or Personal Surety.
      Surety Bond must be:
        a. in the amount of $5,000 in favor of the governor.
        b. with a surety company authorized to do business in Louisiana.
        c. signed by the notary applicant, surety, and two witnesses.
        d. certified by the parish clerk of court. (Exception: Orleans Parish applicant's bond must be certified by the Custodian of Notarial Records.)
      Personal Surety must be:
        a. signed by a person with assets in excess of $5,000.
        b. signed by the notary applicant and two witnesses.
        c. notarized.
  6. Attorneys: an original certificate of good standing which has been issued within the last 30 days from the Louisiana Supreme Court. For information, call the Clerk of the Louisiana Supreme Court at 225-568-5707. NOTE: Any person licensed to practice law in Louisiana who is a notary for any parish may exercise the functions of a notary in every parish without further application or examination.
An original oath of office must also be filed with the parish Clerk of Court.


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Surety bonds must be renewed every five years. A personal surety must be renewed upon cancellation or death of the personal surety.

To renew a surety bond or personal surety, please send the new bond or surety (which meets the requirements noted above) with a check or money order in the amount of $20, payable to the Secretary of State.

NOTE: A notary who fails to renew the bond timely shall be assessed a penalty of $50 in addition to the $20 renewal fee. {R.S. 35:71(C)}

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To change the NAME on a commission which is on file with the secretary of state, a name change affidavit must be executed and shall include:

  1. name on current commission,
  2. name to be used on new commission,
  3. reason for change, and
  4. signature of a notary.
Any person who has been validly appointed as a notary in any parish for five years and who changes residence to another parish may obtain a notarial commission for the new parish of residence, by complying with the laws governing notaries for the new parish. However, a validly appointed notary who meets the above requirements shall not be required to pass further examinations. {R.S. 35:191} To be commissioned in a new parish, a letter (or certificate) from the district court attesting to the applicant's qualifications must be filed with the Secretary of State. The local notarial commissioner should be contacted for additional parish requirements. Additionally, to change a name or parish the following must be filed with the Secretary of State:
  1. A new oath of office form.
  2. An official signature (as will appear on documents).
  3. A new bond or rider for an existing bond signed by the notary, surety and two witnesses, and certified by the parish clerk of court.
  4. A check or money order for $35 payable to the secretary of state.
A new original oath of office must also be filed with the parish clerk of court.

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Any resident citizen or alien of the state, at least 18 years old, may be appointed a notary for the parish of the notary's residence and for any one other parish in which the notary maintains an office, provided that the parish requirements are met. {R.S. 35:191(A)}

To obtain a dual commission, the documents required for a parish change must be filed with the Secretary of State with a check or money order for $35 payable to the Secretary of State. The local notarial commissioner should be contacted for additional parish requirements.

Notaries with dual commissions must maintain separate bonds in each parish.

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A person validly appointed as a notary in the parish of the notary's residence may exercise any and all functions of a notary in an adjacent parish which has a population of less than 35,000 and in which the notary maintains an office, without additional bonding, application or examination. {R.S. 35:191(A)(2)}. To be commissioned in an adjacent parish, an affidavit must be filed with the district court for the adjacent parish:

  1. stating the office location, and
  2. attesting to the appointment as a notary in the parish of residence.
Additionally, the following must be filed with the Secretary of State:
  1. A new oath of office.
  2. An official signature (as will appear on documents).
  3. A new bond or rider for an existing bond signed by the notary applicant, surety, and two witnesses, and certified by the parish clerk of court.
  4. A check or money order for $35 payable to the Secretary of State.
A new original oath of office must also be filed with the parish clerk of court.

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The following parishes under the provisions of R.S. 35:191 D and et.seq. if licensed in one of the parishes shall have the powers of Notaries in the other parishes:

  1. Acadia, Evangeline, & St. Landry.
  2. Acadia, Lafayette, & Vermillion.
  3. Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Vernon, & Jefferson Davis.
  4. Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, & West Feliciana.
  5. Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, & Terrebonne.
  6. Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, & Webster.
  7. Bienville, Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita. Richland, Union & West Carroll.
  8. Catahoula & Concordia.
  9. Iberia, St. Martin, & St. Mary.
  10. Iberia & Vermillion.
  11. Lafayette, & St. Landry.
  12. Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard & Jefferson.
  13. Tangipahoa, Livingston & St. Helena.
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New commission, name change, parish change, dual commission, or adjacent parish commission $35.00
Renewal of surety bond or personal surety $20.00
Certified copy of commission $10.00
Certified copy of notarial bond $11.00
Notary law book (contains instructions, form samples, and Title 35; NOT a notarial manual) $5.00

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Please report any change of address or telephone number IN WRITING to the notary department at the address below:

Secretary of State
Notary Department
P. 0. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Physical location: 19th floor, State Capitol Building

Telephone: (225) 342-4981

Fax: (225) 342-2066