NOTARY ACADEMY
Delaware Notary Education & Professional Development
Delaware does not require a traditional commissioning course or state examination, but it does require every commissioned notary to follow specific identification, journalkeeping, certificate, and professional-conduct rules.
Whether you're applying for your first commission, preparing for renewal, or developing a notary business, Notary Academy provides ongoing education, practical learning, and professional development to help strengthen your knowledge, skills, and judgment.
Notary Academy provides a structured path for continued learning and professional growth. The education, resources, and guidance are here to support you.
Your progress comes from how you choose to use them.
Where Are You in Your Delaware Notary Career?
Preparing to Become a Notary
You're learning Delaware's eligibility requirements, setting up your online notary profile, completing the application and oath, and preparing to perform authorized notarial acts.
Commissioned, But Still Finding Your Footing
You've received your commission, but now you're navigating identification questions, notarial certificates, mandatory journal entries, unfamiliar documents, and situations requiring professional judgment.
Ready to Build a Stronger Business
You want to become more visible in your community, develop professional relationships, establish reliable client procedures, and understand the requirements for additional electronic or remote notarial services.
Wherever you are today, your next step should support what you're actually trying to accomplish.
Understanding Delaware Notary Requirements
Delaware notaries public are appointed by the Governor, with commissioning duties administered through the Delaware Secretary of State.
Title 29, Chapter 43 of the Delaware Code establishes qualifications, commissioning, notarial procedures, journalkeeping, official stamp requirements, electronic notarization, and remote-notarization authority.
Delaware's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts took effect August 1, 2023, introducing important requirements for both traditional and electronic notarial practice.
Ā Becoming a Delaware Notary Public
Applicants for a traditional Delaware commission must be at least 18 years old, be citizens or permanent legal residents of the United States, be able to read and write English, and meet the state's character and eligibility requirements.
Applicants must also have a reasonable need for a commission and qualify through Delaware residence or an appropriate place of employment or practice within the state.
Delaware permits qualifying nonresidents to become notaries.
A nonresident applicant must maintain a genuine Delaware office or regular place of employment that is available during normal weekday business hours to accept service of process.
The applicant must demonstrate an expectation of regularly performing notarial acts within Delaware.
A post office box, virtual office, or registered agent address does not satisfy the state's required business-address conditions.
Delaware notaries may perform notarial acts only while physically located within Delaware, including when the individual requesting an authorized remote notarization is elsewhere.
Online Application Process
Delaware accepts notary applications online through the Secretary of State's notary application system.
Applicants create an online notary profile and provide the required personal information, residency or employment information, email address, and payment.
The state uses email to deliver application instructions, commission certificates, and renewal notices.
The initial traditional commission is issued for two years. The current nonrefundable application fee is $60.
After receiving the commission certificate, the applicant must complete and sign the oath of office before another authorized notarial officer and return the completed oath as directed by the Notary Public Section.
Applicants must follow the instructions associated with their appointment and complete the required oath process before performing notarial acts.
Delaware does not require a surety bond as a condition of traditional commissioning.
Delaware Notary Education and Examination
Delaware does not require applicants to complete a state-mandated traditional notary education course or pass a state examination.
However, every commissioned notary remains responsible for understanding the state's current notarial laws.
These duties include determining satisfactory identification, requiring appropriate personal appearance, completing legally sufficient certificates, maintaining the mandatory journal, safeguarding official tools, and declining prohibited notarial acts.
The Secretary of State publishes official laws, application instructions, FAQs, and other resources to assist notaries.
Voluntary education and continuing professional development can help notaries build the practical knowledge and judgment needed to perform their responsibilities correctly.
Delaware Notary Renewal
An initial Delaware traditional commission lasts two years.
At renewal, a traditional notary may choose either a two-year or four-year commission term.
The current nonrefundable state fee is $60 for a two-year renewal or $90 for a four-year renewal.
Delaware processes renewals through the notary's online profile.
The Renew Commission option becomes available when a commission has expired or is within 30 days of expiration.
Renewing applicants must review and update their existing information, complete the required renewal steps, and submit payment.
Notaries should keep their contact information current, monitor their commission expiration dates, and complete renewal procedures before performing acts under a new commission term.
The Secretary of State generally sends an email renewal notification approximately 30 days before expiration.
A notary must not continue performing notarial acts under an expired commission.
Delaware's Different Notary Commission Categories
Delaware recognizes several types of notary commissions with different authority and restrictions.
Traditional Notaries
Traditional notaries receive an initial two-year commission and may seek two- or four-year renewal terms.
They may perform authorized public notarial services and charge fees within Delaware's legal limits.
Limited Governmental Notaries
Delaware permits qualifying employees of state governmental agencies and specified police agencies to obtain limited governmental commissions.
These appointments require the appropriate employer approval and do not carry an application fee.
Under the applicable statutory provisions, limited governmental authority is tied to qualifying employment and restricted to authorized government functions.
Limited governmental notaries may not charge for the acts they perform under that appointment.
Their official stamps identify commission expiration using the required wording indicating that authority expires upon office.
Certain Service-Organization Notaries
Delaware also authorizes limited appointments associated with qualifying veterans' organizations, volunteer fire companies, and volunteer ambulance or rescue companies.
These commissions last four years, carry no application fee, and are restricted to notarial services permitted for the qualifying organization's members and their families or dependents.
No fee may be charged for those authorized services.
Notaries must understand the scope of the particular commission they hold before offering services to the public.
Delaware Surety Bond and Official Stamp Requirements
Delaware does not require traditional notaries to obtain a surety bond.
A notary may choose to purchase errors and omissions insurance or other voluntary financial protection, but that is not a substitute for proper notarial practice.
Delaware requires an official notary stamp or seal containing the prescribed commission information.
For tangible records, the Secretary of State permits a black-ink rubber stamp or metal embossing seal.
The official stamp must contain the notary's name as commissioned, "Notary Public," "State of Delaware," and the required commission-expiration information.
The regular notary's stamp must identify the expiration date using the wording "My Commission expires on."
Limited governmental notaries use the special statutory wording applicable to their commission type.
Electronic and remote notaries must use compliant electronic signatures and seals under Delaware's electronic-notarization standards.
The official stamp must be capable of being copied together with the record.
A notary is responsible for safeguarding the stamping device and preventing another person from using it.
Lost or stolen stamping devices must be reported promptly to the Secretary of State.
The device must be disabled when required by law, including upon expiration, resignation, or revocation of the commission.
Delaware Mandatory Notary Journal Requirements
Delaware requires a journal for every notarial act performed by a commissioned notary.
This requirement took effect August 1, 2023.
Under 29 Del. C. Ā§ 4332, a notary must record all notarial acts contemporaneously, including acts involving tangible records and electronic records.
Unlike some states, Delaware requires a notary to maintain only one journal at a time covering all notarial acts.
The journal may be maintained in tangible or electronic form.
A tangible journal must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages.
An electronic journal must be maintained in a permanent, tamper-evident format meeting the applicable requirements.
Required entries include the date and time of the act, a description of the record and type of notarial act, the full name and address of the individual, the method of identification, relevant identifying-credential information, and the fee charged, if any.
When identification credentials are used, the entry must include the required issuance and expiration information.
Journal Retention
The journal must be retained for ten years after the last notarial act recorded in it.
A notary may also transmit the journal to the Secretary of State or an approved repository as permitted by law.
If a journal is lost or stolen, the notary must promptly notify the Secretary of State.
A notary who resigns or whose commission is revoked or suspended must comply with the statutory retention and location-notification requirements.
A properly maintained journal is not merely a professional recommendation in Delaware. It is a legal obligation.
Electronic and Remote Notarization in Delaware
Delaware permits qualifying electronic and remote notarial acts under its Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.
These services became available under the revised statutory framework effective August 1, 2023.
In-Person Electronic Notarization
An electronic notarial act may involve an electronic document, electronic signatures, and an electronic notarial seal while the signer and notary remain physically together.
This is commonly called in-person electronic notarization, or IPEN.
Notaries must receive the appropriate electronic-notarization privileges through their Delaware notary profiles and use technology approved by the Delaware Notary Department.
Remote Online Notarization
Delaware also authorizes qualified notaries to perform remote notarial acts for remotely located individuals through compliant audiovisual communication technology.
The notary must be physically located in Delaware when performing the act.
Before offering electronic or remote notarization, a commissioned notary must request the appropriate privileges through the state notary profile and identify an approved technology provider.
The Department of State publishes its list of approved electronic and remote technology providers.
Remote notarization requires the identity of the remotely located individual to be established through an authorized method, such as personal knowledge, a qualifying credible witness, or the required identity-proofing process.
When technology-based identity proofing is used, Delaware requires at least two different types of identity proofing.
The notary must be able to confirm the record involved in the act, complete the appropriate notarial certificate, and comply with the required audiovisual recording and record-retention provisions.
The remote notarial certificate must indicate that communication technology was used.
Remote Notarization Involving Tangible Records
Delaware's statute also provides procedures for certain remote notarial acts involving paper records.
When a tangible record is physically before the notary, a qualifying remote acknowledgment may be performed if the record is displayed to and identified by the remotely located individual during the audiovisual session.
When a tangible record is not physically before the notary, a separate statutory procedure may apply.
That procedure includes the remotely located individual signing the record and an accompanying declaration during the audiovisual session, sending the materials to the notary within three days, and the notary completing the prescribed certificate after receiving them.
These paper-record procedures must satisfy the applicable statute and technology requirements.
They do not authorize a notary to substitute an ordinary video call for Delaware's legally prescribed remote-notarization process.
Remote Recording Retention
Remote notarial acts require an audiovisual recording.
Under 29 Del. C. Ā§ 4320, the recording generally must be retained for at least ten years, unless a different period is established by applicable regulation.
This recording obligation is separate from the mandatory journal required for all Delaware notarial acts.
Notaries must satisfy both requirements where applicable.
Delaware Identification, Certificates, and Professional Judgment
Delaware law requires notaries to identify individuals through personal knowledge or legally satisfactory evidence of identity.
Under 29 Del. C. Ā§ 4321, qualifying identification includes a current, unexpired passport, driver's license, government-issued nondriver identification card, or another qualifying government identification credential meeting statutory requirements.
A qualifying credible witness may also establish identification through the required oath or affirmation.
Remote notarizations are subject to additional identification and identity-proofing procedures.
Notaries must distinguish among acknowledgments, verifications on oath or affirmation, signature witnessing, administering oaths, and legally authorized copy certifications.
Each notarial act must be supported by an appropriate certificate with the required information and official signature and stamp.
Delaware law also provides notaries with authority to refuse an act when the notary is not satisfied that the individual has the necessary competence or capacity or that the signature is being made knowingly and voluntarily.
A non-attorney notary must remain within the notary's legal authority and avoid providing unauthorized legal advice.
Copy Certification Limitations
Delaware prohibits notaries from attesting copies of official or public records that must be certified by an appropriate public official.
For example, a notary cannot independently certify an ordinary photocopy of a birth certificate as an official certified birth record.
The permitted scope of copy certification depends on the legal status and nature of the record.
Understanding these distinctions is essential to performing notarial acts correctly.
Delaware Notary Fees and Professional Responsibilities
Delaware establishes separate statutory maximum fees based on the form of the record.
Under 29 Del. C. Ā§ 4311, the maximum fee for a notarial act performed with respect to a tangible record is $5.
The maximum fee for a notarial act involving an electronic record is $25.
Notaries may charge less or waive the fee.
Special statutory fee provisions apply to certain services for military personnel and veterans under Ā§ 4312.
Limited governmental and qualifying service-organization notaries may not charge fees for notarial acts performed under their restricted commissions.
Delaware does not establish a general statewide hourly or mileage-based mobile notary travel-fee schedule in Ā§ 4311.
Notaries should clearly explain any separately proposed travel or business charges and ensure their pricing complies with Delaware law.
Such charges must not be represented as fees mandated by the state.
The Secretary of State may impose disciplinary consequences for violations of statutory notarial fee limits.
Responsible professional practice includes clear client communication, accurate fees, lawful identification procedures, complete journal entries, and impartial performance of authorized notarial acts.
Official Delaware Notary Resources
The Delaware Secretary of State administers notary applications, renewals, oath processing, official records, and electronic and remote-notarization privileges.Ā Ā Title 29, Chapter 43 of the Delaware Code establishes the principal statutory framework for notarial practice.
The Secretary of State also publishes current fee schedules, commissioning instructions, FAQs, approved technology providers, and journal guidance.Ā Applicants and commissioned notaries should consult current official sources when preparing for commissioning, renewal, electronic notarization, recordkeeping, or professional services.
(Click the links below)Ā
Delaware Secretary of State: Notary Public
Becoming a Delaware Notary
Application and qualificationsĀ
Delaware Notary Application Portal
Delaware Notary Renewal
Delaware Notary Application Fees
Delaware Notary FAQs
Delaware Notary Laws
Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 43, Subchapter I
Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 43, Subchapter II
Delaware Electronic and Remote Notary Information
Delaware Approved Technology Providers
Your Commission Is Only the Beginning
Delaware does not require a traditional commissioning course or examination. But receiving a commission doesn't automatically prepare you for every responsibility you'll encounter.
What happens when a signer presents identification you're unfamiliar with? When you're uncertain how to complete a notarial certificate? When someone asks for a remote notarization but you haven't received the state's electronic or remote-notary privileges?
Delaware also requires every notary to maintain a journal, making consistent recordkeeping part of ordinary professional practice.
And if you're developing a business, how do you create reliable procedures, establish professional relationships, and become known by the people in your community who may need your services?
These situations require more than an appointment certificate. They require accurate knowledge, practical skills, professional judgment, and organized business systems.
Continuing your professional development helps strengthen those capabilities while building the business practices and local presence that support your goals.
That's why Notary Academy has built more than a collection of educational materials.Ā
But having a path forward and actually moving forward are two different things.
The education is there to be learned. The opportunities to practice are there to be used.
Your responsibility is to participate, apply what you're learning, and take the next step.
Professional Development That Continues Beyond the Classroom
Notary Academy is a national notary education and professional development institution founded by Kimberly Sennett in 2020.
Our educational approach connects notarial knowledge, professional judgment, practical application, and business development.
Education Grounded in the Profession
Learn from experienced notary professionals who understand the responsibilities of the commission and the realities of serving clients.
Ā
Learning That Connects to Practice
Develop your understanding through education, real-world examples, practical resources, and opportunities to apply what you've learned.
Ā
A Path for Continued Business Growth
Whether you're strengthening foundations, establishing business, becoming visible, or refining skills, there is a structured pathway to help identify what deserves your attention next.
"Because being commissioned is only the beginning."
What Happens After You Learn the Information?Ā
Knowing the rules is one part of professional development. Learning how to apply them, practice unfamiliar situations, communicate with clients, and operate your business takes continued effort.
The Notary Academy Inner Circle brings education, practical resources, live learning, advisor guidance, and opportunities for implementation together in one ongoing membership.
Through The Implementation Path, members can identify their current stage, find relevant learning and resources, and focus on meaningful next steps.
You don't have to figure out every next step on your own. But you do have to take those steps.
The Learning Circle, practice opportunities, and resource library are there to support your development. Their value comes from engaging with the education, using the resources, asking questions, practicing your skills, and applying what you learn.
We've built the path forward...
Your participation is what puts it to work.
Build the Skills and Business That Fit Your Goals
Delaware notaries serve in different professional settings. Some perform notarial acts as part of their employment, while others want to develop independent mobile notary businesses, build relationships with local professionals, or expand into authorized electronic and remote services.
Building a sustainable practice also requires reliable communication, organized procedures, professional relationships, and consistent visibility within the communities you serve.
Inside the Inner Circle, The Implementation Path helps members identify their current stage and focus on the work that matters most.
Strengthen Your Foundations
Develop your understanding of notarial responsibilities, procedures, compliance, and professional judgment.
Become Known in Your Community
Learn how to develop your professional presence, build local relationships, communicate your value, and become easier to find & hire.
Build With IntentionĀ
Develop business systems, evaluate your progress, practice unfamiliar situations, and make informed decisions about the future.Ā
How do I become a Notary Public in Delaware?
Does Delaware require a notary course, examination, or surety bond?
How do I renew a Delaware notary commission?
Does Delaware require a notary journal?
Can Delaware notaries perform remote online notarizations?
Can Delaware notaries remotely notarize paper documents?
What fees can Delaware notaries charge?
What is the difference between a Delaware traditional notary and a limited governmental notary?
Does Inner Circle membership replace Delaware's commissioning requirements?
Ready to Build More With Your Delaware Notary Commission?
Delaware allows qualified applicants to become commissioned without mandatory classroom education or a state examination. Developing the professional knowledge, judgment, relationships, and business practices that support your goals takes continued learning and intentional action.
If you're ready to strengthen your notarial skills, practice unfamiliar situations, become more visible in your community, and build a business that fits your goals, explore the professional development available through Notary Academy.
"Because being commissioned is only the beginning."
Notary Academy provides the pathway, education, resources, and opportunities to strengthen your professional practice. You bring the commitment to learn, participate, and put that guidance into action.
The next step is yours to take.
