NOTARY ACADEMY
Kansas Notary Education & Professional Development
Kansas allows qualified applicants to become commissioned without a mandatory traditional notary course or examination. But understanding the law and performing notarial acts responsibly requires more than receiving a commission.
Whether you're preparing for your first commission, seeking renewal, or developing a notary business, Notary Academy provides education and ongoing professional development to support your next step.
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 Kansas Notary Career?
Preparing to Become a Notary
You're learning Kansas's eligibility requirements, obtaining your surety bond and official stamp, and preparing your application and oath of office.
Commissioned, But Still Finding Your Footing
You're navigating unfamiliar documents, identification questions, notarial certificates, mandatory journal entries, and decisions requiring professional judgment.
Ready to Build a Stronger Business
You want to become more visible in your community, develop professional relationships, establish reliable procedures, and understand the responsibilities of offering additional authorized services.
Wherever you are today, your next step should support what you're actually trying to accomplish.
Understanding Kansas Notary Requirements
Kansas notaries public are commissioned by the Kansas Secretary of State under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, K.S.A. 53-5a01 and following.
Kansas establishes requirements for commissioning, bonding, official stamps, identification, journalkeeping, and professional conduct. The state also authorizes electronic and remote online notarization under additional requirements.
Becoming a Kansas Notary Public
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be U.S. citizens, be able to read and write English, and satisfy the state's residency or employment requirements.
Applicants may qualify as Kansas residents or as residents of bordering states who regularly work or maintain a professional practice in Kansas.
The application requires a $12,000 surety bond, an official notary stamp or embossing seal, a completed and notarized oath of office, and the required application documents and filing fee.
Applicants may use the Secretary of State's online application system or submit the appropriate official forms.
A person may not perform notarial acts until the appointment is approved and the notary's status becomes active in the Secretary of State's records.
Kansas notary commissions last four years.
Kansas Notary Education and Renewal
Kansas does not require a traditional notary commissioning course or examination.
However, commissioned notaries must understand and follow the laws governing authorized notarial acts, signer identification, certificates, official stamps, and journals.
The Secretary of State publishes a Notary Public Handbook and educational resources.
Renewal generally requires completing the same application, oath, surety-bond, and stamp-documentation steps used for an initial commission.
Notaries should begin renewal preparations before expiration and follow the Secretary of State's current filing instructions.
An expired appointment does not authorize continued notarizations.
Kansas Bond, Stamp, and Journal Requirements
Kansas requires a $12,000 surety bond covering the four-year commission.
The notary must obtain an official stamping device containing the prescribed information and safeguard it against unauthorized use.
Kansas requires every notary to maintain a journal recording all notarial acts, including traditional in-person notarizations.
The journal may be a permanent bound register with numbered pages or a compliant electronic record.
Entries must be completed at the time of the act and contain the information required by K.S.A. 53-5a20.
Journals must be retained for ten years after the last recorded act.
A lost or stolen journal must be reported promptly to the Secretary of State. Journal custody and transfer are subject to the state's statutory requirements.
Electronic and Remote Notarization in Kansas
Kansas recognizes in-person electronic notarization and remote online notarization.
In-person electronic notarization (IPEN) involves an electronic record while the signer and notary are physically together.
Remote online notarization (RON) allows a remotely located individual to appear through compliant audiovisual communication technology.
Before performing electronic notarial acts, a notary must complete the required education and examination, notify the Secretary of State, and identify the technology selected for use.
For RON, the notary must choose an authorized platform, complete the required state training and test, and submit the registration information and applicable fee.
The Kansas Secretary of State currently offers the required RON training and test without a course charge.
A notary performing RON must be physically located in Kansas.
Remote acts require compliant identity verification, notarial certificates, audiovisual recordings, and record retention. Recordings must generally be retained for at least ten years.
An ordinary video call does not substitute for the approved remote-notarization process.
Kansas Notary Fees and Professional Responsibilities
Kansas permits notaries to charge for authorized notarial acts without establishing a general fixed maximum in K.A.R. 7-43-16.
Before performing a chargeable act, the notary must disclose the fee, obtain the signer's agreement, and explain that charging a fee is permitted but not required by state law.
The fee must be collected when the act is performed and recorded in the journal.
Kansas also permits qualifying identification credentials that expired no more than three years before the notarization.
Notaries must remain impartial and may refuse an act when the statutory circumstances concerning capacity, understanding, or voluntary participation are present.
Kansas places restrictions on unauthorized legal services, conflicts of interest, and notary advertising. Notaries advertising their services must comply with the state's prescribed disclosure requirements.
Official Kansas Notary Resources
The Kansas Secretary of State administers notary appointments, renewals, official stamp requirements, and electronic and remote-notary registration.
Applicants and commissioned notaries should consult the current Secretary of State guidance, notary handbook, K.S.A. Chapter 53, and the applicable Kansas Administrative Regulations before performing unfamiliar or specialized acts.
(Click the links below)Ā
Kansas Secretary of State: Notary Public
Commissioning and official guidanceĀ
Kansas Notary Appointment and Renewal Form
Kansas Notary Public Handbook
Kansas Online Notary Services
Online application and change notificationsĀ
Kansas Electronic and Remote Notarization
Kansas Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts
Current Chapter 53, Article 5aĀ
Kansas Notary Administrative Regulations
Your Commission Is Only the Beginning
Kansas does not require a traditional commissioning course or examination. But receiving your commission doesn't prepare you for every situation you'll encounter while serving the public.
What happens when a signer presents unfamiliar identification? When you're uncertain how to complete a notarial certificate? Or when a client requests remote notarization and you're unsure which additional requirements apply?
These situations require current legal knowledge, practical experience, sound judgment, and reliable procedures.
Continued professional development helps you strengthen those skills and recognize the boundaries of your authority.
That's why Notary Academy has built more than a collection of educational materials. We've created a connected system of learning, practice, professional guidance, and implementation resources to help you continue developing beyond your commission.
But having a path forward and actually moving forward are two different things.
Your responsibility is to participate, apply what you're learning, and take the next step.
Your commission authorizes the work. What you learn and implement afterward shapes how you perform it.
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.
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Learning That Connects to Practice
Develop your understanding through education, real-world examples, practical resources, and opportunities to apply what you've learned.
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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 Pathā„¢, 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 and putting what you learn into practice.
We've built the path forward...
Your participation is what puts it to work.
Build the Skills and Business That Fit Your Goals
Kansas notaries serve in different professional settings. Some perform notarial acts as part of their employment, while others want to build independent businesses, strengthen community relationships, or develop additional authorized services.
Whatever your goals, continued development involves reliable communication, organized procedures, professional relationships, and consistent visibility within your community.
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 Kansas?
Does Kansas require notary education or an examination?
How do I renew a Kansas notary commission?
Does Kansas require a notary journal?
Can Kansas notaries perform remote online notarizations?
Does Inner Circle membership replace Kansas commissioning or electronic-notary requirements?
Ready to Continue Building Beyond Your Kansas Notary Commission?
Kansas allows qualified applicants to become commissioned without mandatory traditional notary education or an examination. Developing the knowledge, judgment, professional relationships, and business practices that support your goals takes continued learning and intentional action.
Whether you're strengthening your notarial skills, becoming more visible in your community, or building a business that fits your goals, Notary Academy provides ongoing professional development to support your next step.
"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.
