NOTARY ACADEMY
South Dakota Notary Education & Professional Development
South Dakota allows qualified applicants to become commissioned without a mandatory notary course or examination. But receiving a commission does not automatically prepare you for the responsibilities of performing notarial acts correctly.
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 you strengthen your knowledge, skills, and judgment.
Where Are You in Your South Dakota Notary Career?
Preparing to Become a Notary
You're learning South Dakota's eligibility requirements, completing the application and oath, obtaining your official seal, and preparing to serve the public responsibly.
Commissioned, But Still Finding Your Footing
You've received your commission, but now you're navigating signer identification, unfamiliar documents, notarial certificates, personal appearance, 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 processes, and understand the responsibilities that come with offering mobile or remote notarial services.
Wherever you are today, your next step should support what you're actually trying to accomplish.
Understanding South Dakota Notary Requirements
South Dakota notaries public are appointed and commissioned by the South Dakota Secretary of State under South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 18-1.
The state establishes requirements for commissioning, official seals, notarial certificates, personal appearance, and professional conduct. South Dakota also authorizes certain remote notarial acts involving tangible documents and electronic records.
Recent statutory changes have removed the traditional notary surety-bond requirement and the former maximum fee for notarizing an instrument.
Becoming a South Dakota Notary Public
South Dakota applicants must meet the Secretary of State's eligibility requirements, including the state's residency qualifications and restrictions concerning felony convictions.  Applicants ordinarily must reside in South Dakota. However, the Secretary of State may also appoint a person who resides in a county bordering South Dakota and has a place of work or business within South Dakota.
A qualifying business or employment connection within the state does not eliminate the bordering-county residency condition for an out-of-state applicant. Applicants must complete the official Notary Public Application and Oath, obtain an official notary seal, and submit the required seal impression as part of the application.
The name entered on the application, used on the seal, and signed on the oath must match.
Applicants must provide a physical residential address. A business address or post office box cannot substitute for the required residential information.
The application must include the required personal information, the completed oath, the seal impression, and the $30 filing fee.
The completed application is submitted to the South Dakota Secretary of State.
A notary may begin performing official duties only after the Secretary of State issues the Notary Commission Certificate.
South Dakota notary commissions last six years.
South Dakota Notary Education and Examination
South Dakota does not require applicants to complete a mandatory commissioning course or pass a state notary examination for a traditional commission. However, a notary is responsible for understanding the laws and procedures governing the office.
The Secretary of State publishes notary guidance covering commissioning, acknowledgments, oaths, certificates, identification, seals, and professional responsibilities.
A notary must understand how to identify individuals, require legally sufficient personal appearance, complete authorized notarial acts, and avoid actions outside the notary's authority.
Because there is no mandatory traditional commissioning course, voluntary education and ongoing professional development can play an important role in helping notaries prepare for the responsibilities of the commission.
South Dakota Notary Renewal
South Dakota notary commissions last six years.
A notary may submit a renewal application no more than 60 days before the current commission expires.
The renewal process generally follows the same application and oath procedures used for an initial commission.
Renewing notaries must submit the completed application, required seal impression, oath, and $30 filing fee.
A renewal applicant who wishes to retain the same commission anniversary date may submit the application before expiration.
An applicant seeking a different commencement date for the next six-year term must identify the requested date and ensure the Secretary of State receives the application before that date.
South Dakota does not backdate commission appointments.
Notaries should track their expiration dates and complete the necessary renewal steps before their commissions lapse.
A notary must not perform notarial acts after the commission expires.
South Dakota Bond, Seal, and Commission Requirements
Effective July 1, 2025, South Dakota eliminated the requirement that new and renewing notary applicants provide a $5,000 surety bond or personal surety.
This change was enacted through House Bill 1133 during the 2025 legislative session.
A surety bond is no longer required to obtain or renew a South Dakota notary commission.
Notaries who voluntarily purchase a bond may retain the documentation for their own records. The Secretary of State does not require that optional bond to be filed with the commissioning application.
South Dakota continues to require an official notary seal.
The official seal must include the notary's name, the words "Notary Public" and "South Dakota," and a surrounding border.
The notary must indicate the commission expiration date below the official seal. The expiration date must not be placed inside the seal's surrounding border.
An approved seal may take an authorized physical or electronic form, depending on the notarial service being performed.
Applicants must obtain the appropriate seal and provide an impression with the commissioning application.
The Secretary of State does not provide the official notary seal.
A notary must also safeguard official notarial tools and follow state procedures concerning seal changes, loss, and commission updates.
South Dakota Notary Journals and Recordkeeping
South Dakota does not impose a general statutory requirement that traditional notaries maintain a journal for ordinary in-person notarizations.
However, maintaining a journal is a recommended professional practice.
A journal can help document the circumstances of an appointment, the identity-verification method used, the type of notarial act performed, and other relevant information.
A voluntary journal does not replace compliance with statutory requirements for identification, personal appearance, or accurate certificates.
Electronic remote notarization carries additional responsibilities.
Under SDCL § 18-1-11.3, a notarial officer must retain an electronic audiovisual recording of each notarial act involving a tamper-evident electronic notarization system for ten years from the date of the act.
The statute permits a designated repository to hold the recordings on the notary's behalf.
These electronic-recording requirements are separate from voluntary journalkeeping for traditional notarial acts.
Notaries offering remote electronic services should establish compliant recording, storage, and retention procedures before performing those acts.
Electronic and Remote Notarization in South Dakota
South Dakota permits two different methods of remote notarization, each governed by its own statutory conditions.
Remote Notarization of Tangible Records
Under SDCL § 18-1-11.1, a notarial officer physically located in South Dakota may perform a qualifying notarial act involving a tangible document signed or executed by a remotely located person observed through real-time video communication technology.
This limited procedure requires the notary to have personal knowledge of the individual's identity through sufficient prior dealings.
The notary must affix the official signature to the original tangible document, identify the individual's remote location in the certificate, and indicate that the act involved appearance through video communication rather than physical presence.
The notary must also be able to reasonably confirm that the document before the notary is the same document on which the remotely located individual made the statement or executed the signature.
This procedure is not interchangeable with electronic remote online notarization. Ordinary presentation of identification over a video call does not, by itself, satisfy the personal-knowledge requirement for this tangible-record procedure.
Remote Online Notarization of Electronic Records
South Dakota enacted remote online notarization authority in 2024 through SDCL § 18-1-11.2.
This procedure involves an electronic record, real-time audiovisual communication, and a tamper-evident electronic notarization system.
A South Dakota notary must be physically located in South Dakota when performing the remote electronic notarial act.
The statute requires the identity-verification process prescribed by SDCL § 18-1-11.2, an electronic notarial signature, the prescribed remote-location and communication-technology statements in the certificate, and an audiovisual recording.
A notary intending to provide remote electronic services must select technology that satisfies applicable statutory requirements.
The Secretary of State requires the notary to identify the electronic notarization platform or platforms used by filing a Notary Change Form.
The notary must also provide the electronic seal image as required by the Secretary of State and obtain the certificate documenting electronic-notary status.
South Dakota does not maintain a list of state-approved remote notarization technology vendors. The notary remains responsible for selecting a compliant system.
The notary must retain the required audiovisual recording for ten years, subject to the statutory repository provisions.
Printed Copies of Electronically Notarized Records
South Dakota law also establishes a procedure for authenticating certain tangible copies of electronically notarized records.
Under SDCL §§ 18-1-11.5 and 18-1-11.6, the notarial officer may certify a printed electronic record through the prescribed certificate-of-authentication process.
This is a specific statutory procedure involving electronically notarized records. It should not be confused with an unrestricted general authority to certify copies of any document.
Notaries considering electronic or remote services must understand the separate requirements before advertising or performing those acts.
South Dakota Identification, Certificates, and Professional Judgment
South Dakota notaries must properly identify individuals requesting notarial services and perform the authorized notarial act in compliance with state law.
The Secretary of State's notary guidance discusses personal knowledge, acceptable documentary identification, and credible witnesses as methods of establishing identity in appropriate circumstances.
Notaries must consider the requirements of the particular notarial act and any additional statutory safeguards.
An acknowledgment, jurat, oath, or signature witnessing involves different notarial responsibilities.
The notary must accurately complete the certificate, use the required official signature and seal, and identify the appropriate jurisdiction and date.
Notaries must also respect their professional boundaries.
A non-attorney notary should not select a notarial act as legal advice, determine the legal effect of a document, or perform services that constitute the unauthorized practice of law.
South Dakota law prohibits a person from acting as notary for a document when that person is also a principal party signing the document.
Professional judgment includes recognizing when a requested act cannot lawfully be performed.
South Dakota Notary Fees and Business Responsibilities
South Dakota previously established a $10 maximum fee for notarizing an instrument.
Effective July 1, 2025, House Bill 1192 removed that maximum from SDCL § 18-1-9.
Under the current statute, a South Dakota notary may charge and receive a fee for each instrument notarized without the former $10 statutory ceiling.
However, a notary may not charge a fee for notarizing a request for an absentee ballot.
The removal of the statutory maximum does not eliminate the notary's responsibilities to communicate fees accurately and comply with other applicable laws.
Notaries developing mobile, electronic, or remote services should establish clear pricing, explain service charges before appointments, and avoid representing business charges as fees required by the state.
Appropriate business pricing should reflect the notary's actual services, operating costs, and legal responsibilities.
Official South Dakota Notary Resources
The South Dakota Secretary of State administers notary commissioning, renewal, official seal information, and electronic-notary registration.
South Dakota Codified Laws Chapters 18-1 and 18-4 contain important provisions governing traditional and remote notarial acts.
Notaries should consult the current statutes and Secretary of State instructions before applying, renewing, performing remote notarizations, or offering additional services.
(Click the links below)Â
South Dakota Secretary of State: Notary Public
Becoming a South Dakota Notary
South Dakota Notary Application and Oath
South Dakota Notary Renewal
South Dakota Notary FAQs
South Dakota Electronic and Remote Notarization
Electronic notary requirementsÂ
South Dakota Codified Laws, Chapter 18-1
South Dakota Codified Laws, Chapter 18-4
Acknowledgments and instrumentsÂ
South Dakota Notary Public Commission Search
Your Commission Is Only the Beginning
South Dakota does not require a commissioning course or state examination. That makes your responsibility to understand the law and develop sound professional judgment especially important.
What happens when an unfamiliar document requires a notarial certificate you're not accustomed to completing? When someone requests a remote notarization of a paper document? When you're unsure whether a request falls within your authority?
And if you're building a business, how do you communicate your services, establish professional relationships, and become known by the people in your community who may need a notary?
These situations require accurate knowledge, practical skills, reliable procedures, and an understanding of the responsibilities attached to a public commission.
Continuing your professional development helps you strengthen those capabilities while building the business systems and local visibility that support your goals.
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?Â
Knowing the rules is one part of professional development. Knowing how to apply what you've learned, make decisions, communicate with clients, and operate your business takes continued practice.
The Notary Academy Inner Circle brings education, practical resources, live learning, and professional guidance together in one ongoing membership.
It's an environment where you can continue building your skills and business without having to piece together every next step on your own.
Build the Skills and Business That Fit Your Goals
South Dakota notaries serve in different professional settings. Some perform notarial acts as part of their employment, while others want to develop independent mobile notary businesses, strengthen local relationships, or provide authorized electronic and remote services.
Your goals should reflect South Dakota's commissioning requirements, notarial responsibilities, the services you're prepared and authorized to perform, and the people you want to serve.
Recent changes to the state's bonding and fee requirements create additional reasons to understand the current law rather than rely on outdated information.
Building a sustainable practice 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 IntentionÂ
Develop business systems, evaluate your progress, practice unfamiliar situations, and make informed decisions about the future.Â
How do I become a Notary Public in South Dakota?
Does South Dakota require a notary course or examination?
Does South Dakota require a notary surety bond?
How do I renew a South Dakota notary commission?
Does South Dakota require a notary journal?
Can South Dakota notaries perform remote online notarizations?
What fees may South Dakota notaries charge?
Does Inner Circle membership replace South Dakota's commissioning requirements?
Ready to Build More With Your South Dakota Notary Commission?
South Dakota allows qualified applicants to become commissioned without mandatory education or a state examination. Developing the knowledge, professional 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 ongoing professional development available through Notary Academy.
"Because being commissioned is only the beginning."
