Muskegon County Clerk

Nancy A. Waters
Muskegon County
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County Government > County Clerk > Notaries

Becoming a Notary in Michigan

The Notary Laws changed as of April 1, 2004.

As a result of this new law, the application process has been streamlined, the length of the commission has been extended, and numerous other significant changes. The fee structure has been revised for the first time since 1971.

If your notary commission is active, you are not required to reapply until your current commission is about to expire. However, beginning April 1, 2004, you must adhere to all the new laws including those regarding fees, restrictions and liability. To learn more about these changes visit the Secretary of State web site at www.michigan.gov/sos

Listed below is a brief comparison of the previous and new requirements.

	Previous	New
Length of Commission	4-5 years	6-7 years
Filing fee at clerk’s office	$1	$10
Application fee at state level	$3	$10
Charge to customer for notary act	$2	Up to $10
County clerk fee for certification of notary	varies	$10**
Replacement of commission/duplicate	$1	$10
Surety Bond amount	$10,000	$10,000
Surety Bond filing	after commission is issued	before commission is issued
Receipt of commission	at county clerk’s office	direct via US mail
Relocation to another county	must cancel and reapply	register change of address only

Legislative endorsement	required	not required
Driver’s license or state ID #	not required	required
U.S. citizenship or proof of legal presence	not required	required***
Background check	none	allowed
Notary education & training fund	none	established
Quarterly reports from county to state	required	not required
Employer liability	none	yes, with knowledge of misconduct

Notarize for immediate family member	allowed	not allowed
Advertise in foreign language	allowed	not allowed

** different in Wayne County
***arrangements made for out-of-state residents ID

You must still apply in the County in which you reside. Purchase your bond from your insurance or surety company. Wait to sign the bond until clerk staff have checked your ID and issued your oath. Clerk staff must complete the top portion of the Notary Application before you can mail the application with the $10 fee to the State of Michigan. The Clerk’s office will keep your bond and collect their $10 fee at the time your oath is issued. When you receive your commission certificate in the mail from the Secretary of State, Office of the Great Seal, you are an official Notary.

If you have additional questions, feel free to call the Muskegon County Clerk’s office at (231) 724-6221.