How to Become a Notary Public in Kansas

According the the Kansas Secretary of State website, a notary public "prevents fraud and forgery by acting as an official, unbiased witness to the identity of the person who signs a document". Follow the steps below to become a notary public in Kansas.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Visit the Kansas Secretary of State Website at kssos.org. Click on 'Business Filing Center' on the left side of the page and then 'Notary Public' under that.

2. On the 'Notary Public' page of the website, click to download a Notary Application. You can fill out the form by typing in the information and printing off the completed form or by printing off a blank form and filling it in by hand.

3. Other than your personal information, you will need three things to complete the Notary Application:
   
   * A notary stamp or seal with your information on it.
   * A surety bond.
   * Another notary to notarize your signature.
   
   Details about each of these follow.

4. NOTARY STAMP OR SEAL
   
   At first glance, this step seems to be out of order, but you must order your notary stamp or seal BEFORE you actually become a notary. Notary stamps and seals are available at any number of office supply stores and websites. Since you are not yet officially a notary, order one that leaves the dates of your appointment blank.
   
   Once you have your notary stamp or seal, you will need to affix it in the specified box on the notary application.

5. SURETY BOND
   
   You will need to obtain a commercial surety bond from an insurance company licensed to do business in the state of Kansas. It must be in the specified amount, which is $7500 at the time of this writing. The bond should be for four years to correspond with the dates of your appointment. The insurance carrier needs to sign where indicated and the company's corporate seal or power of attorney needs to be included with the application.
   
   When you request and pay for a bond with some insurance carriers, they will provide you with the completed copy of the Notary Application, so it might be worth checking with an insurance carrier first to see if you need to obtain this and complete it on your own.

6. CURRENT NOTARY
   
   You will need to obtain the services of a current notary to notarize your signature on the application.

7. Once your notary application is complete, send it with the appropriate fee ($25 at the time of this writing) to the Kansas Secretary of State's Office. Once it's been received and processed, you will have become a Notary Public in Kansas.

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on 5/2/2009 Thanks for the information. I've always wondered what it took to become a Notary Public.