Delaware has the shortest standard commission term in the country — new notaries always get just 2 years. There's no bond and no exam, and the application is online. Delaware also offers special commission types for government and service-organization notaries.
Under Delaware Code Title 29, the requirements are:
Delaware's $60 application fee covers a 2-year term. No bond, no exam, no course.
| Item | Required? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| State application fee (new, 2-year term) | Required | $60 |
| Notary stamp/seal | Required | $15–$35 |
| Notary journal | Optional but recommended | $10–$25 |
| Surety bond | Not required | $0 |
| Education course | Not required | $0 |
| Written exam | Not required | $0 |
| E&O insurance (recommended) | Optional | $25–$50/yr |
| Total to get commissioned | $75–$120 |
Delaware's 2-year term for new notaries is the shortest in the country — renewals can be for 2 or 4 years. The $60 fee covers the 2-year new term; a 4-year renewal is $90. Delaware also has special no-fee commission types: Limited Governmental Notary (for state agency employees) and Service Organization Notary (for veterans' organizations, volunteer fire/ambulance companies). Delaware notaries cannot notarize outside Delaware's borders.
Delaware's process is fully online and fast.
Visit notaryforms.delaware.gov to establish your notary profile. An email address is required — all correspondence, commission certificates, and renewal notices are sent electronically.
Submit your application through the Delaware notary portal. Provide your personal info, Delaware residence or business address, and affirm your eligibility.
If you have any prior criminal conviction, you must provide a certified background check from the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred, dated within 6 months of Delaware's notice.
Pay the non-refundable $60 fee for the 2-year new commission term.
Once approved, your commission certificate is emailed to you. Processing is typically quick — within 1-2 weeks.
Get a Delaware-compliant notary stamp. Once you have your commission and stamp, you're ready to notarize — within Delaware's borders only.
Delaware notaries can perform these acts within Delaware under Delaware Code Title 29:
Delaware allows notary-set fees — no statutory hard caps:
Wilmington is the dominant market, with Dover and the Newark area as secondary markets. Delaware's status as the corporate-formation capital of the U.S. (more than a million business entities are registered there) generates significant corporate documentation and notarial demand — and the Wilmington financial sector adds steady volume.
Delaware authorized RON. To perform RON in Delaware:
Your Delaware commission is valid for 2 years (new notaries). At renewal you can choose a 2-year ($60) or 4-year ($90) term.
Renewal is done through your notary profile online. The useful part: while new notaries are locked to 2 years, renewing notaries can opt for a 4-year term — so after your first cycle, you can reduce renewal frequency. Renewal notices are emailed, so keep your email address current.
Delaware gives new notaries a 2-year term — the shortest standard term in the country. The reasoning is essentially a probationary period: it lets the state re-verify new notaries relatively soon. The good news is that at renewal, you can choose a 4-year term, so the short term only applies to your first cycle.
Delaware asks applicants to demonstrate a reasonable need for the commission. In practice this is a low bar — employment that involves notarizing, a business need, or providing notary services to the public all qualify. Non-resident applicants must demonstrate they'd regularly conduct notarial acts in Delaware.
No. Delaware notaries are explicitly prohibited from notarizing outside Delaware's borders. The notarial act must take place within Delaware. The documents themselves can go anywhere, but you must be physically in Delaware when you notarize.
Delaware offers a Limited Governmental Notary (free, for State of Delaware agency employees, valid as long as employed) and a Service Organization Notary (free, one per state-recognized veterans' organization or volunteer fire/ambulance company). These are no-fee alternatives to the standard traditional commission.
Delaware is the corporate-formation capital of the U.S. — over a million business entities are registered there because of its business-friendly law. That creates ongoing demand for notarized corporate documents, resolutions, and filings, especially in the Wilmington area.
Correct. Delaware requires no surety bond, no exam, and no education course. The good-character requirement and (where applicable) background check serve as the vetting. E&O insurance is recommended for personal liability protection.
Delaware's corporate-formation economy generates steady notarial demand, especially around Wilmington. The 2-year new term is short — but renewals can be 4 years. We're recruiting founding-cohort Delaware notaries now — 10 spots, $10 platform fee for life.
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