Notary Services
Notary Public Services
Notary Public services are available at banks, mailing services, and in some cases, attorneys' and accountants' offices.
Two signed forms of identification must be presented to have a document notarized. One form of ID must be a photo ID (driver’s license, passport). Please note that Notaries in the Town Clerk's office do not notarize wills, nor do they witness statements attesting to an individual's competency.
The document needs to be signed in front of the Notary.
New Notary Public Commissions
Notary public commissions are issued by the Secretary of the State’s Office in Hartford. Click here for the application and further information. Notaries must record their commission at the Town Clerk’s office in the town where they reside. They may also record them in the town where they do business.
Recording Fees
Becoming a Notary
Any person who is a resident of Connecticut or who has his/her principal place of business in Connecticut and is eighteen years of age or older, may apply to become a Notary Public in the State of Connecticut. The application for appointment as notary public must be completed in the applicant's own handwriting, and filed, along with the nonrefundable statutory fee of one hundred & twenty dollars ($120.00), with the Office of the Secretary of the State.
The examination is incorporated into the notary public application form and must be completed by each applicant. All questions on the exam must be answered correctly before an applicant will be appointed a notary public. An application may be returned to an applicant for error or incompleteness.
Each notary public is appointed by the Secretary of the State for a term of five years, beginning on the date of appointment and ending of the last day of the anniversary month five years later. The appointment is evidenced by a Certificate of Appointment bearing the notary's name. Upon receiving the Certificate of Appointment, and before performing any notarial act, the notary must take an oath of office. The appointment and oath of office must be recorded within thirty (30) days of having received the Certificate of Appointment with town clerk in the town in which the notary resides. The filing fee for recording the notary's commission and oath is ten dollars ($20.00). Name changes must be filed within 30 days of issuance of a replacement certificate by the Secretary of State ($15.00).
You may obtain a Notary Public Manual from the Secretary of State's office by calling their automated line at (860) 509-6232. You may also visit their webpage for additional Notary Public Information and to download forms. The manual is also available in the Putnam Town Clerk's office.