If you don't want to face an interruption in your Kansas notary public commission, you must take care to begin the renewal process well in advance of your expiration date.
A notary appointment is only valid for a period of four years in Kansas. Thankfully, the renewal process involves repeating most of the steps you performed to complete your initial application.
As long as you submit the application for your renewal before the expiration date on your current commission, you can continue acting as a notary public with no interruption in service.
To encourage this, the Kansas Secretary of State accepts renewal applications as many as 90 days before expiration and recommends that notaries begin the renewal process roughly two months before expiration.
Here are the five steps you must take to renew your commission:
The first step in this renewal process is making sure that you are still in compliance with relevant state eligibility requirements.
You must still be free of unpaid government judgments as well as convictions for notarization-relevant crimes such as larceny and bribery. The state also prohibits public office holders and members of the U.S. military from becoming commissioned.
Next, you must purchase a four-year $12,000 surety bond. The bond amount increased in 2022 after the state passed SB 106, called the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Act (RULONA).
Although not required, you may also want to purchase an errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy. Remember, your bond protects the public while an E&O policy protects you.
Order your official stamp and other necessary accessories from a reputable dealer. In 2022, RULONA established the notary journal requirement. You must obtain a new stamp and journal before you can submit your renewal application and begin notarizing under your new appointment.
Fill out the Notary Public Appointment Form from the Secretary of State and place a clear impression of your new stamp in the designated space. If you plan on using use more than one stamp, you must affix an imprint for each one.
Sign the oath (Section B) in the presence of another notary, who must notarize your signature on the application.
If you purchase our renewal package, we automatically fill out the surety bond portion (Section C). Your application is now ready for submission.
Upload your application online using the official Secretary of State website under the online notary system. Create a new account or log in to an existing one and select Notary Public Appointment Paper Form Upload. When renewing online, you can pay the application fee using a credit card.
You can also print and mail your application to:
Kansas Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 S.W. 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594
Get help navigating the complexities of your Kansas notary reappointment with our state specific notary renewal package. It includes your required surety bond, record-keeping journal and self-inking stamp. Remember that you need your new seal for your renewal application, so give yourself enough time to apply and receive your stamp.
Notaries must renew every four years.
All notaries must hold a current four-year, $12,000 surety bond.
You can only continue to act as a notary if you submit your renewal application before your current appointment's expiration date.
