Notaries Public

The Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for the commissioning of Notaries Public for South Carolina and keeping the original copies of the Oath of Office on file. Notaries Public hold an important position in South Carolina. The South Carolina Notary Public Reference Manual will help you understand the duties of this office should you wish to apply, or serve as a reference if you currently serve as a Notary Public.

****NOTICE****

The handling of real estate closings by notaries public constitutes the unauthorized practice of law in South Carolina. Offering advice to clients, preparing deeds, notes, mortgages, and any other documents related to the transfer of property do not fall within the duties of a notary public. (Exception: An attorney who is also a notary public.) Real estate and mortgage loan closings must be conducted by attorneys in South Carolina.

The following process should be followed to apply to become a notary public or to renew a notary commission. You must be a registered voter to become a notary public. If you do not know your voter registration number, call your County Voters Registration Office or County Registration and Election Commission for this information.

  1. Carefully type or print legibly all information requested on the top portion of your application and sign in the presence of a notary public. Click on the form name to access the Notary Public Application/Renewal Form.
  2. Attach a $25.00 check or money order payable to “Secretary of State” to your application.
  3. Mail the application and check or money order to your county delegation for the required signatures. Your delegation office will forward your application and check or money order to the Secretary of State’s Office.  Allow your county delegation office two to six weeks processing time.  The delegation office must verify the notary applicant's name with the elections commission and obtain the necessary legislative signatures.
  4. If your county is not listed on the front of the application, forward your application and check or money order to: 

             South Carolina House of Representatives
             P.O. Box 11867
             Columbia, SC 29211-1867

  5. The Secretary of State’s Office will mail your commission within one week upon receipt of a properly executed application.

To read the statutes pertaining to Notaries, follow the links below:

Notaries Statute 
Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgements Act


To obtain the forms for Notaries and Apostilles, follow the link below:
Notaries and Apostilles