Nevada Notary Bond Requirements

Is a notary bond required in Nevada?

Yes. Under NRS 240.030, each applicant for appointment as a notary public must enter into a bond to the State of Nevada in the sum of $10,000. The bond, together with the oath, is filed and recorded in the office of the county clerk of the county where the applicant resides — or, for a resident of an adjoining state, in the Nevada county where the applicant maintains a place of business or is employed. The county clerk then certifies to the Secretary of State that the bond and oath have been filed.

The bond protects the public against a notary’s misconduct up to $10,000. NRS 240.033 sets requirements for the bond, including notice to the Secretary of State if the penal sum is exhausted and rules on release of the surety. Only after receiving the application, fee, and county-clerk certification does the Secretary of State issue the certificate of appointment.

How to become a notary in Nevada

1. Pay $35 to the Secretary of State at the time you submit your application.
2. Take and subscribe the oath set out in the Nevada Constitution.
3. Complete the required course of study provided under NRS 240.018.
4. Enter into a $10,000 bond and file it, with your oath, at the county clerk’s office in your county of residence (adjoining-state residents file in the county where they work).
5. Submit a declaration that you have not had a notary appointment revoked or suspended, plus fingerprints and the fingerprint fee if the Secretary of State requires them.
6. Once the county clerk certifies your bond and oath and the Secretary of State processes your application, you receive your certificate of appointment.

Bond vs. E&O insurance in Nevada

The $10,000 bond is mandatory and exists to reimburse the public for losses caused by a notary’s errors or misconduct. Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance is optional and protects the notary personally, covering legal defense and any amount a surety seeks to recover after paying a bond claim. Nevada does not require E&O, but many notaries add it because the bond does not shield the notary’s own finances.

Renewing your Nevada appointment

A Nevada appointment lasts four years, measured from the effective date of the bond. To continue without a gap, submit renewal materials to the Secretary of State before your current term expires; NRS 240 allows renewal when the notary submits the required information before the appointment expires. A renewal requires a current bond and oath filed with the county clerk in the same way as the initial appointment.

Remote online notarization in Nevada

Nevada authorizes electronic and remote notarization. A person appointed as a notary public may register as an electronic notary public under the Chapter 240 provisions and, after meeting the Secretary of State’s technology and registration requirements, perform remote online notarial acts in addition to traditional notarizations.

Non-resident notaries in Nevada

Nevada expressly allows a resident of an adjoining state to be appointed if the person is regularly employed at, or maintains, an office or business located within Nevada. Such applicants must submit an affidavit of residence and Nevada work address, copies of the relevant Nevada state and local business licenses, and (unless self-employed) an employer affidavit, and they file the bond in the Nevada county where the business is located.