Wyoming Notary Requirements and E&O Insurance

Is a notary bond required in Wyoming?

No. Wyoming does not require a notary public to obtain a surety bond. The Secretary of State’s official notary education materials state plainly that “there is no statutory obligation regarding bonding or insurance for a Wyoming Notary Public,” and that any bond or E&O insurance a notary chooses to obtain “will NOT be filed with the County or the State.”

Because there is no bond backing a Wyoming commission, the notary carries direct responsibility for performing every notarial act correctly and in accordance with the Wyoming Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. A notary’s core duties—verifying identity, completing the notarial certificate, and recording each notarial act, refusal, and correction in a journal—are the practical safeguards against error and fraud. A notary may collect a fee if they choose, up to $10.00 per act.

How to become a notary in Wyoming

1. Confirm eligibility. Applicants must meet the qualifications in Wyoming law, including not having a felony conviction as prohibited by W.S. § 6-10-106.
2. Complete education and the exam. Review the Secretary of State’s Notary Education Presentation and complete the examination required by W.S. § 32-3-121. Applicants who already completed education and the exam through an approved vendor (the National Notary Association or the Notary Public Association) may include their certificate of completion and skip that part of the form.
3. Complete all four parts of the application/renewal form. Part IV must be notarized before submission—the Secretary of State’s office cannot notarize it for you.
4. Pay the $60 filing fee by check or money order payable to the Wyoming Secretary of State (credit cards are not accepted).
5. Mail or deliver a hard copy of the completed application to the Secretary of State’s office.
6. Obtain a compliant stamp/seal using the information on your certificate of commission; your county of residence cannot be included on the stamp.

Bond vs. E&O insurance in Wyoming

Neither a bond nor E&O insurance is required in Wyoming. A surety bond, where required in other states, protects the public and is repaid by the notary. Errors and omissions insurance is different—it is optional protection for the notary that can help with legal costs or claims from an unintentional mistake. In Wyoming, both are entirely optional, and the Secretary of State emphasizes that anything a notary chooses to buy is not filed with the state or county. Choosing E&O coverage is therefore a personal risk decision, not a licensing step.

Renewing your Wyoming commission

A Wyoming commission runs for six years. Renewal uses the same application/renewal form as an initial application, and the applicant must complete all four parts, including the education and examination requirement (or attach a certificate from an approved vendor). Part IV must be notarized, the $60 fee applies, and a hard copy must be mailed or delivered to the Secretary of State’s office. On the form, a renewing applicant indicates the expiration date of the current commission.

Remote online notarization in Wyoming

Wyoming authorizes remote notarization. On the application, a notary who intends to perform remote notarizations must identify the remote platform(s) or other form(s) of communication technology they intend to use. Wyoming allows both remote online notarization and remote ink notarization in addition to traditional paper notarizations, and remote acts must include certificate language indicating the act was performed using an electronic notarization system or other communication technology. A notary may also opt to have their contact information made available to people seeking remote notarizations or, for mobile notaries, for all notarizations.