Since January 2024, anyone applying for an Illinois notary public commission must complete a state-approved course and pass a written examination before being commissioned. This guide covers the format, the pass mark, the six topic areas, and what first-time applicants should expect.
Who needs to sit the Illinois notary public exam?
Almost every new applicant must sit the exam. Since January 1, 2024, the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312/2-101.5) requires applicants to complete an approved course of study and pass a final examination before the Secretary of State will issue a commission. A narrow exemption applies only to renewal applicants who are licensed attorneys in good standing, current Illinois or federal judges, or employees of such an attorney or court, provided they submit a signed statement confirming they have read and understood the current version of the Act.
Illinois county residents are commissioned for a four-year term. Residents of a bordering state whose place of work is in an Illinois county may also be commissioned, but only if that bordering state allows Illinois residents to become notaries there, and their commission runs for one year.
What is the format of the Illinois notary exam?
The exam is 50 questions per sitting, drawn at random from a test bank of at least 100 questions. Questions may be multiple choice, true or false, or a combination, with the rule that no more than half the questions may be true or false.
Illinois does not publish an official time limit for the examination. Most approved course providers set their own time window; practice apps typically use a 60-minute format to give candidates a realistic drill.
If you score below 85 percent, you may be re-tested using a different set of questions from the bank, and you may review the course material first. Failing three times means failing the course.
What is the pass mark for the Illinois notary exam?
You must score at least 85 percent to pass, which is at least 43 of the 50 questions correct on a given sitting (14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.235).
What topics does the exam cover?
The exam draws from six topic areas, all rooted in the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312) and the administrative rules in 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176:
- Getting and keeping your commission: who may be appointed, residency and qualifications, the course and examination requirement, the four-year commission term, the application, oath and bond, reappointment, and circumstances that end a commission.
- Performing notarial acts: your authority and its limits, the types of acts you may perform (acknowledgments, jurats, oaths and affirmations, verifications), how to handle signers who cannot sign, and the maximum fees you may charge. The statutory fee cap is $5 for a non-electronic notarial act and $25 for an electronic notarial act.
- Certificates and the official seal: what must appear on a notarial certificate, the required rubber stamp seal and its size limit (no larger than one inch high by two and one-half inches long), electronic seals, and the commission certificate.
- The notarial journal and records: when a notarial record is required, what each entry must contain (including the property index number for real-estate transactions involving residential property), paper and electronic journal formats, custody, retention, and inspection of records.
- Electronic and remote notarization: the electronic notary commission, electronic signatures and seals, remote notarization over audio-video communication, approved system providers, and recording requirements.
- Prohibited acts, misconduct, and penalties: acts a notary may not perform, official misconduct, impersonation, liability, and the reprimand, suspension, and revocation of a commission.
These six areas follow the structure of the Act itself, so working through the statute directly is an efficient way to prepare.
What does it cost to become a notary public in Illinois?
The application fee paid to the Secretary of State is $15 for a traditional notary public commission. Applicants who also seek an electronic notary public commission pay an additional $25 on top of that.
All Illinois notaries must file a surety bond. A notary who performs only traditional in-person notarizations files a $5,000 bond. A notary who also performs remote or electronic notarizations files an additional $25,000 bond, or a single combined bond of $30,000. These bond amounts are separate from the cost of the approved provider course.
Can I apply for a traditional and an electronic commission at the same time?
Yes. An individual may apply for both a notary public commission and an electronic notary public commission at the same time, and the two commissions run for the same term. If the traditional commission is revoked or suspended, the electronic commission is automatically suspended by operation of law until reappointment.
Where do the exam questions come from?
Every topic tested on the Illinois notary exam comes from the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312) and the administrative rules in 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176, both freely available from the Illinois General Assembly. The test bank contains at least 100 questions, randomized so that answers cannot be determined without completing the approved course.
The RiverMap Learning Illinois notary exam app covers all six topic areas through 590+ multiple-choice practice questions and 520 flashcards, each grounded in the same statutory text. It is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Illinois Secretary of State.