Whether you need a background check for a notary commission depends entirely on your state. Some states require a fingerprint-based criminal record check through an approved vendor, some require a name-based criminal history report, and many rely on self-disclosure of past convictions right on the application. Your state’s commissioning authority, usually the Secretary of State, publishes the exact requirement, and checking that page first keeps you from paying for a screening your state doesn’t ask for.
Does Your State Actually Require One
Most states do not require applicants to undergo a formal criminal screening. They ask you to disclose past convictions on the application and expect an honest answer; lying is itself grounds for denial or revocation. California and Ohio are among the states that do require a criminal record check, but they are in the minority.
Even in self-disclosure states, past convictions can still disqualify you. The absence of a mandatory check is not permission to omit history. Start on your state’s official notary page, typically under the Secretary of State, though a few states run commissioning through the Governor’s office or a state court. That page will tell you whether a check is required, what kind, and which vendor to use.
Fingerprint Checks vs. Name-Based Checks
States that require screening use one of two approaches, and the difference decides where you go and what you pay.
Fingerprint-Based Checks
The stricter approach runs your fingerprints against state and often FBI criminal databases. California requires one set of classifiable fingerprints submitted via Live Scan for each commission term. Fingerprint checks are more reliable than name searches because they link directly to criminal records rather than matching on name and birthdate.
You’ll go to an authorized Live Scan or electronic fingerprinting location. IdentoGO by IDEMIA operates in all 50 states and is the largest national network, but your state may also approve local law enforcement agencies or other third-party providers. The state’s application page lists the acceptable vendors and any service codes you need to give them. Using an unapproved vendor is one of the most common reasons applications stall.
Name-Based Checks
Other states require a criminal history report without fingerprints. You order the report from a state agency, often called a Bureau of Criminal Investigation or something similar, or from an approved third-party vendor, using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Ohio, for example, requires a criminal record check current within six months of your application. Name-based checks are cheaper and faster but less reliable for records filed under aliases or former names.
What the Check Looks At
A notary background check focuses on criminal history. You’ll typically provide your full legal name, any former names, date of birth, Social Security number, and current and past addresses. The search covers felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending criminal charges, and in some states civil judgments involving fraud or dishonesty. A fingerprint check routed through the FBI reaches federal records nationwide; a state-only check may stop at that state’s borders.
What Can Disqualify You
Specific disqualifying offenses vary by state, but a few categories are near-universal problems. Felony convictions are the most common automatic disqualification. Convictions involving dishonesty, fraud, or moral turpitude carry heavy weight, because notary duties center on verifying identities and witnessing truthful signatures.
A misdemeanor doesn’t automatically end your application. Many states weigh the nature of the offense, how long ago it happened, and evidence of rehabilitation. An old minor misdemeanor is not treated the same as a recent forgery conviction. Some states publish the exact offenses that trigger automatic denial; others give the commissioning authority discretion. If you have any criminal history, read your state’s disqualification rules before paying any fees.
What It Costs
Cost depends on your state and whether fingerprinting is required. Fingerprint-based checks tend to run higher because they involve both a fingerprint capture fee and a state or FBI processing fee. Name-based checks through a state agency are generally cheaper. Expect roughly $25 to $75 for state-level checks, with the total climbing when both state and FBI processing are required. These fees go to the fingerprinting vendor or background check provider and are separate from your notary application fee. Your state’s commissioning page will list the exact numbers or link to the vendor’s fee schedule.
How Results Reach the State, and How Long They Last
In most fingerprinting states, the vendor transmits results electronically and directly to the commissioning agency, so you never handle them. A few states instead give the results to you, sometimes in a sealed envelope, to submit with your application package.
Results have a limited shelf life. Ohio’s six-month window is a representative example. If you order the check too early and then delay filing, you may have to pay for a new one. Get the rest of your application materials ready first, then order the background check so everything lands with the agency inside the valid window.
Signing Agents Face a Separate, Stricter Screening
If you plan to work as a notary signing agent handling loan closings, you’ll face a second background check on top of your state’s requirement. Title companies and lenders won’t hire signing agents who haven’t passed an industry-standard screening, regardless of what state law requires.
The Signing Professionals Workgroup sets the standard used across the mortgage industry. Its screening searches county criminal courts, federal district courts, a nationwide criminal database, motor vehicle records, the National Sex Offender Registry, and federal watchlists including the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list and USA Patriot Act terrorist watch lists.1Signing Professionals Workgroup. Background Screening It covers ten years of criminal history and uses a point-based scoring system in which 25 or more points is a failing score, with hits on sex offender registries or terrorist watch lists causing automatic disqualification regardless of points. A handful of states, including California, Colorado, and New York, cap reporting at seven years.2Signing Professionals Workgroup. Notary Signing Agent Background Screening Standards
The National Notary Association’s Loan Signing Agent Certification includes a background screening accepted by nearly every hiring company. Other vendors offer compliant screenings, but the NNA’s is the most widely recognized. Signing agent screenings must be renewed annually, because lenders and title companies want a screening no more than one year old at the time of a signing.3National Notary Association. The Cost of Becoming a Notary Signing Agent
Do You Need a New Check at Renewal
Whether renewal triggers a new background check depends on the state. States that require fingerprint-based checks initially often require them again each term; California calls for prints for each notary public commission term. Other states waive the check at renewal if the commission hasn’t lapsed and you have no new criminal history to report. Some states treat a lapsed commission as a brand-new application, background check and all, so check the renewal rules separately rather than assuming they’re lighter than the original. Signing agents run on a different clock entirely, since their industry screening renews every year regardless of when the state commission expires.