How to Start a Notary Business in Michigan: Secretary of State Application, $10,000 Bond and Mobile Signing

If you want to become a notary in Michigan, you need a commission appointed by the Michigan Department of State, a $10,000 surety bond filed with your county clerk, and a few small fees. The process is not complicated, but people often skip a step or do the steps out of order. This guide covers how to get a Michigan notary license, what it costs, and what to set up if you want to run a mobile signing business on top of it.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, forms and procedures can change, so confirm each one with the agency named in the step.

What a Michigan notary commission is

A Michigan notary public is appointed by the Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal. The commission lets you perform notarial acts as an individual. It is not a business license. Michigan has no general statewide business license, and LARA's Corporations Division files business entities rather than licensing businesses. If you later form an LLC or assumed name for a mobile signing business, that is a separate filing, covered below.

A commission runs 6 to 7 years and ends on your birthday, so the expiration date will not line up with the date you were appointed. Read the end date on your commission paperwork and put it on your calendar the day you receive it.

Who qualifies

You must meet every one of these requirements to be appointed:

• Be 18 years old or older.
• Be a Michigan resident, or have your principal place of business in Michigan.
• Be a U.S. citizen, or show proof of legal presence in the United States.
• Be a resident of the county where you want to be appointed. Nonresidents use their business county.
• Read and write English.
• Have no felony conviction in the past 10 years.
• File a $10,000 surety bond with the county clerk. Attorneys are exempt from the bond.

If any item is uncertain for your situation, such as a past felony or a nonresident business address, ask the Department of State before you pay any fees.

Materials and information you need before you apply

Gather these items first so you do not stop partway through the process:

• A valid Michigan driver's license or state ID for identity checks.
• Proof of citizenship or legal presence if you are not a U.S. citizen.
• Your residence address and, if different, your principal place of business address in Michigan.
• A $10,000 surety bond from a surety company. Bonds usually cost $50 to $100, so ask the bond seller for the exact premium.
• Cash or the payment method the county clerk accepts for the county filing fee and the Department of State processing fee.
• A working email address and phone number that you will keep for the life of the commission.
• A plan for your seal (stamp). Michigan sets rules on what the seal must show, so confirm the required wording with the Department of State before you order one.

Step-by-step: how to get a Michigan notary license

Step 1: Confirm you meet every requirement

Go through the eligibility list line by line and be honest with yourself about each item. The most common stopper is the felony question. If you have any felony conviction in the past 10 years, do not pay fees until you have confirmed with the Department of State whether it affects your eligibility. Also confirm your residence and business county, since the county you pick determines where you file.

Step 2: Choose your county of appointment

You are appointed for a specific county, and that county's clerk files your bond and commission paperwork. Michigan has 83 counties. If you live in one county and do most of your work in another, the county rule depends on your residence and business location, so confirm it with the Department of State before you apply. Picking the wrong county means redoing the bond and filing.

Step 3: Buy your $10,000 surety bond

The bond protects the public if you misuse your commission. It is not insurance for you. Buy it from a surety company that writes Michigan notary bonds, and expect to pay around $50 to $100. Check with the bond seller that the bond is for $10,000, names you correctly and is written for the county where you were appointed. Keep the original signed bond, because the county clerk needs it.

Step 4: Submit your application to the Department of State

Complete the county clerk filing in Step 5 first, then submit the completed application to the Department of State. Find the current notary public application on the Michigan.gov site for the Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, and use the version posted today, since forms get revised. Fill in every field exactly as it appears on your ID. A name or address that does not match your records can cause delays. The Department of State charges a $10 non-refundable processing fee, so pay only after you have checked the form line by line. Ask the Department of State for its current processing time before you plan a launch date.

Step 5: File your bond and paperwork with the county clerk

Before you submit the application to the Department of State, take your bond and completed application to the county clerk in your county of appointment, where you also swear the oath of office. The clerk files your bond and collects the county filing fee, which is usually $10 but may be higher in some counties. Ask the clerk what else it requires at that visit, including any oath or signature step, and whether it needs the paperwork in a specific order. Get a receipt for every payment.

Step 6: Order your seal and set up your records

After your commission is filed, order your notary seal. Keep it locked up when you are not using it, because a lost or misused seal creates real problems. Set up a written record for every notarial act you perform. Confirm the record-keeping requirements with the Department of State before your first client, because they affect how you run daily work.

Step 7: Decide whether to add electronic or remote notarization

Electronic and remote notarization require a state-approved vendor platform. A general video call app does not meet that requirement. Check with the Department of State for the current approved vendors and the steps to enable those services under your commission before you advertise them.

Step 8: Set up the business side of mobile signing

Your commission lets you notarize. A mobile signing business is a separate matter, and it may need its own business structure and any assumed name filing. Your options:

• Sole proprietorship. You operate under your own legal name with no separate filing. If you do business under a different name, you file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk, because sole proprietors file assumed names at the county level (Form CSCL/CD-541 is the LARA form for LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships). Confirm the county fee with your clerk, since it is set by statute and by each county.
• Limited liability company (LLC). You file Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) with LARA through the MiBusiness Registry Portal. The filing fee is $50. Your Articles must name a resident agent and registered office. The yearly Annual Statement (Form CSCL/CD-2700) costs $25 and is due February 15. If your LLC uses an assumed name, the Certificate of Assumed Name for an LLC is $25 and is filed with LARA.

Start with the MiBusiness Registry at mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us to check your name, and read the LARA Corporations page at michigan.gov/lara before you choose a structure.

Two more checks are worth making. Counties and municipalities can require local permits, and if you run the business from home, confirm zoning with your city, township or village. Also check tax treatment with the Department of Treasury or a CPA. For reference only, Michigan's individual income tax rate is a flat 4.25 percent for the 2026 tax year, and a city income tax applies only in 24 Michigan cities.

Fees at a glance

Item	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Surety bond	$10,000 bond, usually $50 to $100 premium	Surety company	Attorneys are exempt
County clerk filing	Usually $10, some counties more	County clerk	Confirm the exact amount
Department of State processing	$10, non-refundable	Department of State	Charged with the application
Assumed name, sole proprietor	Set by statute and county	County clerk	Confirm with your clerk
LLC Articles of Organization	$50	LARA	Form CSCL/CD-700
LLC Annual Statement	$25	LARA	Due February 15 each year
Assumed name, LLC	$25	LARA	Form CSCL/CD-541
Notary seal	Varies by vendor	Seal vendor	Confirm the required wording first

What you can charge

Michigan law allows a notary to charge up to $10 per notarial act, plus travel fees that you agree on in advance (2003 PA 238). Agree on the travel fee in writing before you drive to the signing, and show the per-act fee and the travel fee as separate lines on your invoice. Charging a travel fee nobody agreed to is the fastest way to lose a client.

Expected results

A commission may open the door to notarizing for banks, title companies, attorneys, real estate offices and individual clients, and it can be a useful add-on to another job. Results depend on your local demand, how you market, and how quickly you build referral relationships. This guide cannot promise a specific income, number of bookings or client volume. Many new notaries start part time and test demand before they commit to more.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ordering a seal before your commission is filed and your wording is confirmed.
• Buying a bond for the wrong amount, the wrong name or the wrong county.
• Charging travel fees that were not agreed in advance.
• Starting a mobile business without setting up the business structure and any assumed name filing.
• Assuming a video call app counts as remote notarization without an approved vendor platform.
• Calendaring the appointment anniversary instead of the birthday-based expiration date.
• Using a P.O. box as the registered office for an LLC. A P.O. box alone is not sufficient.
• Missing the LLC Annual Statement due February 15.

Tips that save time

• Call the county clerk before your visit and ask for the exact fee, accepted payment methods and any paperwork order.
• Keep one folder with your bond, appointment letter, receipts and filing confirmations.
• Set a calendar reminder for your commission end date and for renewal well before it expires.
• Write your price sheet and your travel fee policy before your first booking.
• Verify every fee and deadline on the agency page before you pay, because the state and counties can update them.

Next steps

Confirm your eligibility, pick your county, buy the bond, submit the Department of State application and file with the county clerk. Then decide whether the mobile signing business needs an LLC or a sole proprietorship with an assumed name, and set it up before you advertise. If you are unsure which structure fits, ask a qualified attorney or CPA, especially if you plan to run a business with employees, partners or a significant income.

Important notice

This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice. It does not create an attorney-client or accountant-client relationship. For complex situations, including a past felony question, a nonresident business address, or the choice between an LLC and a sole proprietorship, consult a qualified attorney or CPA. Confirm current fees, forms and processing times with the Michigan Department of State, your county clerk, LARA and the Department of Treasury before you act.