Application, Appointment, and Commissioning
Getting commissioned
Alabama notary applicants must meet statutory eligibility: being at least 18, a qualified elector or resident as required, and not disqualified by specified criminal convictions. The application is filed with the judge of probate in the county of residence, accompanied by the required bond and fee, and the commission is issued through the Secretary of State. The bond protects the public against misconduct; it is not liability insurance for the notary.
The commission itself
The notary's authority is statewide and runs for the statutory term. The commission is personal: it does not transfer with a job, and a notary who changes employers keeps the commission but must update records. A notary must use the name exactly as commissioned and must obtain a seal that meets statutory requirements. When the commission expires, the notary must stop acting immediately; a renewal must be completed before continuing.
Traps to watch
- Bond vs. insurance: questions imply the bond pays the notary's legal fees. It does not; it protects the public.
- County vs. state authority: application is county-level, but the commission authorizes acts statewide.
- Term and expiration: know that authority ends on the expiration date and that continuing to notarize on a lapsed commission is a violation.
- Name changes and address changes: the notary must reflect statutory requirements; acting under a name not on the commission is improper.
Rule of thumb
Treat the commission like a license with a hard stop: on the expiration date, the pen goes down until the commission is renewed. If a question describes a notary who "kept notarizing while renewal was pending," that is a violation, not a harmless gap.