Pennsylvania Notary Requirements

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57 P.S. § 151. Application to Become a Notary Public.
(c) As a condition for the Secretary of the Commonwealth's issuance of a notary commission to an applicant not appointed to the office of notary public as of the effective date of this subsection [July 1, 2003], a notary applicant must complete at least three (3) hours of approved notary education within the six (6) month period immediately preceding their application.

(d) Notary education may either be interactive or classroom instruction. All education programs shall be preapproved by the Secretary of the Commonwealth with a core curriculum that includes the duties and responsibilities of the notary office and electronic notarization.

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Note: In June 2004, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the wording of the Notary Public Law, cited above, exempted notaries who were appointed on or before July 1, 2003, from mandatory education. Only notaries who have an initial appointment after July 1, 2003, are required to take notary education.