Notary Public

*In addition to filing online to become an In Person Electronic Notary, you may now file your Change in Status/Duplicate Commission and Change in Status Resignation forms online on our Online Notary Portal.*

To apply to become a South Carolina Notary Public or renew your notary commission, you must complete the paper application Notary Public Application and Renewal Application (PDF) to mail to your county delegation office or the House of Representatives if you do not have a delegation office in your county. You must be a registered voter to become a notary public. If you do not know your voter registration number, call your County Board of Elections and Voter Registration or you may visit the South Carolina Election Commission website. See the detailed checklist section for constituents to use/follow in order to receive their notary commission without delays. A notary commission renewal may be processed within two-years of the notary’s expiration date, if the notary has not changed their name or addressed since the issuance of their commission. Please note addressed do not automatically update at the South Carolina Secretary of State Office.

If you are a current South Carolina Notary and you have changed your name or address since the issuance of your commission, you must inform the Secretary of State's Office by filing a Change of Status Request within 45 days of the change. You may file a Change in Status Request online on our Online Notary Portal. A renewal application that indicates a notary has changed his or her name or address will be rejected if a Change in Status Request Form has not been filed.

You may also request a duplicate notary commission by filing the Duplicate Request form on our Online Notary Portal.

If you are resigning or are no longer qualified as a notary, then you may complete the Change in Status Resignation Form on our Online Notary Portal.

A Change in Status/Duplicate Commission Request Form (PDF) or Change in Status Resignation Form (PDF) may be mailed to the Secretary of State's Office if you choose to not file online.

The South Carolina Notary Public Reference Manual describes the duties of the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office in detail and serves as a reference if you are a notary public.

https://sos.sc.gov/services-and-filings/notaries

Detailed Checklist for Notary Applications

Please use this detailed checklist when applying for a notary commission as these are common reasons for applications not being accept at the Delegation Office. By following this checklist, this will help constituents to receive their notary commission without delays.

  1. Voter registration indicates that you are not a registered voter in the county of Horry. (You must best registered in the county in which you reside & also must apply for a notary public in the county in which you reside)—whichever is your permanent address. We only handle applications for permanent Horry county residents
  2. Voter registration cannot find you as given on the application, your address with voter registration does not match the address on the application, or your voter registration is not active. All information on your application and voter registration card much be current and up-to-date. You must either call them at 843-915-5440 or go to their office at 1515 4th Avenue in Conway & update your registration before your notary application can be processed.
  3. Your application has not been witnessed by a notary public for South Carolina. You can never notarize your own signature. Penalty by law.
  4. Date of the “signature of applicant” and date of the “Notary Public” signature do not match. You must sign the application in the presence of SC notary and the notary must check applicant’s identity information and in applicant’s presence, affix his/her signature immediately after the applicants signing; therefore, making both dates and the same. By law, you must never sign a document and place it on someone’s desk to be signed later. You must complete another application and mail same back to this office, along with your check or money order.
  5. Application does not contain signature of applicant
  6. A check made out to “SC Secretary of State” in the amount of $25.00 was not enclosed along with your application.
  7. All checks must be made out to “SC Secretary of State” only. No other entity name should appear on the check. All checks must have bank issued current address printed on the upper left-hand corner for business and personal checks. No blank checks or start up checks will be accepted. Money orders and cashier checks are accepted, but also must be made out the “SC Secretary of State” only, and must have applicants’ signature and address on them as well. Cash or credit/debit card payments will not and are not accepted.
  8. All applicants must be original. No copies will be accepted.
  9. The South Carolina Secretary of State Office has the current and most up to date application form. Please use this form only. No other application forms will be accepted.
  10. All signatures must be printed legibly under the signed names. Notary’s signatures must be legible and able to read easily. Addresses must also be legible and include fully city/town name, not abbreviations (Ex: MB, NMB).
  11. Please do not include any other identity documentation, copies, or the address list of Delegation offices with your check and application.
  12. Please leave the bottom portion labeled FOR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION USE ONLY blank.
  13. Mail application, check/money order/cashier’s check to:
    Horry County Legislative Delegation Office
    P.O. Box 1236
    Conway, South Carolina 29528
    *Do Not Mail Applications to Columbia*
    If you would like to drop off your application, our office is located in the Old Historical Courthouse at 1201 Third Avenue in Conway. Enter through the Elm Street Side-Entrance of the Courthouse, and our office is the first hallway to the right—the end door. If no one is in the office, you may slide the completed application under the door.
  14. Our office will obtain the necessary signatures of the Legislative Delegation and mail the application to Columbia for processing. Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing, starting from the application process through receiving the commission certificate in the mail. Once Columbia receives your application, you will receive your commission certificate in the mail at the address you listed on the application.
  15. Once you receive your certificate in the mail, you’ll need to physically go to the Horry County Clerk of Courts to clock in your notary certificate and sign the notary registration book—All applicants, new or renewal must sign (renewals have a new expiration that must be updated). You must take a photo id and your certificate. It is a $10.00 filing fee and must be paid in cash or check at the Clerk of Courts. The Horry County Clerk of Courts Office is located at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway, and their phone number is (843) 915-5080. You may also go to the Horry County Clerk of Courts Office on the South Strand, located at 9630 Scipio Lane in Myrtle Beach, and their phone number is (843) 915-5082.
  16. If you have questions regarding getting a stamp or seal, you can may contact any office supply store.
  17. If you do not receive your certificate in the mail after 8 weeks, please contact the SC Secretary of State Notary Division at (803) 734-2512 as they issue all certificates.

Electronic Notarization

The Electronic Notary Portal is now available.

On May 18, 2021, Governor Henry McMaster signed the South Carolina Electronic Notary Public Act into law. The Act allows a notary public to register as an electronic notary and sets forth the requirements for electronic notaries public and electronic notarial acts. Online registration as an electronic notary public is now open to commissioned notaries.

Applications for registration as an electronic notary public are now available through the online portal. 

The Secretary of State’s electronic notary public portal will allow notaries to complete the registration process and receive the electronic notary certificate online.  The online application provides a seamless process for the applicant. The portal allows a commissioned notary public to watch an educational video, and complete online testing. After the successful completion of the electronic notary test, the notary public will then select the approved vendor that will provide the technology to perform an electronic notarization. The final step will allow the notary to receive and print their electronic notarial certificate.

Electronic notarization, also known as IPEN, requires that the notary public and the signer must be in the presence of one another when the notarization takes place. The documents are reviewed on an electronic device, such as a tablet or computer, and electronic signatures are used in place of ink signatures. This type of notarization is beneficial in many transactions. These electronically notarized documents may include various documents used in some lending and real estate transactions, and for electronic recording in counties.

Title 26, Chapter 2 of the S.C. Code of Laws and Chapter 113, Article 4 of the S.C. Code of Regulations set forth procedures for registration as an electronic notary public, registration of electronic notarization technology vendors, and requirements for execution of electronic notarizations. We encourage all prospective South Carolina electronic notaries public to carefully review these provisions. 

Electronic notarization technology vendors may register with the Secretary of State's Office to provide services to South Carolina electronic notaries public pursuant to S.C. Code of Laws Title 26, Chapter 2 and S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 113, Article 4. If you are an electronic notary solution provider and would like to register with the Secretary of State's Office, please contact us at it@sos.sc.gov.

For more information, please seethe Notary Press Release and Registration Now Open for Electronic Notaries Public.