How to Become a Notary in West Virginia and Start a Mobile Notary Business: $52 Fee and 5-Year Term

If you want a West Virginia notary license, the state process is short. You pay a $52 filing fee, swear to your application, and receive a commission that lasts five years. The part most new notaries underestimate is what comes next. A mobile notary business is a notary commission plus the registrations and local licenses that any service business in West Virginia needs. This guide covers the commission, the business setup, and the rules that cause the most trouble.

What you need before you apply

Gather these items before you open the online application. The state asks for the information directly, so having it ready keeps the session short.

• Your legal name, date of birth, and home address in West Virginia, or the address of your place of employment or practice in the state
• Your citizenship or permanent legal resident status
• Your high school diploma or equivalent
• A valid email address you check regularly, since the Secretary of State will contact you there
• A debit or credit card to pay the $52 filing fee
• A budget for a notary stamp and a notary journal. Confirm the stamp format with the Notary Division before you order one.

Step-by-step: getting your West Virginia notary commission

1. Confirm you qualify. West Virginia notaries are commissioned under W. Va. Code 39-4, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. You must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, able to read and write English, and a holder of a high school diploma or equivalent. You must also be a West Virginia resident or have a place of employment or practice in the state. If you work for a state or local government and want the filing fee waived, you need a letter from your supervisor. Federal employees are not eligible for that waiver, so ask the Notary Division if you work for the federal government.

2. Check the Secretary of State's current instructions. Go to the Secretary of State's business page at https://sos.wv.gov/business and find the notary section. Requirements and forms can change, so read the current instructions before you start. Every figure in this guide should be confirmed against that page before you pay.

3. Apply online and pay $52. Applications are filed online through the Enterprise Registration and Licensing System, which you can reach from the Secretary of State's website. The filing fee is $52. Keep the confirmation page and receipt, because they are your only proof of payment until the commission arrives.

4. Complete the sworn statement. Since 2018, West Virginia has not required a $1,000 bond or a separate oath of office. Instead, you make a sworn statement on the application itself. Read every answer before you submit. The statement is only as reliable as the information you give, and a wrong answer creates problems later.

5. Receive your commission and set up your tools. Once the commission is issued, it is valid for five years under W. Va. Code 39-4-20(d). Order your stamp and journal only after you have confirmed the format the Notary Division expects. Your journal is where you record each notarial act, and it is the record that supports the fee you charged.

6. Learn the rules that govern every act. The maximum fee is $10 per signature or other notarial act under W. Va. Code 39-4-30. You may not notarize a record in which you or your spouse is a party or has a direct beneficial interest, under W. Va. Code 39-4-4. The signer must be physically present for the act unless a statute allows a remote act. If you want to perform electronic notarizations, you need a separate authorization, Form N-2, which carries no fee. The technology you use must meet the standards in 153 CSR 45.

Step-by-step: setting up the mobile notary business

A mobile notary business is not a separate license. It is your notary commission plus the business registrations and local licenses that apply to your business. The steps below cover the state and local pieces in the order most people need them.

1. Choose your business structure. Many mobile notaries operate as sole proprietors under their own name. If you want a separate business name, you have two main options. A trade name, or DBA, is filed with the Secretary of State, not a county clerk. Sole proprietors and general partnerships pay no filing fee for a DBA, and the form is TN-1. An LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 for a $100 filing fee. Its name must include an approved designation such as limited liability company or LLC. The annual report costs $25 and is filed between January 1 and June 30 each year. Filings after June 30 cost $75 because of a $50 late fee. A registered agent is optional in West Virginia.

2. Register with the State Tax Division. Every individual or business entity must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the West Virginia Tax Division before it engages in business. The one-time fee is $30. You can apply on Form WV/BUS-APP or online at https://business4.wv.gov/. The certificate is permanent until your business name, location, or ownership changes. Registering with the Secretary of State does not replace it.

3. Ask whether your home office counts as a location. A separate certificate is required for each business location. A mobile notary does not have a fixed storefront, but many run the business from a home office. Ask the Tax Division whether a home office counts as a fixed location before you assume one certificate covers everything.

4. Check your city's license and tax rules. West Has 55 counties and 230 incorporated places, and the city where you operate matters as much as the state. Most cities levy a gross receipts business and occupation tax, a city business license, and a weekly per-worker city service fee. The state B&O tax applies only to utilities, so the tax that reaches a service business like yours usually comes from the city. Ask your city clerk whether notary fees and travel charges are subject to that tax and what the license costs. Also note that 101 municipalities add a 1% sales tax on top of the 6% state rate, with 107 municipalities doing so from January 1, 2027.

5. Decide whether you want signing-agent work. Many notaries also work as loan signing agents, handling real estate closing documents. These sources do not describe signing-agent work as a separately licensed activity in West Virginia. Confirm the rules with the Secretary of State's Notary Division before you advertise that service or accept an assignment.

6. Plan your renewal. Your commission runs for five years. Put the expiration date on your calendar and start the renewal process well before it lapses. Confirm the renewal steps with the Secretary of State, because the process may differ from your first application.

Cost summary

The table below lists the government fees covered in this guide. Costs that are not listed in the state's current materials should be confirmed with the agency named.

Item	Cost	Where to confirm
Notary commission filing fee	$52	Secretary of State, sos.wv.gov/business
Maximum notary fee per signature or act	$10	W. Va. Code 39-4-30
Business Registration Certificate (one per fixed location)	$30	business4.wv.gov
Trade name (DBA) for a sole proprietor or general partnership	No filing fee	Secretary of State, Form TN-1
Trade name (DBA) for an LLC or other registered entity	$25, plus a $1 online processing fee if filed online	Secretary of State, Form NR-3
LLC Articles of Organization	$100	Secretary of State, Form LLD-1
LLC annual report	$25, or $75 if filed after June 30	Secretary of State
City business license and gross receipts tax	Set by your city	Your city clerk

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

• Do not notarize for yourself or your spouse. This is the most common disqualification problem, and it applies even when the document is routine.
• Do not assume the fee is whatever you want. The statutory maximum is $10 per act. Before you quote a travel fee or convenience charge, confirm with the Secretary of State how it fits within that limit.
• Do not skip the journal. A complete journal protects you if a signature is questioned years later.
• Do not notarize remotely without checking the rules. The signer must be physically present unless a statute allows a remote act, and electronic work requires its own authorization.
• Do not register only with the Secretary of State. Registering an LLC or DBA is a filing, not a license. You still need the $30 Business Registration Certificate and any city license.
• Do not treat the Secretary of State as your only source. Cities set their own license and tax rules. Call the city clerk before you open for business.
• Do not let your commission lapse. A lapsed commission means you cannot perform notarial acts until you are recommissioned, so calendar the renewal early.

What results to expect

A commission gives you the authority to perform notarial acts. It does not guarantee clients, revenue, or a particular schedule. Many new notaries find that demand is strongest where there is steady need for signatures, such as in busy county seats and near professional offices, but results depend on your local market, your availability, and how clearly you explain your services. Some notaries build their practice by serving a single type of client, such as small businesses or estate offices, while others take a broader range of work. Plan your first year as a learning period, track your acts and expenses from the start, and adjust your approach based on what your records show.

Disclaimer

This article is informational and is not legal or tax advice. Notary law, business registration rules, and city tax rates can change, and a city may apply rules that differ from the state's. Confirm each fee and requirement with the Secretary of State at sos.wv.gov, the West Virginia Tax Division at tax.wv.gov, and your city clerk before you act on it. If your situation involves contracts, real estate closings, liability, or taxes, consult a qualified attorney or certified public accountant.