Sec. 5. AS 44.50.034(a) is amended to read:

(a) A person applying for a commission as a notary public without limitation under AS 44.50.010(a)(1) shall execute an official bond of $2,500 and submit the bond with the application under AS 44.50.032. The bond must be for a term of four years from the date of commission.

Starting January 1, 2021, each time you apply for a notary commission, you must submit a new $2,500 notary bond. If you or your employer prefer not to purchase a commercial bond, the bonding requirement can be met using the State of Alaska updated notary bond form.

Sec. 10. AS 44.50.075.  Notarial act performed for remotely located individual. is amended by adding a new section to read:

(a) A remotely located individual may comply with AS 44.50.062(5)(A) by using communication technology to appear before a notary public...(e) Before a notary public performs the notary public's initial notarial act under this section, the notary public shall notify the lieutenant governor that the notary public will be performing notarial acts with respect to remotely located individuals and identify the communication technologies the notary public intends to use. If the lieutenant governor has established standards under (f)(3) of this section or AS 44.50.072 for approval of communication technology or identity proofing, the communication technologies and identity proofing must conform to the standards.

A Commissioned Notary Public MUST submit a written request to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor before being able to perform a notarization for a remotely located individual, or more commonly referred to as a remote online notarization (RON). See the Guidance on Implementing Notarizations for Remotely Located Individuals for steps to submit a request.

In accordance with the passage of HB124 that goes into effect January 1, 2021, notaries commissioned by the State of Alaska performing notarial acts for remotely located individuals MUST maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs under AS 44.50.075 Notarial act performed for remotely located individuals. The notary public shall retain the journal for 10 years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the journal. See Notary Journals section of notary supplies page for more detailed requirements.

• Acquire bond or employer approval form before you continue with the online application process. The employer approval form replaces the Notary Bond requirement when applying for a Limited Governmental Commission. A notary bond will be the first form required during the online application process. Please note if you are using our Notary Bond Form, the surety signature MUST be notarized (A NOTARY APPLICANT MAY NOT ACT AS THEIR OWN SURETY). Please see out Notary Bond Information page for information on bonds.

• Once bond is acquired, begin application process using an active myAlaska account on the Online Notary Database. If you do not have an active myAlaska account, you can create one here or use the instructions listed below to apply by mail.

• From the Commission Type dropdown menu, select “Regular” if applying for a Regular Commission. If applying for a Limited Governmental Commission, select the appropriate government entity (Municipal, State, or Federal)

• Scan and upload Bond or Employer Approval

• Submit your application and you will receive an automated email from the database with a customized oath of office signature page attached as a PDF file.

• Oath of Office signature MUST be notarized. This will serve as your official signature (Sec. 44.50.063).

• Return to the Notary Database email that contained the oath and click the link to return to the database and upload your signed and notarized oath of office.

• Pay the $40.00 application using the link included in the automated email. The fee is waived for State of Alaska employees applying for limited governmental notary commissions.

• Acquire Notary Bond OR Employer Approval available for Federal, Municipal, or State Employees (Employer Approval form is applicable for the Limited Governmental Commission). Notary bond can be fulfilled through commercial insurance agency or by using our State of Alaska Notary Bond Form. (See more information on Notary Bond HERE)

• Application Form: You MUST provide a physical residence address on the application for our office to verify your Alaska residency prior to approval of your commission. We WILL NOT accept a PO BOX as a residential address. Please note that we also must also have a publicly available mailing address to send your notary commission certificate to upon approval. Your mailing address may be different from your residential address and can be a PO BOX.

• Credit card using the Credit Card Payment Form.

• Check or money order should be made payable to "State of Alaska".

• We MUST receive the wet signature original copy of your notarized Oath of Office (page 2 of the Application Form) to approve your application. We CANNOT accept emailed, scanned or photocopied oaths.

• Mail application, bond/employer approval, and payment to the following address:

Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Notary Public Office
PO BOX 110015
Juneau, AK 99811