A Notary or Notary Public is a person legally authorized by the state to witness the signing of documents, administer oaths, and certify documents. When a Notary witnesses the signing of a document, he certifies the parties signing are entering into the agreement of their own volition and that the persons are who they state they are.

Notary classes train a person to become a Notary Public. Each state has specific requirements for the amount of class hours a person needs to become a Notary. For example, the state of California requires six hours of training, while other states require less. Check with your state for the required number of hours of training.

A notary class can be taken in person, online or as a self-paced study course. In person classes can be found at community colleges, universities, and in some states, hotels and community centers. Online courses are offered through colleges and universities and can also be obtained from the National Notary Association (nationalnotary.org). The self-paced study course can be purchased at most major bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Borders or ordered from the NNA. Whichever method is chosen to take the courses, and exam is required at the end of the course.

The notary class consists of education about the law, ethical issues, what responsibilities a Notary Public has and what a Notary can and cannot do. This is especially important because in some states, Notaries can affix seals on documents that Notaries in other states cannot. For example, a Notary in West Virginia cannot oversee real estate transactions without a licensed attorney present, whereas a Notary in Pennsylvania can. In no state however can a notary affix a seal on a document that is involved in a criminal case.

Once a person passes the notary class, he applies to become a notary for the state where he lives. The application is usually provided as part of the notary class materials. The applicant must fill out the application completely, pay the filing fee and mail both to the Secretary of State's office in which the applicant lives. Once the state approves the application, the applicant must secure a surety bond of at least $10,000 and can order his seal. Once the bond is paid, the new Notary must be sworn in by a current commissioned Notary Public.