Warren County Notary Public Commission

Located in the Warren County Law Library
500 Justice Drive ~ Lebanon, Ohio 45036
(513) 695-1381 ~ lisa.zimmer@co.warren.oh.us

Information About Becoming a Notary

If you are a resident of Warren County and 18 years of age or older, you are eligible to become a Notary Public.

The first step in the notary application process is a telephone call to the Notary Commission. An information packet, including two application forms and a notary manual, will be mailed to your home. Study the manual, complete the forms, and plan to attend a testing session.

The notary exam is administered once each month. No pre-registration or reservation is required for the test. Please meet in the atrium area of the Common Pleas Court Building, 500 Justice Drive, promptly at 1 p.m. Plan to spend 30 to 45 minutes here for the preparation and testing process. The test is given on the second Thursday of each month.

What to bring to the test:

Your two completed application forms
$45.00 check or money order payable to the Warren County Treasurer
$15.00 check or money order payable to the SOS/Notary Clerk

The Notary Commission will send you a letter a few days after the test to let you know if you passed or failed the test. If you passed the test, your application will be forwarded to the Office of the Secretary of State for processing. You will receive your commission directly from Columbus approximately two to three weeks after the test. Please remember that your commission must then be recorded with the Warren County Clerk of Courts in order to be valid. The Clerk of Courts can be contacted at (513) 695-1120. A recording fee of $5.00 - $6.00 applies. If you failed the test, you may re-take it up to two more times without additional cost.

Your notary commission is issued for a period of five years. When you record your commission in the Clerk of Courts' office, the expiration date of your commission will be determined and you will have all of the information you need to order your stamp or seal from an office supply store.

Renewing Your Notary Commission

Your notary commission expires after five years. No reminder that your commission is about to expire is sent. You may apply to renew your commission 45 days before the expiration date or within 60 days after your expiration date

To start the renewal process, call the Notary Commission at (513) 695-1381 and the appropriate information and forms will be mailed to your home. Complete the forms and return them to the Notary Commission. Include two checks or money orders:

$15.00 payable to the Warren County Treasurer
$15.00 payable to the SOS/Notary Clerk

You will receive your renewed commission directly from Columbus. Your commission must be recorded with the Warren County Clerk of Courts, 500 Justice Drive, in Lebanon, (513) 695-1120. The recording fee is $5.00 to $6.00. Remember, your commission is not valid until it has been recorded.

For more information, please contact the Notary Commission at (513) 695-1381 or by e-mail at lisa.zimmer@co.warren.oh.us.