The Cape May County Clerk's Office administers Notary Public and other oaths to Cape May County residents and those working in Cape May County. All Notary Public applicants must be at least 18 years of age and may not have been convicted of a crime.
A Notary Public is a public officer who is empowered to:
A Notary Public who is duly commissioned and qualified is authorized to perform these services throughout the State of New Jersey.
Notary Public commissions are for a term of 5 years. The oath must be administered by the County Clerk within 3 months of receipt of the Notary Public Commission by the Notary Section of the New Jersey Division of Revenue.
New Notary Public Provisions
Pursuant to P.L. 2021, c. 179, New Jersey implemented an updated notary public program. The new law institutes a number of important changes that collectively help to modernize the notary commissioning process and general notarial practices in this State, including provisions that:
We strongly encourage all current and prospective New Jersey notaries public, as well other interested parties, to read the law , the supporting administrative rules and revised New Jersey Notary Public Manual to gain an understanding of the new provisions.
NOTE: If you are an active Notary Public Commission and will offer remote and/or electronic notarizations, please visit our Notary Public Application, to update your Commission record with this information. Once there, select Remote/Electronic Notarization under File an Application. Then enter your Commission Number and Date of Birth to update your record.
Please direct any questions regarding the new law, rules and manual to the New Jersey Division of Revenue email gateway.
Take Your Oath as a Notary Public at the County Clerk’s Office
After you have met the requirements to become a Notary Public of New Jersey you will receive a Commission Certificate and Oath Qualification Certificate by mail. Bring these documents to the County Clerk's Office within 3 months of the date listed on the Commission Certificate to receive your oath. (Failure to meet the 3 month time limit will result in the cancellation of the appointment and the filing fee to the Notary Section will be non-refundable.)
The County Clerk's fee is $15 to administer the oath and to return the Oath Qualification Certificate to the Notary Section completing the application process.
If you are a Cape May County resident but work in another county it is recommended that you obtain a Certificate of Commission form from the County Clerk's Office when you take your oath. The fee is $15 to obtain the certificate and $15 to file the certificate with the County Clerk in the county where you work.
A Notary Public who is not a licensed attorney-at-law may not imply that he or she is an attorney or represent himself/herself as an attorney.
Notaries Public and the Unauthorized Practice of Law
A Notary Public who is not a licensed attorney-at-law may not imply that he or she is an attorney or represent himself/herself as an attorney.