Not a government website
This website is privately operated. It is not the South Dakota Secretary of State's office, and not any other state, federal, county or municipal government body. It is not endorsed by, sponsored by, affiliated with, or connected to any of them. Any reference to a government office, form, statute or publication is descriptive only and does not imply any relationship.
Notary public applications, renewals and changes are filed directly with the South Dakota Secretary of State, by mail. Nothing can be filed through this site, and this site cannot submit, check, approve or look up the status of any application or commission. Use the Secretary of State's own Notary Public pages, linked in the Sources section on the home page.
We are not attorneys or notary training providers
The people who publish this site are not attorneys, notary training providers, notary associations, bonding agents, or government employees. No one here is qualified to advise you, and no one here is trying to sell you a course, a bond, or a seal.
Information only — no advice, no opinion
Everything on this site is general information compiled from publicly available government sources — the South Dakota Codified Laws, Secretary of State handbooks and forms, and official press releases — and presented as a plain summary of what those sources say. It is not legal advice, and it is not a recommendation to take or refrain from any action.
Reading this site, or contacting anyone associated with it, does not create an attorney-client relationship or any other professional or fiduciary relationship.
Eligibility, the specific wording required on a seal, and the requirements for remote online notarization turn on facts and on statutory detail that general information cannot fully capture. Before you apply, renew, or notarize a document using a method you haven't used before, consult a qualified professional or contact the Secretary of State's office.
No warranty of accuracy or currency — law changes
Notary law is not static. This page exists specifically because South Dakota eliminated its $5,000 bond requirement effective July 1, 2025, and legalized remote online notarization in 2024 — both changes that older sources still get wrong. Fees, forms, statutes and Secretary of State practice can change again at any time, and content here may be out of date, incomplete, or simply wrong.
We make no representation or warranty, express or implied, that any statement here is accurate, current or complete. All content is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this site.
Verify every figure against the official source before acting on it. The home page carries a Sources list linking the government documents it was drawn from.
External links
Links to government and third-party websites are provided for convenience. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content, availability or accuracy. A link is not an endorsement, and no link implies any affiliation or partnership. The online notary-services space is full of course sellers, bond sellers and seal vendors whose marketing pages are easy to mistake for neutral guidance — a company selling you something is not the same as a government source, and no purchase from any linked or unlinked vendor is required to become a South Dakota notary beyond the seal itself and the $30 state filing fee.
Corrections
If you find something on this site that is inaccurate or out of date, the official source linked on the page is authoritative and should be followed over anything published here.