State notary law guide
Oregon
Guide liveEvery claim below carries its citation and the source it was checked against. Sections still in verification say so rather than guess.
Fees
3 verified facts$10 per notarial act.
That covers an acknowledgment, an oath, witnessing a signature, or certifying a copy. Protesting a check drawn on an insolvent bank is free.
§ORS 194.400(1)Cross-checked · Oregon SOS fee schedule (OAR 160-100-0400)
A remote notarization is up to $25 per act.
It replaces the $10 rate for acts performed for a remotely located signer, and like every Oregon fee it is a ceiling rather than a set price.
§ORS 194.400(1)Cross-checked · Oregon SOS fee schedule (OAR 160-100-0400)
A travel fee needs your agreement in advance, and the fee list must be shown before the notarization.
The notary has to say the travel charge is on top of the notarial fee and is not set by law, and you have to agree the amount first.
§ORS 194.400(2)–(3)Cross-checked · Oregon SOS fee schedule (OAR 160-100-0410)
Notarial acts
1 verified factAn Oregon notary can certify a copy, but not of Oregon vital records.
The test is whether a records custodian issues certified copies — if so, go to them. Oregon birth, death, marriage and divorce records cannot be copied at all, and a photograph cannot be notarized.
§ORS 194.230(4)Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Signer ID
1 verified factA government photo ID works even if it expired up to three years ago.
Oregon also accepts the notary's personal knowledge of you, or a credible witness who appears in person and swears to your identity.
§ORS 194.240(2)Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Journal & seal
1 verified factOregon notaries journal every act as it happens and keep it for ten years.
The entry records the fee charged and the expiry date of the identification shown. A notary may keep more than one journal, and a paper journal must be a bound register with numbered pages.
§ORS 194.300Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Online (RON)
1 verified factAn Oregon notary performing a remote notarization must be located in Oregon.
The signer joins by live video and audio. Oregon's rules require the technology to accommodate signers with visual, hearing or speech impairments.
§ORS 194.277(3)Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Apostille
1 verified factOregon issues one certificate that serves as both an apostille and an authentication.
It certifies the signature, stamp and status of the official who signed — not the contents. Countries outside the Hague Convention usually need further treatment by the U.S. Department of State.
§Oregon Secretary of StateCross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Becoming a notary
1 verified factYou must be 18, live or work in Oregon, read and write English, take the state's basic training and pass the exam.
Since January 2025 the basic training is required every four years — there is no shorter refresher at renewal. A conviction for unlicensed practice of law disqualifies you.
§ORS 194.315(2); ORS 194.325Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Complaints
1 verified factThe Secretary of State takes complaints about Oregon notaries, and can hand an investigation to the Attorney General.
A complaint is not anonymous in Oregon: it's a public record and a copy goes to the notary. Money and criminal matters are still for the courts.
§ORS 194.340; ORS 194.415Cross-checked · Oregon Notary Public Guide (2024)
Straight answer · What these guides are
Reference, not legal advice.
These guides explain how notarization works: the fees, the acts, the process. They won't tell you which document your situation needs, and neither will any notary. Notaries public are not attorneys and cannot give legal or immigration advice. For that, talk to a lawyer.
The same rule that governs our directory governs these pages: we publish what the state publishes, cite it, and stop there.