Delaware

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Every claim below carries its citation and the source it was checked against. Sections still in verification say so rather than guess.

Fees

$5 per notarial act on a paper document.

That covers an acknowledgment, witnessing a signature, an oath, or certifying a copy. A notary may waive it entirely.

29 Del. C. §4311(a), (d)

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ

Fees · Electronic

An act on an electronic record is capped at $25 instead of $5, and overcharging can cost the notary the commission.

The Secretary of State may revoke a commission for charging over the cap, and bar reappointment for two years.

29 Del. C. §4311(b), (c)

Statute only · the DOS FAQ does not address electronic records

Fees · Armed forces

A notary may not charge a service member, a veteran, or their family for notarizing Veterans Administration or service-related papers.

It covers papers required by the VA or connected to military service — not every document a veteran signs.

29 Del. C. §4312

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ

Fees · Travel

Delaware law doesn't set a travel fee. The Department of State tells notaries to give you an itemized fee list before they travel.

That's the state's recommendation, not a requirement — Delaware sets no travel rate at all.

29 Del. C. §4311; Delaware DOS Notary Public Section

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ

Notarial acts

Notarial acts · Copies

A Delaware notary can certify a copy, but not of an official or public record that a public official has to certify.

So not a birth certificate. The notary must also confirm the copy is a full and accurate reproduction.

29 Del. C. §4318(d)

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ (substance; its section number is stale)

Signer ID

Identification

Delaware asks for a current, unexpired government photo ID — or a credible witness who swears to your identity.

Delaware is stricter than its neighbours here: Colorado accepts an ID expired up to a year and Oregon up to three. A notary may also ask for more than the minimum.

29 Del. C. §4321(a)–(c)

Statute only · the DOS FAQ still describes the rule Delaware replaced in 2023

Journal & seal

Journal

Delaware notaries keep a single journal of every act, written at the time and kept ten years, including the fee charged.

One journal covers both paper and electronic acts, and it stays under the notary's exclusive control — it isn't public.

29 Del. C. §4332

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Journal Requirements

Online (RON)

A Delaware notary performing a remote notarization must be in Delaware, the session is recorded, and it can be done on a paper document.

The signer can be anywhere. Identity comes from personal knowledge, a credible witness, or two types of identity proofing.

29 Del. C. §4320(c)–(e)

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ

Apostille

Delaware apostilles come from the Division of Corporations — and they will not apostille a document notarized remotely or electronically.

So a document going abroad has to be notarized in person, on paper. Photocopies and out-of-state notarizations are refused too.

Delaware Division of Corporations

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section, Apostilles & Authentications

Becoming a notary

You must be 18, lawfully present in the U.S., live or work in Delaware, and read and write English — and the Governor, not the Secretary of State, appoints you.

The first commission runs two years, not four, and you can't notarize until the Secretary of State has your executed oath. A non-Delaware address needs a real workplace — no PO box, virtual office or registered agent.

29 Del. C. §4301(a)–(c); §4307(a); §4308

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section FAQ; DOS Fee Information

Complaints

Complaints go to the Notary Public Section in writing, and it's the Governor who can revoke a Delaware commission.

Delaware says it plainly: if the complaint alleges a criminal act such as fraud or forgery, contact law enforcement. Complaints must be written and can't be anonymous.

29 Del. C. §4334

Cross-checked · Delaware DOS Notary Public Section, File a Complaint

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.

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