Chapter 4 of 518% of exam
Commission, Bond, and the Exam
How a person qualifies for and keeps a Montana notary commission: eligibility, the surety bond, the four-year term, and the open-book online exam.
Eligibility and term
Montana sets basic qualifications and a fixed commission term that the notary must renew on time.
An applicant must be at least 18 and able to read and write English.
The applicant must reside in Montana, or reside in a bordering state while regularly employed or practicing in Montana.
The commission is valid for four years and is not automatically renewed.
Citizenship and property ownership are not required.
The surety bond
Before acting, the notary files a bond that protects the public, not the notary.
Montana requires a $25,000 surety bond, filed with the Secretary of State.
The bond compensates members of the public harmed by the notary's misconduct.
If the surety pays a claim, the notary must reimburse the surety.
The exam
Montana requires a graded exam that, although open-book and online, still tests real knowledge of the handbook.
The exam has 50 questions with a 60-minute time limit.
It is open-book and taken online; a score of 80% is required to pass.
An applicant may attempt the exam three times, then must wait three months.
Open-book means know where the answers are; success depends on understanding the handbook, not memorization alone.