How to Verify a Notary's Commission in Illinois

Before signing important legal or financial documents with a notary, it is good practice to verify their commission is current and valid. Illinois makes this easy through a free public database maintained by the Secretary of State.

Why Verify a Notary's Commission?

Most notaries are legitimate professionals, but verifying their commission protects you by confirming:

• The notary is actively commissioned and authorized to perform notarizations in Illinois
• Their commission has not expired
• Their commission has not been revoked or suspended
• The person is who they claim to be

This is especially important for high-stakes documents like real estate deeds, powers of attorney, and large financial transactions. A notarization performed by someone without a valid commission is not legally valid.

How to Verify Using the Illinois Secretary of State Database

The Illinois Secretary of State maintains a free, publicly searchable notary database at ilsos.gov. Here's how to use it:

1. Go to ilsos.gov
2. Navigate to Business Services → Notary Public
3. Click "Notary Search" or "Search Notary Database"
4. Search by the notary's last name, first name, or commission number
5. Review the results to confirm the commission is active and not expired

What to Look For in the Results

When you find a notary in the database, verify:

• Name matches: The notary's name in the database matches what they presented to you
• Commission status is Active: Not expired, revoked, or suspended
• Commission expiration date: Is in the future
• County matches: Their county of commission matches what they told you
• Commission number matches: The number on their seal matches the database record

Checking the Notary's Seal

Every Illinois notary must use an official seal that includes specific information. When a notary applies their seal to your document, verify it shows:

• The notary's full name as commissioned
• Their commission number
• The words "Notary Public" and "State of Illinois"
• Their commission expiration date (required on seals)

If the seal is missing any of these elements or the information does not match the database, the notarization may not be valid.

All Listings on IllinoisNotaryFinder.com Are Verified

Every notary listed in our directory is sourced directly from Illinois Secretary of State public records and is confirmed to hold an active commission at the time of our last data update. We recommend independently verifying commission status for time-sensitive or high-value documents, as commission status can change between our updates.

What if a Notary's Commission Has Expired?

If you discover after the fact that a notary's commission was expired when they notarized your document, the notarization is not legally valid. You will need to have the document re-notarized by a commissioned notary. If the notary knowingly performed notarizations with an expired commission, they may have committed a crime — report concerns to the Illinois Secretary of State's office.

Red Flags to Watch For

• A notary who refuses to show you their commission certificate or seal
• A seal that is smeared, incomplete, or does not include all required information
• A notary who offers to notarize documents without being present in person (except for authorized RON)
• A notary who asks you to sign a blank document
• A notary who offers to backdate a notarization

If a notary asks you to do anything that seems improper, decline and find another notary. You can report suspected notary misconduct to the Illinois Secretary of State's office.