08/20/2026
Oklahoma notaries, we need to talk about SB 1028.
I want to be clear up front: I fully support the new background check requirement. It's overdue and it's good for the profession. I also support the new bond amount. I always thought $1000 was laughable.
But here's what didn't get touched. The $5 per notarial act fee cap, stuck for decades, while the state just raised our bond from $1,000 to $10,000, bumped the application fee from $25 to $50, renewal from $20 to $45, and added a new background check fee on top of all of it.
So the cost of staying commissioned just jumped significantly, and what we're legally allowed to charge for the actual work hasn't moved an inch. Most states are already at $10 or more per act.
If you're trying to build real income around this work, that gap matters.
I emailed my state senator today. Took ten minutes.
Find your senator at oklegislature.gov/findmylegislature.aspx (use your home address, not your business address)
Tell them you support the background check
Ask them to revisit the Section 5 fee cap next session.
One email won't fix it. A few hundred might.
Oklahoma Legislature's Website where you can follow the introduction of bills, committee actions, and votes on the bills.