I am a notary in Southwest Washington, and I am thinking of getting my license in Oregon also. I am wondering if any of you are licensed in Washington and Oregon and if you have found it is worth it to be licensed in both states. TIA!
I considered it, but the drive to Oregon made me say no. I stay very busy in Eastern Washington and drive enough without adding driving in Oregon.
@tanaka.axberg.notary Just in case you haven’t already Researched this . . .
- Check your Notary Public Guide/Handbook for the rules/regulations regarding a dual Notarial Commission
- Find out the residency requirements in Oregon to ensure that you can apply for a dual Notarial Commission before making the financial investment(s)
- Ask both States if there is a requirement for a separate Notarial Journal for notarizations within Washington & a separate one for notarizations within Oregon
Of course, IF you are able to move forward with your goal, there will be additional expenses for the new Oregon Notarial stamp, embosser, etc.
Definitely check the requirements. I lived in VA but when we moved to NC I let the notary expire. I went back last year to apply again as we live so close to the state line and it is a very rural area. Easier for me to travel to than a VA notary. VA would not consider unless I had a permanent VA address.
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I have the same issue here in East Tennessee. I live less than 5 miles from Virgina, but unless I have a physical address in VA they won’t let you apply. There is work with in 15 miles of me just about every week that I could do, but can’t. The other side is though if you work in Virgina you have to pay state income taxes in VA. Here in TN we don’t have state income taxes.
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But I love the fact that if the signer comes over the state line from VA there is nothing the State of VA can say or do. I’ve had that happen several times. I’ve also had a client that you walked in his front door you were in NC but walk out the back, you were in VA. He had a turn around on his adjacent property for the mail carrier to turn around before entering VA. It would be nice if all we had to concern ourselves with is zip codes (how far we will travel).
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Can’t you rent a mail box at a mailbox R s store and use that physical address?
When I was in Tennessee, the office closed but we got a rental mail box to retain a Tennessee street address and called the box a suite number. Worked for a very large company for years.
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Maybe, but they also require the majority of your work to be in VA, according to the Sec of State’s office.
Oh, well durn. Who determines what a majority is when you’re just starting out?
I’m not sure how they would do it, unless they look at how much you filed in VA taxes versus how much you filed on your federal taxes. The IRS will share filing information with the state.
I know a notary that has dual commission in both WA and OR for years. Daniel Brewer. He is on other forums and would be happy to answer your questions!