What Happens to Your Commission If You Move Out of Florida?

Published 2026-08-25 · Updated 2026-08-25 · For Notaries

Residency is continuing, not initial

Fla. Stat. §117.01(1) requires a notary to be a legal resident of Florida. That requirement runs for the entire four-year term — it is not satisfied once at application and then forgotten.

When you cease to be a Florida resident, you cease to be eligible to hold the office. The commission does not travel with you, does not convert to another state's commission, and does not sit dormant until you come back.

The practical trigger is establishing residency elsewhere: a new state's driver license, voter registration, homestead, or a declaration of domicile. Owning property in another state or spending a season there does not by itself end Florida residency. Moving does.

What to do when you move

1. Stop notarizing on the Florida commission. Once you are no longer a Florida resident you are no longer eligible to act.
2. Submit a written resignation to the Florida Department of State, and note the effective date.
3. Destroy the seal. Not store it, not keep it as a souvenir. A seal in a drawer is an instrument someone else can misuse, and it remains associated with your name.
4. Retain your records. If you performed remote online notarizations, the §117.245 obligation to maintain the electronic journal and recordings for at least 10 years does not end because your commission did. Arrange the repository before you move, and notify the Department within 30 days if you delegate retention.
5. Apply in your new state. Requirements vary enormously — some states require an exam, some a longer bond, some no education at all. Nothing about your Florida commission carries over.

The situations people actually ask about

• Snowbirds. If Florida remains your legal residence — license, voter registration, homestead — you are still a Florida resident and the commission stands. But you may only perform notarial acts while physically located in Florida. A Florida notary in Ohio in July is not a notary that day.
• Military. Service members domiciled in Florida who are stationed elsewhere generally retain Florida residency. The physical-location limit on performing acts still applies.
• RON and location. Remote online notarization changes where the signer may be, not where the notary may be. A Florida online notary must be physically located in Florida when performing the act, even though the signer may be anywhere.
• Moving back. A resigned commission is not reinstated. You apply as a new applicant, with a new bond, new fees, and a new commission number.

Related articles