Article II. Appointment Provisions  

    (5 ILCS 312/2-101) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-101)
    Sec. 2-101. Appointment. The Secretary of State may appoint and commission as notaries public for a 4-year term as many persons resident in a county in this State as he deems necessary. The Secretary of State may appoint and commission as notaries public for a one-year term as many persons who are residents of a state bordering Illinois whose place of work or business is within a county in this State as the Secretary deems necessary, but only if the laws of that state authorize residents of Illinois to be appointed and commissioned as notaries public in that state.
(Source: P.A. 91-818, eff. 6-13-00.)

    (5 ILCS 312/2-102) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-102)
    Sec. 2-102. Application. Every applicant for appointment and commission as a notary shall complete an application form furnished by the Secretary of State to be filed with the Secretary of State, stating:
    (a) the applicant's official name, which contains his or her last name and at least the initial of the first name;
    (b) the county in which the applicant resides or, if the applicant is a resident of a state bordering Illinois, the county in Illinois in which that person's principal place of work or principal place of business is located;
    (c) the applicant's residence address and business address, if any, or any address at which an applicant will use a notary public commission to receive fees;
    (d) that the applicant has resided in the State of Illinois for 30 days preceding the application or that the applicant who is a resident of a state bordering Illinois has worked or maintained a business in Illinois for 30 days preceding the application;
    (e) that the applicant is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States;
    (f) that the applicant is at least 18 years of age;
    (g) that the applicant is able to read and write the English language;
    (h) that the applicant has never been the holder of a notary public appointment that was revoked or suspended during the past 10 years;
    (i) that the applicant has not been convicted of a felony; and
    (j) any other information the Secretary of State deems necessary.
(Source: P.A. 93-1001, eff. 8-23-04.)

    (5 ILCS 312/2-103) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-103)
    Sec. 2-103. Appointment Fee. Every applicant for appointment and commission as a notary public shall pay to the Secretary of State a fee of $10.
(Source: P.A. 85-1396.)

    (5 ILCS 312/2-104) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-104)
    Sec. 2-104. Oath. Every applicant for appointment and commission as a notary public shall take the following oath in the presence of a person qualified to administer an oath in this State:
    "I, (name of applicant), solemnly affirm, under the penalty of perjury, that the answers to all questions in this application are true, complete, and correct; that I have carefully read the notary law of this State; and that, if appointed and commissioned as a notary public, I will perform faithfully, to the best of my ability, all notarial acts in accordance with the law.
    ................. (Signature of applicant)
    Subscribed and affirmed before me on (insert date).
    ................... (Official signature and official seal of notary)".
(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

    (5 ILCS 312/2-105) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-105)
    Sec. 2-105. Bond. Every application for appointment and commission as a notary public shall be accompanied by an executed bond commencing on the date of the appointment with a term of 4 years, in the sum of $5,000, with, as surety thereon, a company qualified to write surety bonds in this State. The bond shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of all notarial acts in accordance with this Act. The Secretary of State may prescribe an official bond form.
(Source: P.A. 84-322.)

    (5 ILCS 312/2-106) (from Ch. 102, par. 202-106)
    Sec. 2-106. Appointment Recorded by County Clerk. The appointment of the applicant as a notary public is complete when the commission is recorded with the county clerk.
    The Secretary of State shall forward the applicant's commission to the county clerk of the county in which the applicant resides or, if the applicant is a resident of a state bordering Illinois, the county in Illinois in which the applicant's principal place of work or principal place of business is located. Upon receipt thereof, the county clerk shall notify the applicant of the action taken by the Secretary of State, and the applicant shall either appear at the county clerk's office to record the same and receive the commission or request by mail to have the commission sent to the applicant with a specimen signature of the applicant attached to the request. The applicant shall have a record of the appointment, and the time when the commission will expire, entered in the records of the office of the county clerk. When the applicant appears before the county clerk, the applicant shall pay a fee of $5, at which time the county clerk shall then deliver the commission to the applicant.
    If the appointment is completed by mail, the applicant shall pay the county clerk a fee of $10.00, which shall be submitted with the request to the county clerk. The county clerk shall then record the appointment and send the commission by mail to the applicant.
    If an applicant does not respond to the notification by the county clerk within 30 days, the county clerk shall again notify the applicant that the county clerk has received the applicant's notary public commission issued by the Secretary of State. The second notice shall be in substantially the following form:
    "The records of this office indicate that you have not