(a) 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.
     (b) A notary public commissioned in this State may apply for an electronic notary public commission to perform electronic notarial acts with the name that appears on the notary’s commission.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 312/2-101

  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.36
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

     (c) An individual may apply for a notary public commission and apply for an electronic notary public commission at the same time.
     (d) Any notary or electronic notary appointed by the Secretary of State may elect not to perform a notarial act or an electronic notarial act for any reason.
     (e) The commission of a notary public and an electronic notary public shall have the same term pursuant to subsection (a).
     (f) The electronic notary public commission of a notary public is suspended by operation of law when the notary public is no longer appointed and commissioned as a notary public in this State under this Act. If the commission of the notary public has been revoked or suspended, the Secretary of State shall immediately notify the notary public in writing that his or her commission as a notary public and as an electronic notary public will be suspended by operation of law until he or she is reappointed.