To hold a New York notary commission, you must live in New York or have an office or place of business in the state when you are appointed. An applicant who doesn't want a home address released may also give the Department of State a New York business address for disclosure purposes only.
This post covers the addresses a notary gives the state, not how to find a notary. We read Section 130 of the New York Executive Law on the New York State Senate site. We also read three Department of State (DOS) pages and the Change Notice form DOS-1473-f on October 17, 2026. On that day we counted the fields and records in the state's public list of active notaries.
Which address does New York use to decide if you can be a notary?
Your address is part of the test for the commission itself. Executive Law Section 130 sets the rule in one sentence:
"Every person appointed as notary public must, at the time of his or her appointment, be a resident of the state of New York or have an office or place of business in New York state."
So there are two ways to qualify. A New York resident qualifies through a home in the state. A person who lives elsewhere qualifies only through an office or place of business in New York. The DOS page on becoming a notary lists the same requirement in almost the same words.
Section 130 also says what happens after a move. The outcome depends on whether a New York office or place of business remains.
| Your situation | Result under Section 130 |
|---|---|
| Resident who moves out of New York and keeps an office or place of business in the state | Does "not vacate his or her office as a notary public" |
| Resident who moves out of New York and keeps no office or place of business in the state | "shall vacate his or her office as a notary public" |
| Nonresident who stops having an office or place of business in the state | "vacates his or her office as a notary public" |
In plain words, to vacate the office means to lose the commission. Section 130 also covers attorneys who live in an adjoining state and keep a law office in New York. Such an attorney "shall be deemed a resident of the county where he maintains such office." Under the same section, a commission runs "for a term of four years."
What counts as an office or place of business if you live outside New York?
Section 130 doesn't define the phrase. We counted "place of business" 4 times in the section, and the section never explains what makes a place qualify. We also searched the section for "mailbox," "mail drop" and "post office box," and found none of them.
The law does settle one address question for nonresidents. The section reads:
"A non-resident who accepts the office of notary public in this state thereby appoints the secretary of state as the person upon whom process can be served on his or her behalf."
Process means legal papers in a lawsuit, such as a summons. For a nonresident notary, the law names the Secretary of State to receive those papers. A mailing address you choose doesn't take that role.
In our reading, a nonresident should plan on a real place in New York where the notary works. A mailbox address receives mail, and nothing in the texts we read says a mailbox meets the office or place of business test. If you are unsure whether your New York location qualifies, ask the DOS before you apply.
Which notary address does the Department of State make public?
A notary's address can reach the public in two ways. The first is the state's open data list. A public records request for the application is the second.
The open data list is called Commissioned NYS Notaries Public, on Open Data NY. The description says each record "holds business address and license number information." We counted 13 public fields besides the system fields. Business name, business address, commissioned county and term dates are among them. None of the 13 fields holds a home address.
We ran count queries on the list on October 17, 2026, the day the data was last updated. We report totals only, not any notary's record.
| What we counted | Result |
|---|---|
| Active commission records | 224,961 |
| Records with a first business address line filled in | 21,461 (about 9.5%) |
| Records with a business name | 5,149 |
| Business addresses outside New York state | 16 (New Jersey 11, Connecticut 3, California 1, Pennsylvania 1) |
| First address lines that begin with a PO Box | 410 |
| Records with "PMB" (private mailbox) on address line 1 or line 2 | 12 |
| Commission type | Traditional 209,791, Electronic 15,170 |
The 12 "PMB" records show that private mailbox addresses appear in some records. Those records don't show that the DOS accepted them as an office or place of business.
A blank business address in the list doesn't make your address private. The second path is the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), New York's public records law. The DOS FAQ says the address on the application can be released under it.
Your county and the county clerk
Your address also sets your county. The DOS FAQ says "Notaries Public are commissioned in their counties of residence." The DOS FAQ also says the Secretary of State sends the notary's signature to the county clerk, so the public can check it there. In the open data list, New York County (Manhattan) had 22,720 records, third after Nassau with 27,504 and Suffolk with 24,257.
How can you keep your home address out of a records request?
The DOS FAQ answers this question directly. The FAQ asks whether to give a business address as well as a residence address on the application. The answer reads:
"The notary application address is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law and if an applicant does not want their residence address released, they may also provide our office with a NYS business address for disclosure purposes only."
Three details in that answer matter. First, the business address is given in addition to the home address, so the DOS still has your home address. Second, the business address has to be in New York state. Third, the business address is for disclosure, which is a separate question from qualifying under Section 130.
For a resident, the home address is what qualifies you. In our reading, the disclosure address is the one the DOS can release in place of your home address. The FAQ doesn't say more about how a release is handled, so ask the DOS if you need certainty.
Can a virtual mailbox address go on your notary record?
The answer depends on which line you mean. The texts we read treat the qualifying address and the disclosure address differently.
For a nonresident's office or place of business, we don't think a mailbox address fits, and we don't offer ours for that purpose. The law doesn't define the phrase, and the DOS pages we read don't mention mailboxes.
For a resident's disclosure address, the picture is less clear. The FAQ asks for "a NYS business address" and says nothing about private mailboxes either way. Form DOS-1473-f asks for a number and street on each address line. A street address with a box number meets that format, but format isn't approval. Before you list a mailbox address with the DOS, contact the DOS Division of Licensing Services and ask whether it accepts that kind of address. Its renew-or-update page lists notary@dos.ny.gov and 518-474-4429 for help.
We compared what a private mailbox and a USPS PO Box can each receive in virtual mailbox vs PO Box. Other places your home address can end up are in Can I use my home address as my business address?
How do you change your notary address with the Department of State?
The DOS update page gives the method: "To update your personal name, business or residence address download, complete and submit the Change Notice to the address on the form." The Change Notice is form DOS-1473-f. Its list of license types includes "Notary Public."
Each new address on the form has its own line and its own county box. Both lines carry the same instruction.
| Form line | Text printed on DOS-1473-f |
|---|---|
| New home address | "NEW RESIDENCE ADDRESS (No. and Street required. P.O. Box may be added to ensure delivery)" |
| New business address | "NEW BUSINESS ADDRESS (No. and Street required. P.O. Box may be added to ensure delivery)" |
So a P.O. Box can't stand alone on either line. The form asks for a number and street, and a P.O. Box may only be added to that.
The DOS lists a fee for this change. The Become a Notary Public page reads "$10 - Change of Personal Name and/or Address (No fee is required if a name change is the result of a change in marital status)". The FAQ and the form also show $10. Check the current fee on the form before you send it.
The form gives two more instructions. The first is "Do not mail your license with this form." The second says "you may print the new name and/or business address directly on your license."
The update page lists the Division of Licensing Services mailing address as PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001. For UPS, FedEx, DHL and similar services, the page says "you should use the physical address of the building." That building is 1 Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12231.
The FAQ also asks notaries to "keep your email address current with our office" so they get updated information about the commission. Online applicants receive their commission card by email. Under the update page, you can renew "90 days prior to your license expiration date."
How an Auteur address fits
We sell virtual mailboxes, so read this section as the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens. An Auteur address isn't an office or place of business under Section 130, and it can't make a nonresident eligible for a commission. Our address also isn't a registered agent, and for nonresident notaries the law already names the Secretary of State to receive legal papers.
The use we see is narrower. A New York resident who keeps the home address on file may want a separate address for notary mail and for the disclosure line. Ask the DOS Division of Licensing Services whether it accepts a mailbox address for that line before you list ours.
Every address we offer goes through USPS Form 1583 before mail can arrive in your name. The Virtual Mailing Address receives personal mail in individual names. The Virtual Business Address receives mail in a business or trade name, for a notary who runs a signing business under its own name.
You see a photo of each envelope as it arrives on either plan. We open and scan a piece only when you ask, for one flat fee. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. We send pricing by email with the next steps, and the fair use policy sets out our fees and limits.
For personal notary mail, choose the Virtual Mailing Address in New York. For a signing business with its own name, get your Virtual Business Address. Ordering is free, and nothing is charged today. If you also run a company, our guide on which of your LLC's addresses become public record covers the state filing side.
FAQ
Can I be a New York notary if I live in New Jersey?
Only if you have an office or place of business in New York state, under Executive Law Section 130. If you stop having that office, the section says you vacate the commission. As a nonresident, you appoint the Secretary of State to receive legal papers for you.
Does New York publish my home address as a notary?
The open data list of notaries has business address fields and no home address field. The DOS FAQ says the application address can still be released under the Freedom of Information Law. If you don't want your home address released, the FAQ says you may also give a New York business address for disclosure purposes only.
How much does it cost to change my notary address in New York?
The DOS lists a $10 fee for a change of personal name or address. A name change that results from a change in marital status has no fee. Check the fee on form DOS-1473-f before you send it.
Can I use a P.O. Box on my New York notary change of address form?
Not by itself. Each address line on form DOS-1473-f says "No. and Street required," and a P.O. Box "may be added to ensure delivery."
Bottom line
A New York notary qualifies through a home in the state or, for a nonresident, through an office or place of business in New York. The law doesn't define that office, and we wouldn't use a mailbox address to meet it. The application address can be released under the Freedom of Information Law, so the DOS lets an applicant add a New York business address for disclosure purposes only. If you want a mailbox address on that line, ask the DOS first. Address changes go on form DOS-1473-f with a number and street, and the DOS lists a $10 fee.
