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SB 1573

ELECTRONIC NOTARY FEE WAIVER

104th Regular Session Introduced by Li Arellano and 21 co-sponsors

Illinois SB 1573 waives the $25 electronic notary fee and the $25,000 remote-notary bond for 2 years, while leaving the $5,000 bond in place, easing startup costs.

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Bill Summary · SB 1573

Summary — SB 1573 (Electronic Notary Fee Waiver — Illinois)

Note: The document provided contains text from multiple different bills (Arizona and Hawaii bills also labeled SB 1573). This summary focuses on the Illinois measure titled “Electronic Notary Fee Waiver,” introduced by Sen. Li Arellano, Jr., which matches the title you provided.

Purpose

To temporarily waive certain fees and a portion of the bond requirement for applicants seeking commission as an electronic (remote) notary public in Illinois, thereby lowering upfront costs to obtain an electronic notary commission.

Key provisions

  • Amendments to the Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312), specifically sections 2-103 (appointment fee) and 2-105 (bond).
  • Waiver of the $25 electronic notary commission fee:
    • Subsection (b-5) adds that the $25 fee for commissioning as an electronic notary public is waived and shall not be collected.
    • The waiver is temporary: it becomes inoperative on the date 2 years after the act’s effective date.
  • Waiver of the $25,000 remote-notary surety bond requirement:
    • Subsection (b-5) of section 2-105 states the $25,000 bond for electronic/remote notarization is waived for the same 2‑year period.
    • Notwithstanding the waiver, the existing standard $5,000 notary bond requirement remains in effect (i.e., a $5,000 bond is still required).
  • Effective date: The act takes effect upon becoming law (effective immediately once enacted).
  • Other existing rules remain unchanged (e.g., the $15 base appointment fee for all notaries, allocation of those funds).

Who is affected

  • Primary: Applicants in Illinois seeking commission as an electronic (remote) notary public — they would not pay the $25 electronic notary fee and would not be required to obtain the $25,000 remote-notary bond during the waiver period (but must still maintain the $5,000 bond).
  • Secondary: The Secretary of State’s office (revenue handling and administration of notary registrations) and the Electronic Notarization Fund (which normally receives the $25 fee and a portion of appointment fees).

Potential impacts

  • Fiscal: Short-term reduction in revenue to the Electronic Notarization Fund and related receipts that normally come from the $25 electronic notary fee and the $25,000 bond filings.
  • Consumer/public protection: Waiving the $25,000 remote-notary bond reduces the surety protection tied specifically to remote notarizations; claimants would still have recourse under the standard $5,000 bond.
  • Administrative: May encourage more notaries to obtain electronic-notary commissions by lowering upfront costs, potentially increasing availability of remote notarizations.

Legislative status & timeline (from bill text)

  • Introduced in the Illinois General Assembly by Sen. Li Arellano, Jr. (document: introduced 2/4/2025).
  • If enacted, the bill’s changes take effect immediately upon becoming law.
  • The $25 fee and $25,000 bond waivers expire (become inoperative) two years after the law’s effective date.

Notes

  • The source packet also included unrelated bills from Arizona and Hawaii that share the number SB 1573; those address mental health residential treatment (Arizona) and transfer/management of non‑agricultural park lands (Hawaii). This summary is limited to the Illinois electronic-notary provisions. If you want summaries of the Arizona or Hawaii texts as well, I can prepare those separately.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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