Illinois Statutes Chapter 5. General Provisions § 312/2-101. Appointment

(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.

(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 If the commission of the notary public has been revoked or suspended, the Secretary of State shall immediately notify the notary public in writing that his or her commission as a notary public and as an electronic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.