Plural of “notary-public”

The plural of notary-public is notaries-public (some dictionaries also accept notary-publics).

Why

"Notary public" follows French noun-adjective word order, with "notary" as the head noun and "public" functioning as a descriptive adjective meaning the office is a matter of public record and trust rather than private business. Because "notary" is a consonant-plus-y noun and the true head of the phrase, it takes the standard -ies plural, giving "notaries public" or "notaries-public" rather than "notary-publics."

This word order, along with the compound's overall structure, was borrowed directly from Anglo-Norman legal French, the same source that gave English "attorney general" and "court martial," all preserving noun-before-adjective phrasing from a period when French remained the working language of English law for several centuries after the Norman Conquest. "Notary publics" shows up constantly in everyday and business writing anyway, since few speakers today consciously register "public" as a trailing adjective rather than simply the last word of a fixed phrase that gets an -s tacked on at the end like anything else.

Usage note

"Notaries public" (or hyphenated "notaries-public") remains the standard, formally correct plural in legal writing and official documents ("the deed was witnessed by two notaries public"). "Notary publics" is common in casual and even some business writing, but formal legal contexts should still default to "notaries public."

In the United States, notary public authority is granted at the state level, and each state maintains its own commissioning process and rules, meaning the exact powers and requirements for "notaries public" can vary considerably depending on where the document is being signed. The role's core function, witnessing signatures and administering oaths to help prevent fraud, has remained essentially unchanged since the medieval period even as the specific legal procedures surrounding notarization have modernized considerably, including the more recent rise of remote online notarization in several jurisdictions.

Common real mistakes

The most frequent mistake is the end-pluralized "notary publics," treating the phrase as if "public" were the head noun rather than recognizing "notary" as the actual noun being counted. Writers should also avoid confusing a "notary public" with a lawyer or attorney; the role is a distinct, narrower certification focused specifically on witnessing signatures rather than providing broader legal advice or representation.

The wider pattern

"Attorney general" ("attorneys-general") and "court martial" ("courts-martial") both follow the exact same noun-adjective word order and the exact same rule for where the plural lands, a trio of titles that all entered English together through the same channel of Anglo-Norman legal French rather than developing this pattern independently.

Examples

• The document required signatures from two notaries public.
• Several notaries public work at the county clerk's office.
• Both notaries public confirmed the identity of the signer.
• The law firm employs three notaries public on staff.
• Notaries public across the state adopted the new digital verification system.
• The bank keeps notaries public available for customers each afternoon.
• Both notaries public reviewed the contract before witnessing the signatures.
• Several notaries public testified about standard verification procedures.
• The training program certifies new notaries public every quarter.
• Notaries public are required to keep detailed logs of every notarization.
• The county maintains a public list of licensed notaries public.
• Both notaries public charged a small fee for the service.
• The training seminar prepared new notaries public for the licensing exam.
• Several notaries public offer mobile services for homebound clients.
• The bank's notaries public are available without an appointment.
• She became one of the youngest notaries public in the county.
• The office keeps a rotating schedule of notaries public on call.
• The clinic hired two notaries public to handle patient paperwork.
• Both notaries public verified the signatures before the closing.
• The firm relies on notaries public to finalize real estate closings.
• The county courthouse keeps several notaries public on staff.