A notary is appointed into a notary commission by their state's notary division. A notary commission lasts for several years. However, he notary can resign, or have their commission revoked, suspended, or terminated for misconduct. Certified does not mean the same thing as commission. Many notaries say, "I have my notary". They mean they have their notary commission. Many notaries say I'm a certified notary. They might mean that they are a commissioned notary. However, it is possible be informally certified as a signing agent by a notary website or agency.