A budget change proposal (BCP) submitted by the Secretary of State highlights an upcoming request for proposals (RFP) estimated to be released this spring.
The BCP, which seeks $9.8 million for the 2026-27 budget year for the ongoing Notary Automation Program Replacement project (NAP 2.0), offers a glimpse at the next phases of the project that began in 2022. The total project cost is listed at $58.3 million.
According to the BCP, the department currently uses a legacy solution that is roughly 30 years old to store and maintain notary public commission data as well as process apostille requests. The existing system is used by more than 146,000 California notaries public.
“Current technology has evolved significantly since the NAP system was created, thus integration of the legacy NAP system with current and future technology, and possibly third-party systems, is challenging,” the budget request reads.
The business analysis phase of the system replacement was approved by the California Department of Technology in August of 2022, followed by the alternatives analysis phase in July 2024.
Since that point, the project team has “completed a master project schedule, onboarded ancillary consulting vendors and is working on requirements gathering and development of the prime vendor request for proposals.”
In addition to updated functionality, the new version of the NAP system is also needed to help the department comply with Senate Bill 696, which was signed into law in 2023. That law mandates that the Secretary of State provide public notaries with full online capabilities by the year 2030.
Secretary of State BCP Teases Spring ‘26 RFP
What to Know:- The 30-year-old system used to store and maintain notary public commission data and process apostille requests is being replaced.
- The total project is valued at just under $60 million, with $9.8 million sought for this budget cycle.
- A prime vendor request for proposals is expected to be released at some point in the spring of 2026.
