Notary Public Cost
As the world gets more complicated and regulated, many legal documents need to be notarized to make sure they are valid.
Notarization is an important part of many legal processes, like buying or selling a house, making an affidavit, or getting a power of attorney. But how much does it cost to hire a notary public?
In this article, we’ll talk about the different things that affect notary public fees, the average cost of notary services, and how to find low-cost notary public services in your area.
What is a Notary Public?
Before we talk about how much it costs to use a notary public, let’s first talk about what a notary public is.
A notary public is a public servant who is allowed to watch people sign legal documents and certify that they did so.
They are in charge of making sure the person signing is who they say they are and that they are signing the document of their own free will.
Once a notary public has seen and confirmed that a document has been signed, it is legally binding.
When are Notary Public Fees Applicable?
The costs of getting a document notarized, also called “notary costs” or “notary fees,” vary a lot from one state to the next.
When you need a contract, property deed, living will, or another legal document notarized, you have to pay a fee.
In many situations, you may need to pay a fee to a notary. In general, you might need to have important papers, like loan papers or legal papers, notarized.
A notary public must verify that all of the information on the paperwork is correct and true. If the document needs to be signed in front of a notary public, you might have to pay a notary fee.
Notary Costs for Acknowledgments, Jurats, and Verbal Oath/Affirmation
| State | Acknowledgments | Jurats | Verbal Oath/ Affirmation |
| Alabama | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Alaska | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Am. Samoa | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ | $20 ‡ |
| Arizona | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Arkansas | No fee schedule, but signer must agree to it in advance | No fee schedule, but signer must agree to it in advance | No fee schedule, but signer must agree to it in advance |
| California | $15 | $15 | $15 |
| Colorado | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Connecticut | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Delaware | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| DC | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Florida | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Georgia | $2 | $2 | $2 |
| Guam | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ | $10 |
| Hawaii | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Idaho | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Illinois | $1 | $1 | $1 |
| Indiana | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ |
| Iowa | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Kansas | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Kentucky | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Louisiana | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Maine | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Maryland | $4 | $4 | $4 |
| Massachusetts | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Michigan | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Minnesota | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Mississippi | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Missouri | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Montana | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Nebraska | $5 | $2 | $2 |
| Nevada | $15 | $15 | $7.50 |
| New Hampshire | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| New Jersey | $2.50 / $15** | $2.50 / $15** | $2.50 / $15** |
| New Mexico | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| New York | $2 | $2 | $2 |
| North Carolina | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| North Dakota | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Northern Marianas | $2 | $2 | $2 |
| Ohio | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Oklahoma | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Oregon | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Pennsylvania | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Puerto Rico | Fees vary depending on the act | Fees vary depending on the act | Fees vary depending on the act |
| Rhode Island | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| South Carolina | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| South Dakota | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Tennessee | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Texas | $6 | $6 | $6 |
| US Virgin Islands | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Utah | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ | $10 ‡ |
| Vermont | No fee schedule | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Virginia | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Washington | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| West Virginia | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Wisconsin | $5 | $5 | $5 |
| Wyoming | $10 | $0 | $10 |
Notary Costs for Travel fees and Remote Online Notarization (RON)
| State | Travel Fees (set by) | RON |
| Alabama | – | N/A |
| Alaska | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Am. Samoa | – | N/A |
| Arizona | Dept. of Admin | $10 |
| Arkansas | No fee schedule, but signer must agree to it in advance | N/A |
| California | Not set † | N/A |
| Colorado | – | N/A |
| Connecticut | $0.35 per mile | N/A |
| Delaware | – | N/A |
| DC | Not set † | Not set* |
| Florida | – | $25 |
| Georgia | Not set † | N/A |
| Guam | – | N/A |
| Hawaii | – | $25 |
| Idaho | – | Not set |
| Illinois | – | N/A |
| Indiana | US General Services Admin | $25 |
| Iowa | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Kansas | No fee schedule | N/A |
| Kentucky | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Louisiana | No fee schedule | N/A |
| Maine | No fee schedule | N/A |
| Maryland | IRS ($5 max.) | $4 |
| Massachusetts | No fee schedule | N/A |
| Michigan | Not set † | $10 |
| Minnesota | – | $25 |
| Mississippi | Not set † | N/A |
| Missouri | Not set † | $5* |
| Montana | IRS | $10 per signature |
| Nebraska | Dept. of Admin Services | $25 |
| Nevada | $15 – $30 per hour † | $25 |
| New Hampshire | $0.20 per mile | $25 |
| New Jersey | N/A | Not set |
| New Mexico | $0.30 per mile | $25 |
| New York | – | N/A |
| North Carolina | Prohibited | N/A |
| North Dakota | Not set † | $5 |
| Northern Marianas | – | N/A |
| Ohio | Not set † | $25 |
| Oklahoma | – | $25 |
| Oregon | Not set † | $25 |
| Pennsylvania | – | N/A |
| Puerto Rico | Fees vary depending on the act | Fees vary depending on the act |
| Rhode Island | IRS | $5* |
| South Carolina | Not set † | N/A |
| South Dakota | – | $10 |
| Tennessee | No fee schedule | $25 |
| Texas | – | $25 + regular Notary fee |
| US Virgin Islands | – | N/A |
| Utah | – | $25 |
| Vermont | No fee schedule | No fee schedule |
| Virginia | Not set † | $25 |
| Washington | Not set † | $25 |
| West Virginia | – | N/A |
| Wisconsin | – | $25 |
| Wyoming | IRS † | $5* |
States in Which Notary fees are Not set by the law
The US states whose notary fees aren’t regulated by statute are shown in the following table.
| State | Acknowledgments, Jurats, Verbal Oath/Affirmation, Travel Fees |
| Alaska | No fee schedule |
| Arkansas | No fee schedule, but the signer must agree to it in advance |
| Iowa | No fee schedule |
| Kansas | No fee schedule |
| Kentucky | No fee schedule |
| Louisiana | No fee schedule |
| Maine | No fee schedule |
| Massachusetts | No fee schedule |
| Puerto Rico | Fees vary depending on the act |
| Tennessee | No fee schedule, but $25 for RON |
| Vermont | No fee schedule |
Factors that Influence Notary Public Fees
The price of notary services can vary depending on a number of things, such as:
State Regulations: Each state has its own rules about how much it costs to be a notary public. In some states, notaries are only allowed to charge a certain maximum fee, while in others, they can set their own fees.
In California, for example, notaries can charge up to $15 per signature, but in Texas, they can only charge up to $6 per signature.
Type of Document: The cost can also depend on how complicated the document is that needs to be notarized. For instance, a simple legal document like an affidavit may cost less than a more complicated one like a power of attorney.
Travel Fees: If a notary public has to travel to a location to notarize a document, they may charge extra fees to cover their travel costs.
Time of Day: Notaries may charge more for appointments outside of business hours or on the weekend.
Additional Services: Some notaries may offer extra services, like preparing documents or printing them, which can add to the cost.
How to Find Affordable Notary Public Services
If you need to have a document notarized, you can find cheap notary public services in your area in several ways:
Banks and Credit Unions: Customers of many banks and credit unions can get help from a notary for free or for a small fee.
Mobile Notary Services: Some notaries offer mobile services and will come to you to sign your papers.
Even though this may cost more than going to a notary in person, it can be easier and save you time and money on travel.
Online Notary Services: With online notary services, you can use video conferencing to have your documents notarized from a distance.
This can be more expensive than going to a notary in person, but it can be helpful if you can’t get to a notary in person.
FAQs For Notary Public Cost
How much do most notaries charge?
1 Standard notary fees range from $0.25 to $20 and are charged per signature or per person. 2 In some states, notaries can set their own fees. 3 Notarizing a mortgage closing can cost more than other types of documents.
How much can a Missouri notary charge?
A notary public is allowed to charge a fee for notarizing documents. Section 486.350 of the RSMo lets a notary charge two dollars for each signature on a document and for properly recording the notarization in their journal.
The most you can charge for any other notarial act is one dollar.
How hard is it to Become a Notary in Louisiana?
Those who want to be notaries must be approved by the Secretary of State’s Office.
If they are not licenced to practise law in Louisiana, they must also complete the Notary Exam Pre-Assessment and pass the state notary exam.
I am a beauty and hair specialist. I have been a hairstylist for nearly 4 years now. And love to explore different salons and their features. As a result, I decided to create a blog that tells people about the various salons and their pricing, services etc.