1.

Gerry
September 20th, 2007 at 11:53 am

In most states, the stated minimum fee does not limit what the notary may charge for non-notary services that he or she is qualified to provode. These other services might include advise from an attorney, copying, delivery, or travel.

2.

Nick
September 20th, 2007 at 12:15 pm

Yup, that’s why I specifically stated that these fees are the maximum for single-page, single-signature notarizations. That’s all I had done the other day, and I was still overcharged. If I had needed a copy of something, I expect I would have had to pay $80 more or something!

3.

Ingrid
September 20th, 2007 at 10:57 pm

In New Hampshire you can go to your local bank and they usually have a notary on staff who will do it for free if you have an account for them. I’ve done this both at Sovereign Bank and Bank of America

4.

Nick
September 21st, 2007 at 11:38 am

D’oh! Should’ve thought of that myself, Ingrid. We’ve got nothing but banks around here.

5.

Brian
September 21st, 2007 at 11:25 pm

I can’t believe this was a serious enough issue that states had to enact laws to set limits. Maybe the result of the Notary Mafia in the 70s or something.

6.

Florida Notary
September 23rd, 2007 at 5:53 pm

As a notary who travels throughout my geographical region, I’m always very careful to state that my fee includes a travel fee of $xx, plus the state-authorized $10 notarial fee. I state the fees up front when I take an initial call from a potential customer. I also have an office in our local pack ‘n ship (no, I’m not the big fat notary guy)…and I charge only the state-authorized fee for single page notarizations.

You should be aware, though, that some states allow a notary to charge per signature rather than per notarization. In those states, multiple signers on a document allows the notary to charge the state-authorized fee for each signature rather than each stamp. Florida is not one of those states, however.

FYI, most states also have a prescribed method to file a complaint about notary misconduct. For Florida, the method is listed on the Secretary of State’s website and at the Governor’s Office website. If a complaint is found to be true, the State will revoke the notary’s commission.

7.

Nick
September 24th, 2007 at 9:32 am

Thanks for your input, Florida Notary. I’m sure I could expand the chart to include the states that allow per-signature charges, but that would take some time to research. I’ll keep it on my plate though.

And of course it’s expected that traveling notaries will charge traveling fees. No point in driving 60 miles if you can only make $2.00 for a notarization.

8.

mapgirl
October 21st, 2007 at 5:28 pm

Wachovia will also do it for free if you have an account.

9.

Notary Public
November 7th, 2007 at 5:10 am

I am laughing about your pursuit of correct fees. Yes, each state has a limit on what a notary can charge for a notarization, that is true. But by listing what the state limits are, you may be confusing and misleading the general public. The state limit fees do not include the use of any supplies. For example, if the notary wording on the document is incorrect, the notary must attach a “loose leaf” sheet with the appropriate wording. There usually is a charge for that. Also, if you can’t get yourself to a shipping place, a mobile or traveling notary is your best option. Can you imagine a notary actually making money charging $4.00 for notarizing a signature after the costs associated with gas, traveling time, supplies such as loose leafs, advertising, maintaining a website? Doesn’t make sense, does it. I guess if you can get a tune up on your car and just pay the price of the spark plugs, then all this would make sense.

The guy behind the counter at the “shipping place” probably does the occasional notarization as his main business is shipping. However full time notaries are up to date on the current notary law and all the types of documents requiring notarizations and how that notarization should be done. Would you want a power of attorney form incorrectly notarized? How about a will or family trust? Would you pay an attorney $5000 to draft a family trust and then have the whole thing worthless in court because you went to the “shipping place notary” cause it only cost $4.00 there?

There are many court cases concerning folks that had documents incorrectly notarized and later found out that the document lost it’s full force and effect because the notarization wasn’t executed correctly.

Here is a link to some cases that I’ve listed on my website, so you can get an idea of the importance of having this done correctly with someone that knows what they are doing http://mymobilenotary.us/news.htm

10.

Rounin
November 13th, 2007 at 11:24 pm

There’s nothing to laugh about Nick’s pursuit of correct notary fees. The intention is good, warning us that there are notary public that take advantage to the public and their priority is making more money rather than public service. Besides, the table of notary fees that Nick’s posted is very clear, MAXIMUM FEES ALLOWED FOR MOST SINGLE-PAGE, SINGLE SIGNATURE NOTARIZATIONS BY STATE AS OF SEPTEMBER 19,2007, this is , if you’re the one who will bring the single page, single-signature document to the notary public office. Is the signature of the notary public use a gallon of ink and is the seal costs that much? But of course, mobile notary public is another story, and also the correction in the wording of the document that needs “loose leaf” is another thing, any extra service or copies requires extra charge, that is reasonable. But for a single -page , single-signature document that needs no correction at all, it needs just the signature, and you personally bring the document in the office, i don’t think it’s right to exceed the limit that the state implemented. And by the way, are the “shipping place notary” aren’t the same to the other public notary? They are all over the place and internet, how come they are allowed to operate? I appreciate it if somebody answers this question. And Nick, thank you for the informations you’re giving to all the people in the internet, it’s really a big help to us, I hope you continue doing this! Good luck and may the force be with you!

11.

Nick
November 14th, 2007 at 12:16 am

Rounin, the shipping place notaries are real public notaries. They get away with their extra fees because people don’t know about the maximum allowable fees and how to report violators.

12.

Obbop
December 8th, 2007 at 5:19 pm

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered today so that I, the Mighty Obbop, star of neither stage nor screen, can share his accumulated wisdom of a really long time.

“How long, Obbop,” I can envision the assembled multitude shouting out, in unison, sounding like one loud voice that roars across the proverbial fruited plains, echoing off purple-tinted mountains rising majestically above the fore-mentioned plains that, lying within the rain shadow of said mountains likely can not naturally allow the growing of fruit trees unless the bipedal primates infesting the planet where all this is going on perform some sort of irrigation to allow the growing of trees that result in fruited plains.

Oh. Notary fees.

Uhhhh… in the cultural backwater of Nebraska, at least in the Omaha area, every notary I have stumbled across does not charge a fee for stamping their stamp upon the paper needing a notary stamp.

Bank employees, insurance agency workers, there’s a slew of folks ready to make their official notary mark with nary a fee.

Bless their little souls.

13.

J
May 24th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

The general public has no clue about what professional notaries do for a living. They think we just go around and sign our names for cash. The shipping store guy - yeah - he’s a rip off. The person who doesn’t charge anything - doesn’t care what the document is and probably doesn’t/can’t read it anyway, which I might add is a violation of being commissioned where I’m from, maybe one-horse towns have no laws governing their notaries?? I can’t believe that anyone is squawking about having to pay a mere $2.00 for a professional service. And if you think you aren’t paying at the bank, check your statement next time - oh, you’re paying for it whether you choose to watch them take it out of your pocket or not. LOL