CT Notary Notary Fees and Compensation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How much is the application fee to be appointed as a Connecticut notary public?
- $120.00 (Correct answer)
- $60.00
- $25.00
- $200.00
Correct answer: $120.00
Connecticut charges a $120.00 fee for a notary public appointment application.
Question 2: A Connecticut notary employed by a bank notarizes documents for customers during work hours. Who may keep the fees collected?
- The employer may keep the fees if the notary agreed to this as a condition of employment (Correct answer)
- The notary must always keep the fees personally
- The Secretary of the State collects all workplace notary fees
- Fees may never be charged in a workplace setting
Correct answer: The employer may keep the fees if the notary agreed to this as a condition of employment
A notary may agree with an employer that fees earned during employment belong to the employer.
Question 3: A signer refuses to pay the fee a Connecticut notary quoted before the notarization. What may the notary do?
- Decline to perform the notarial act (Correct answer)
- Perform the act anyway and sue for the fee
- Confiscate the signer's document until payment is made
- Report the signer to law enforcement
Correct answer: Decline to perform the notarial act
Because notaries are not obligated to serve every requester, they may decline service when a quoted fee is refused.
Question 4: For federal income tax purposes, how are notary fees earned by a Connecticut notary treated?
- They are reportable income but exempt from self-employment tax (Correct answer)
- They are completely tax-free
- They are taxed only if they exceed $5,000 per year
- They are subject to self-employment tax like all business income
Correct answer: They are reportable income but exempt from self-employment tax
Notary fees must be reported as income, but federal law specifically exempts them from self-employment tax.
Question 5: A Connecticut notary advertises "$50 loan document notarizations." The $50 covers one acknowledgment with no travel or other services. Is this permissible?
- No, because the charge for the notarial act exceeds the statutory maximum (Correct answer)
- Yes, because loan documents are exempt from fee limits
- Yes, as long as the fee is advertised in advance
- No, because notaries may not advertise at all
Correct answer: No, because the charge for the notarial act exceeds the statutory maximum
Advertising a fee does not make it lawful; the charge for the notarial act itself may not exceed the statutory cap.
Question 6: Which additional service may a Connecticut notary lawfully charge for separately from the notarial act fee?
- Travel to the signer's location at the statutory mileage rate (Correct answer)
- Preparing legal documents for the signer
- Giving legal advice about the document's effect
- Selecting the type of notarial act the document needs
Correct answer: Travel to the signer's location at the statutory mileage rate
Travel is a lawful separate charge, while document preparation and legal advice constitute unauthorized practice of law for a non-attorney notary.
Question 7: A Connecticut notary performs two jurats and one acknowledgment in a single appointment. What is the maximum total fee for the notarial acts alone?
- $15.00 (Correct answer)
- $5.00
- $10.00
- $20.00
Correct answer: $15.00
Three separate notarial acts at a maximum of $5.00 each total $15.00.
CT Notary Notary Fees and Compensation 3
How much is the application fee to be appointed as a Connecticut notary public?