Free IL-Notary Maximum Allowable Fees and Fee Schedule Display Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum fee an Illinois notary public can charge for a single, traditional in-person notarial act?
- $1.00
- $5.00 (Correct answer)
- $10.00
- $25.00
Correct answer: $5.00
As of a 2023 amendment to the Illinois Notary Public Act, the maximum fee for a standard, in-person notarial act was increased to $5.00. Notaries are permitted to charge any amount up to this limit but cannot exceed it.
Question 2: If an Illinois notary chooses to charge for their services, what is required regarding the fee schedule?
- Verbally inform the signer of the fee beforehand
- File the fee schedule with the county clerk
- Conspicuously display a schedule of fees in English (Correct answer)
- Provide an itemized receipt for every transaction
Correct answer: Conspicuously display a schedule of fees in English
Illinois law mandates that any notary who charges for notarial services must prominently and conspicuously display an English-language schedule of the maximum allowable fees. This ensures public transparency and prevents overcharging.
Question 3: A client presents a document requiring two separate notarial acts (e.g., an acknowledgment and a jurat on the same document). What is the maximum fee for this traditional, in-person service?
- $5.00
- $7.50
- $10.00 (Correct answer)
- $25.00
Correct answer: $10.00
The maximum fee of $5.00 is charged per notarial act, not per document or per signer. Since two distinct notarial acts are being performed, the notary can legally charge for each one, resulting in a maximum total fee of $10.00.
Question 4: For which of the following services is an Illinois notary explicitly prohibited from charging a fee?
- Notarizing a document for a non-profit organization
- Notarizing an application for a ballot (Correct answer)
- Notarizing a document for a close family member
- Notarizing a real estate document for a senior citizen
Correct answer: Notarizing an application for a ballot
The Illinois Notary Public Act contains a specific provision that forbids notaries from charging any fee for notarizing documents related to voting. This includes applications for ballots, affidavits, or any other forms required for a person to exercise their right to vote.
Question 5: In addition to the statutory fee for the notarial act, what other fee may a notary charge?
- An administrative fee not to exceed $15
- An after-hours service fee
- A travel fee, if agreed upon by the signer in advance (Correct answer)
- A technology fee if a credit card is used for payment
Correct answer: A travel fee, if agreed upon by the signer in advance
Illinois law allows a notary to charge a travel fee, but it is not unrestricted. The fee must be for actual and reasonable expenses incurred for the travel, and crucially, the signer must be informed of and agree to the fee in advance.
Question 6: What is the maximum fee an Illinois notary can charge for a single electronic notarial act, such as a Remote Online Notarization (RON)?
- $5.00
- $10.00
- $15.00
- $25.00 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $25.00
For electronic notarizations, which include Remote Online Notarization (RON), the maximum allowable fee in Illinois is $25.00 per notarial act. This higher fee acknowledges the additional costs associated with technology platforms, identity proofing services, and electronic record-keeping.
Free IL-Notary Maximum Allowable Fees and Fee Schedule Display Questions and Answers 1
What is the maximum fee an Illinois notary public can charge for a single, traditional in-person notarial act?