GA Notary Maximum Notary Fees 3 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following may a Georgia notary NOT do regarding fees?
- Charge less than the maximum
- Waive the fee entirely
- Charge $2.01 for a single act (Correct answer)
- Charge $0 for a family member
Correct answer: Charge $2.01 for a single act
Charging even one cent above the $2 maximum per notarial act is a violation of Georgia law.
Question 2: A Georgia notary charges $2 for an acknowledgment and then adds a $2 'convenience fee.' Is this permissible?
- Yes, convenience fees are unregulated
- Yes, if disclosed in advance to the signer
- No, this would exceed the maximum allowed fee (Correct answer)
- Yes, if the signer agrees in writing
Correct answer: No, this would exceed the maximum allowed fee
Adding extra charges beyond the $2 maximum circumvents Georgia's fee limit and is prohibited regardless of disclosure.
Question 3: Under Georgia law, may a notary charge for travel to perform a notarial act away from their office?
- Never under any circumstances
- Yes, a reasonable travel fee may be charged separately from the notarial fee (Correct answer)
- Only if the travel exceeds 10 miles
- Only with prior Secretary of State approval
Correct answer: Yes, a reasonable travel fee may be charged separately from the notarial fee
Georgia law permits a notary to charge a separate, agreed-upon travel fee in addition to the per-act notarial fee.
Question 4: A signer and notary sign a written contract agreeing to a fee of $50 for a single notarization. Is this valid in Georgia?
- Yes, private contracts override state fee limits
- Yes, if both parties sign the agreement
- No, the $2 maximum applies regardless of private agreements (Correct answer)
- Yes, for real estate transactions only
Correct answer: No, the $2 maximum applies regardless of private agreements
Georgia's statutory maximum fee cannot be circumvented by any private contract between the notary and signer.
Question 5: A Georgia notary waives the notary fee for a close friend. This is:
- Prohibitedāall signers must be charged equally
- Permissibleānotaries may waive fees at their discretion (Correct answer)
- Prohibited without written documentation
- Permissible only for immediate family members
Correct answer: Permissibleānotaries may waive fees at their discretion
Georgia notaries may choose to charge less than the maximum or waive the fee entirely for any signer.
Question 6: What authority establishes the maximum notary fee in Georgia?
- The county where the notary is commissioned
- The Georgia General Assembly through statute (Correct answer)
- The Secretary of State by administrative rule
- Each judicial circuit independently
Correct answer: The Georgia General Assembly through statute
The Georgia General Assembly establishes the maximum notary fee through O.C.G.A. Ā§ 45-17-11.
Question 7: A notary charges $2 to notarize a will's signature and $2 to notarize a separate self-proving affidavit attached to the same will. Each act is performed individually. Is this permissible?
- No, documents in the same transaction may only incur one total fee
- Yes, each distinct notarial act may be charged separately up to $2 (Correct answer)
- No, will-related documents may only be notarized for free
- Yes, but only if both fees are disclosed before signing
Correct answer: Yes, each distinct notarial act may be charged separately up to $2
Each separate notarial act performedāeven on related documents in the same transactionāmay be charged up to the $2 maximum.
GA Notary Maximum Notary Fees 3
Which of the following may a Georgia notary NOT do regarding fees?