If you've ever wondered how much a notary public can legally charge — or if you're a notary trying to understand what you can charge — the answer depends almost entirely on which state you're in. Every state sets its own maximum fee for notarial acts, and they vary wildly. Some states cap fees at $1 or $2 per signature. Others allow $15 or more. A few leave it to the notary's discretion.
Understanding the fee rules is practical whether you're hiring a notary, commissioning as one, or studying for a notary exam. Knowing your state's specific fee schedule is a baseline competency for any commissioned notary public.
The notary public is a government-commissioned official — not a private business with complete pricing freedom. States regulate fees because notarization is a quasi-governmental function, and fee caps prevent exploitation of people who need a notarization but have limited alternatives. In rural areas or for low-income individuals, the difference between a $2 fee and a $25 fee can be significant.
That said, state fee caps are maximums, not fixed prices. A notary can charge less than the state maximum. Many employers who have commissioned employees as notaries provide notarization services at no charge as an employee benefit. Mobile notaries — who travel to you — typically charge more for travel and convenience, and in most states, the travel fee is separate from the per-act notarial fee and isn't regulated in the same way.
Here are the maximum per-notarial-act fees for the most searched states:
Texas — $6 per notarial act for in-person notarizations; $25 per notarial act for remote online notarization (RON). If someone asks "what does a notary charge in Texas" — up to $6 per signature for most document types. Oaths and affirmations without signatures are capped at $6 as well.
California — $15 per signature (per notarial act). California has one of the higher fee caps in the country. The $15 maximum applies to acknowledgments and jurats — the two most common notarial acts.
Florida — $10 per notarial act. Remote online notarizations are permitted at $25 per act.
New York — New York's fee schedule is unusual. Notaries are authorized to charge a fee, but the state doesn't set a statutory maximum for most acts. Market rates in New York City can be quite variable as a result.
Georgia — $2 per notarial act. Georgia has one of the lowest caps in the country.
Illinois — $1 per notarial act for traditional acts; up to $25 for remote online notarization.
Pennsylvania — $5 per notarial act; $5 per signature on a document; $25 for remote online notarization.
Ohio — $5 per in-person notarial act; $25 for RON.
Arizona — $10 per notarial act.
Colorado — $5 per notarial act; $10 for RON.
Michigan — $10 per notarial act.
Indiana — $5 per notarial act for traditional acts; $25 for RON.
A few states either don't set a statutory maximum or set a relatively high one, giving notaries more pricing flexibility:
For remote online notarization, most states that permit RON have set higher fee limits — typically $25 per act — to account for the technology costs and time involved.
A mobile notary drives to you — your home, hospital, office, or a coffee shop. The travel fee is almost always in addition to the per-act notarial fee, and most states don't regulate travel fees the same way they regulate notarial fees.
In practice, mobile notaries in most markets charge a travel fee of $25–$75 depending on distance, plus the regulated per-act fee for each notarization. For a real estate closing requiring multiple signers and multiple documents, a mobile notary might charge $100–$200 total (travel + multiple acts), which is entirely reasonable for the service provided.
If you're looking for the cheapest notarization, don't hire a mobile notary — go to a UPS Store, bank, or library that offers walk-in notary services. If you need someone to come to you (elderly parent, hospital situation, home closing), mobile is worth the premium.
Notary signing agents are notaries who specialize in mortgage and real estate loan document signings. They're paid for their entire service, not just per notarization — and their compensation is substantially higher than the statutory per-act fee schedule suggests. A loan signing agent typically charges $75–$200+ per signing appointment, depending on the document volume, distance, and market.
This isn't a violation of fee statutes because the majority of their compensation is for document preparation review, coordination, and completion — not just the notarial acts themselves. The notarial fee component of a loan signing is technically regulated, but it's typically a small fraction of the total service fee.
For notaries considering the loan signing specialty, the earning potential is substantially higher than traditional notarizations. The National Notary Association offers signing agent certification training that covers both the notarial requirements and the specific knowledge needed for real estate document signings.
The authoritative source for any state's notary fee schedule is the state notary regulating authority — typically the Secretary of State's office. Most publish the fee schedule in the state notary public handbook or on their website. Google "[your state] notary public fee schedule" and click the official .gov result.
The fee schedules do change occasionally when states update their notary statutes. If you're a commissioned notary public and you haven't checked the fee schedule in a few years, it's worth verifying — especially if your state has enacted remote online notarization legislation, which often comes with updated fee provisions.
Overcharging above the state maximum is a violation of your notary commission and can result in commission revocation. It's not a minor technicality. Know your state's fee schedule and stay within it.
If you're studying for the Indiana notary exam specifically, fee regulations are a testable topic. Indiana allows notaries to charge up to $5 per notarial act for traditional in-person notarizations and $25 for remote online notarization. Those numbers may appear directly on the exam.
More broadly, understanding notary fee rules — why they exist, what the limits are, and what constitutes overcharging — is part of the professional ethics and legal compliance knowledge that Indiana notary candidates are expected to have. The same principle applies across all state notary exams: fee schedules are regulatory compliance knowledge, not just practical information.
For candidates preparing for the Indiana notary exam, the fee schedule is in the Indiana Code (IC 33-42-9-10 and related sections). The Secretary of State's notary program office publishes a notary public guide that covers fees along with other commissioning requirements. That guide is the most reliable single study source for Indiana-specific regulatory content.
Whether you're hiring a notary, working as one, or studying for an exam, knowing the fee rules in your state is foundational. It protects you from overcharging violations if you're a notary — and from being overcharged if you're a client.