Notary Fees and Charges Flashcards

A Kansas notary performs 8 notarial acts during a single appointment. What is the maximum total notarial fee the notary may lawfully collect?

Answer: $16.00

At the maximum of $2 per notarial act, eight acts multiplied by $2 equals a maximum lawful fee of $16.

Which statement best describes the legal nature of the $2 notarial fee under Kansas law?

Answer: A maximum fee per notarial act that may not be exceeded

The $2 fee is a statutory maximum per notarial act; notaries may charge less but are prohibited from charging more.

A Kansas notary agrees to travel to notarize documents but fails to discuss a travel fee with the signer beforehand. After traveling 25 miles, can the notary demand a travel fee?

Answer: No, a travel fee requires prior agreement and cannot be demanded after the fact

Without prior agreement from the signer, the notary cannot lawfully charge a travel fee, even if significant travel was involved.

A signer asks a Kansas notary to help draft a power of attorney and then notarize it. The notary charges $2 for the notarization and $75 for document drafting. Is this lawful?

Answer: No, charging a document preparation fee constitutes unauthorized practice of law unless the notary is also a licensed attorney

Notaries who are not licensed attorneys cannot charge for document preparation, as doing so may constitute unauthorized practice of law.

An employer commissions all HR staff as notaries for company use. An HR notary is asked by a neighbor to notarize a personal affidavit unrelated to company business on a weekend. May the notary charge the neighbor a fee?

Answer: Yes, since the act is outside the scope of employment, the notary may charge the standard statutory fee

When a notary performs acts outside their employment duties and on personal time, they may charge the standard statutory fee to the requesting party.

A Kansas notary charges $25 for an in-person acknowledgment on a real estate deed, arguing the document's complexity justifies the higher fee. Is this charge lawful?

Answer: No, the maximum in-person fee is $2 regardless of document complexity

The maximum fee for in-person notarial acts is $2 regardless of document type or complexity; $25 is the maximum only for remote online notarizations.

A signer tells a Kansas notary that they cannot afford any fee for the notarization. What option does the notary have?

Answer: The notary may waive the fee at their own discretion since the $2 is a maximum, not a requirement

Because $2 is the statutory maximum rather than a mandatory minimum, the notary has full discretion to waive or reduce the fee for any reason.