NJ Notary - New Jersey Notary Maximum Allowable Fees Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum fee a New Jersey notary may charge for taking an acknowledgment on a standard document?
- $5.00
- $10.00
- $2.50 (Correct answer)
- $15.00
Correct answer: $2.50
According to N.J. Admin. Code § 17:50-1.18, the maximum fee for taking an acknowledgment is $2.50 per act. This fee also applies to administering oaths, taking affidavits, and taking proofs of a deed for general notary work.
Question 2: A notary is called to a mortgagor's home to notarize several documents for a real estate financing transaction. Regardless of the number of notarizations performed for the mortgagor, what is the maximum fee the notary can charge for this single transaction?
- $15.00
- $25.00 (Correct answer)
- $50.00
- $2.50 per document
Correct answer: $25.00
New Jersey law sets a specific maximum fee for real estate financing transactions. For administering oaths, taking affidavits, and taking acknowledgments of the mortgagors, the maximum fee is $25.00, regardless of the number of services performed in that single transaction.
Question 3: A mobile notary travels to a client's office. The notary performs two jurats and takes one acknowledgment. The notary and client agreed beforehand on a $40 travel fee. What is the total maximum amount the notary can legally charge the client?
- $40.00
- $7.50
- $47.50 (Correct answer)
- $55.00
Correct answer: $47.50
The maximum fee for each notarial act (jurat or acknowledgment) is $2.50. Three acts total $7.50 (3 x $2.50). Travel fees are not regulated by statute and are agreed upon separately between the notary and the client. Therefore, the total charge is the sum of the notarial fees and the travel fee: $7.50 + $40.00 = $47.50.
Question 4: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding fees for notarial services in New Jersey?
- Notaries must charge a minimum of $2.50 for any notarial act.
- A notary may charge an additional 'convenience fee' for every notarization.
- The fee for notarizing for a grantor in a real estate transfer is capped at $15.00 per transaction. (Correct answer)
- Travel fees are capped at $25.00 by the State Treasurer.
Correct answer: The fee for notarizing for a grantor in a real estate transfer is capped at $15.00 per transaction.
New Jersey law specifies a maximum fee of $15.00 for all notarial services performed for the grantors in a single real estate transfer transaction. The other statements are false; fees are maximums, not minimums, extra 'convenience fees' are not permitted by statute, and travel fees are not regulated or capped by the state.
Question 5: A client presents a document with signature lines for three separate individuals, all of whom are present. The notary administers an oath to each person and notarizes their three distinct signatures on the single document. What is the maximum fee the notary may charge?
- $2.50, because it is one document.
- $10.00, a flat rate for multiple signers.
- $5.00, for the first two signers only.
- $7.50, for the three separate notarial acts. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $7.50, for the three separate notarial acts.
The maximum fee of $2.50 is chargeable per notarial act. Since the notary administered an oath and witnessed the signature for three different individuals, it constitutes three separate acts, even though they are on the same document. Therefore, the maximum fee is 3 x $2.50 = $7.50.
Question 6: Under New Jersey law, the authority to set and regulate the maximum fees for notarial acts is granted to which entity?
- The Governor's Office
- The State Legislature
- The State Treasurer (Correct answer)
- The County Clerk
Correct answer: The State Treasurer
According to N.J.S.A. 22A:4-14, the fees for notarial services 'shall be fixed by the State Treasurer by regulation.' This authority was clarified in the laws that became effective in October 2021.
NJ Notary - New Jersey Notary Maximum Allowable Fees Questions and Answers 1
What is the maximum fee a New Jersey notary may charge for taking an acknowledgment on a standard document?