OR Notary Oregon Notary Fees and Charges — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the maximum fee an Oregon notary may charge for a single in-person notarial act under ORS 194.505?

$5
$10 (Correct answer)
$15
$25

Correct answer: $10

ORS 194.505 sets the maximum fee for each in-person notarial act at $10.

Question 2: Under Oregon law, what is the maximum fee a notary may charge for a notarial act performed using communication technology (remote online notarization)?

$10
$15
$20
$25 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: $25

ORS 194.505 allows a maximum fee of $25 per notarial act performed via communication technology (RON).

Question 3: Is an Oregon notary required to charge a fee for every notarial act performed?

Yes, fees are mandatory to ensure consistency
No, the notary may choose to waive or reduce the fee (Correct answer)
Yes, but only for acknowledgments and jurats
No, but only for government documents

Correct answer: No, the notary may choose to waive or reduce the fee

Oregon law permits but does not require notaries to charge fees; a notary may waive or reduce the fee at their discretion.

Question 4: An Oregon notary performs five separate notarial acts in a single appointment. What is the maximum total fee the notary may lawfully collect?

$10
$25
$50 (Correct answer)
$75

Correct answer: $50

The $10 maximum applies per notarial act, so five acts × $10 = $50 maximum total.

Question 5: Which Oregon statute governs the fee schedule for notarial acts?

ORS 194.315
ORS 194.415
ORS 194.505 (Correct answer)
ORS 194.605

Correct answer: ORS 194.505

ORS 194.505 is the specific Oregon statute that sets the maximum fees a notary may charge for notarial acts.

Question 6: An Oregon notary's employer instructs the notary not to charge any fees for notarizations performed during work hours. Which of the following is true?

The employer cannot restrict the notary's right to charge fees
The notary must always charge the maximum allowed fee
The employer may prohibit the notary from charging fees as a condition of employment (Correct answer)
The notary must charge fees but can donate them to the employer

Correct answer: The employer may prohibit the notary from charging fees as a condition of employment

Oregon law allows an employer to prohibit an employed notary from charging fees for notarial acts performed during working hours.

Question 7: Before charging a travel fee in addition to the notarial act fee, what must an Oregon notary do?

File the travel fee schedule with the Secretary of State
Disclose the travel fee to the signer before performing the notarial act (Correct answer)
Obtain written permission from the Secretary of State
Charge travel fees only on a per-mile rate set by Oregon law

Correct answer: Disclose the travel fee to the signer before performing the notarial act

Oregon notaries must disclose any travel fee to the signer before performing the notarial act so the signer can make an informed decision.

Question 8: An Oregon notary charges $12 for a single in-person acknowledgment. Which of the following best describes this action?

Lawful because acknowledgments have a higher fee cap
Unlawful because it exceeds the $10 per-act maximum (Correct answer)
Lawful if the signer agrees in writing
Unlawful only if the signer files a complaint

Correct answer: Unlawful because it exceeds the $10 per-act maximum

Charging $12 for an in-person notarial act violates ORS 194.505, which caps the fee at $10 per act regardless of signer consent.

Question 9: A notary completes a remote online notarization (RON) for a client. The notary charges $25. Which of the following is correct?

The fee is unlawful; RON fees are capped at $10
The fee is lawful; $25 is the maximum allowed for RON acts (Correct answer)
The fee is lawful only if the client is out of state
The fee is unlawful; RON acts must be free of charge

Correct answer: The fee is lawful; $25 is the maximum allowed for RON acts

ORS 194.505 permits a maximum fee of $25 for each notarial act performed using communication technology such as RON.

Question 10: Which of the following fees may an Oregon notary charge IN ADDITION to the per-act fee?

A certification fee for using an official seal
A reasonable travel fee disclosed before the act (Correct answer)
An administrative fee for maintaining the notary journal
A technology surcharge for electronic signatures

Correct answer: A reasonable travel fee disclosed before the act

Oregon allows notaries to charge a reasonable travel fee in addition to the notarial act fee, provided it is disclosed to the signer beforehand.

Question 11: A signer asks an Oregon notary to perform three jurats and two acknowledgments during a single visit. What is the maximum fee the notary may charge for the five notarial acts combined?

$10
$30
$50 (Correct answer)
$70

Correct answer: $50

Each of the five notarial acts carries a maximum of $10, so 5 × $10 = $50 is the total maximum fee allowed.

Question 12: What happens if an Oregon notary charges a fee higher than the statutory maximum?

The notary may face disciplinary action including revocation of commission (Correct answer)
The notary simply refunds the excess to the signer
Nothing, because fee violations are not actionable
The notary must pay a fine equal to double the overcharge to the state

Correct answer: The notary may face disciplinary action including revocation of commission

Overcharging for notarial acts is a violation of Oregon notary law and can result in disciplinary action, including commission revocation.

Question 13: An Oregon notary who also works as a paralegal at a law firm is asked to notarize documents for the firm's clients during office hours. The firm's policy is that notarizations are provided free of charge. What should the notary do?

Charge the maximum statutory fee regardless of employer policy
Follow the employer's no-fee policy, as employers may restrict fee collection (Correct answer)
Charge a reduced fee of $5 per act as a compromise
Resign as a notary if the employer prohibits fees

Correct answer: Follow the employer's no-fee policy, as employers may restrict fee collection

Oregon law allows an employer to direct an employed notary not to charge fees for notarial acts performed in the scope of employment.

Question 14: Which of the following statements about Oregon notary fees is FALSE?

Notaries may charge up to $10 per in-person notarial act
Notaries may charge up to $25 per RON act
Notaries must always charge the maximum allowed fee (Correct answer)
Employers may prohibit notaries from charging fees during work hours

Correct answer: Notaries must always charge the maximum allowed fee

Oregon notaries are never required to charge fees; the statute sets a maximum ceiling, not a mandatory amount.

Question 15: An Oregon notary agrees verbally with a signer to charge $20 for a single in-person jurat. Is this arrangement enforceable?

Yes, because the parties mutually agreed to the higher fee
No, because verbal agreements for notary fees are invalid
No, because $20 exceeds the $10 per-act maximum set by statute (Correct answer)
Yes, because jurats have a different fee cap than acknowledgments

Correct answer: No, because $20 exceeds the $10 per-act maximum set by statute

The $10 statutory cap applies regardless of private agreements; a notary cannot lawfully collect more than $10 per in-person act even if the signer consents.

Question 16: A notary drives 30 miles to a client's home to perform two notarial acts. Which fee arrangement is permissible under Oregon law?

$10 for both acts combined, with no travel fee allowed
$10 per act ($20 total) plus a disclosed, reasonable travel fee (Correct answer)
$25 per act because the visit was out of town
No fee because travel notarizations must be free

Correct answer: $10 per act ($20 total) plus a disclosed, reasonable travel fee

The notary may charge $10 per notarial act (up to $20) plus a reasonable travel fee, provided the travel fee was disclosed to the client before the trip.

Question 17: Which of the following best describes the purpose of Oregon's statutory maximum fee for notarial acts?

To guarantee notaries earn a minimum wage for their services
To protect the public from excessive charges while allowing reasonable compensation (Correct answer)
To ensure all notarial acts are performed for free
To fund the Secretary of State's notary program

Correct answer: To protect the public from excessive charges while allowing reasonable compensation

Oregon's fee cap protects the public by preventing price gouging while still allowing notaries to receive reasonable compensation for their services.

Question 18: An Oregon notary performs a remote online notarization for a client using approved communication technology and charges $30. What is the consequence?

No consequence; $30 is within the RON fee limit
The notary violated the law by exceeding the $25 RON maximum (Correct answer)
The notary violated the law by exceeding the $10 in-person maximum
The fee is lawful only if the client lives outside Oregon

Correct answer: The notary violated the law by exceeding the $25 RON maximum

ORS 194.505 caps RON fees at $25 per act; charging $30 exceeds this limit and constitutes a violation of Oregon notary law.

Question 19: If an Oregon notary waives their fee for a nonprofit organization, which of the following is true?

The notary has violated Oregon law by failing to collect the required fee
The waiver is lawful because Oregon notaries are not required to charge fees (Correct answer)
The waiver is only lawful if the Secretary of State approves it
The waiver is lawful only for 501(c)(3) organizations recognized by the IRS

Correct answer: The waiver is lawful because Oregon notaries are not required to charge fees

Oregon notaries are permitted but not required to charge fees, so voluntarily waiving a fee for any client including nonprofits is entirely lawful.

Question 20: A notary is self-employed and occasionally notarizes documents for neighbors. Under Oregon law, what fee may the notary charge for each in-person act?

No fee; only notaries employed by businesses may charge fees
Up to $10 per notarial act (Correct answer)
Up to $25 per notarial act
Any amount agreed upon, since no statutory cap applies to the self-employed

Correct answer: Up to $10 per notarial act

ORS 194.505 applies equally to all Oregon notaries regardless of employment status, capping in-person notarial act fees at $10 each.

Question 21: Which of the following scenarios represents a lawful fee practice for an Oregon notary?

Charging $15 per acknowledgment because the document was lengthy
Charging $10 per jurat plus a $20 travel fee disclosed in advance (Correct answer)
Charging $30 per RON act because the technology cost was high
Charging $10 per act plus a $5 seal affixing fee

Correct answer: Charging $10 per jurat plus a $20 travel fee disclosed in advance

Charging $10 per act plus a disclosed travel fee is the only option that complies with ORS 194.505, as all others exceed statutory caps or add unauthorized fees.

OR Notary Oregon Notary Fees and Charges

What is the maximum fee an Oregon notary may charge for a single in-person notarial act under ORS 194.505?

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Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

oregonlegislature.gov — Score validity · verified Oct 2026
sos.oregon.gov — Test delivery, exam format, retake policy, fees · verified Oct 2026