Notaries · Notary Fee Quote
How much can a notary charge by state
Every state sets its own maximum fee per notarial act, and most fall between $5 and $15. California allows $15 per signature (Gov. Code 8211), Texas $10 for the first signature and $1 for each additional (Gov. Code 406.024), Florida $10 per act (Stat. 117.05), and New York $2 (Exec. Law 136). Travel and signing-agent fees are separate.
What the state cap actually covers
A notary fee cap limits what you may charge for the notarial act itself: taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation and completing a jurat, certifying a copy where allowed, or witnessing a signature. The cap is usually per act or per signature, and it is set by statute or by the Secretary of State under statutory authority. Charging more than the cap is grounds for discipline in every state that has one.
The cap does not cover the other things a mobile notary or loan signing agent does: driving to the signer, printing a 150-page loan package, waiting, scanning documents back, or coordinating with a title company. Most states leave those charges to agreement between the notary and the client, and a few regulate travel specifically. That is why a quote should always list the notarial fees and the service fees on separate lines.
Fee caps change. Texas indexes its schedule to inflation every five years, North Carolina raised its cap recently, and several states have added separate, higher caps for remote online notarization. Verify the figure in your own statute before printing a price list.
The large states, with their statutes
California: $15 for each signature taken on an acknowledgment, $15 per signature for a jurat, $30 for all services in a deposition plus $7 for the oath and $7 for the certificate, and $15 for a certified copy of a power of attorney. Source: Government Code section 8211.
Texas: $10 for the first signature on an acknowledgment or proof and $1 for each additional signature, $10 for administering an oath or affirmation with certificate and seal, and $1 per page for a copy of a record in the notary's office. Source: Government Code section 406.024, which the Secretary of State adjusts for inflation every five years.
Florida: the fee may not exceed $10 for any one notarial act under Statutes section 117.05(2)(a); a separate section, 117.275, sets the online notarization fee at up to $25. New York: $2 for an oath or affirmation and $2 per person for an acknowledgment or proof, plus $2 for each sworn witness, under Executive Law section 136, one of the lowest caps in the country.
Other common caps and the states with none
Secondary compilations that track every state put most caps between $5 and $10 per act: Virginia $5, Pennsylvania $5, Illinois $5, Ohio $5, Georgia $2, Arizona $10, North Carolina $10, Washington $15, Nevada $15. Illinois and Kansas are often cited at the low end for certain acts, and California, Nevada and Washington at the high end at $15.
A handful of states set no statutory maximum for traditional notarizations, commonly listed as Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio for some acts, Tennessee and Vermont. In those states the fee is whatever the parties agree, though the notary is still expected to disclose it before performing the act and cannot condition the act on a fee the signer did not accept.
Because these secondary tables are compiled by private sites, treat them as a starting point. The controlling number is in your state's code or your Secretary of State's fee page, and Benchlet Notary Fees links each cap in its reference table back to that statute so the figure can be checked before it goes on a quote.
How the caps apply in a loan signing
A loan package for a refinance can contain 8 to 15 notarized documents, each with one or two signatures. In a per-signature state like California, 10 acknowledgments with one signer is $150 of notarial fees at the $15 cap, and with two signers it is $300. In a per-act state like Florida the same package is $100 at $10 per act regardless of how many signers appear on each certificate.
The market fee for a loan signing, typically $75 to $200 per appointment depending on whether the work comes through a signing service or directly from title, is not a notarial fee and is not limited by the cap. It is a service fee for the appointment, and it should be described that way on the invoice. Where the notarial fees for the acts would exceed the agreed signing fee, most agents charge the flat signing fee and note the notarial acts at no additional charge, which stays inside the cap.
Keep the notarial fee entries in your journal at or below the cap even when the appointment was billed flat. In states that audit journals, an entry showing $25 per acknowledgment in a $10 state is a violation regardless of what the client agreed to.
Remote online notarization has its own caps
Most states that authorize remote online notarization (RON, notarizing over audio-video with identity verification) set a separate, higher cap for it because the platform costs the notary money per session. Florida allows up to $25 for an online notarization under 117.275, and compilations list $25 for Texas, New York, Virginia and Illinois online acts as well. California's online cap matches its in-person $15.
The platform fee that the RON vendor charges you is your business cost, not a pass-through fee to the signer, unless your state expressly allows a technology fee. Check the rule before adding a line for it.
Because RON caps and rules are newer and change more often than in-person caps, they are the numbers most likely to be wrong on a price sheet that was made a year ago.
Frequently asked questions
Can I charge less than the maximum?
Yes. Every cap is a ceiling, not a set price. Texas, for example, states that a lesser fee or no fee at all is allowed.
Is the cap per signature or per document?
It depends on the state. California and Texas are per signature; Florida and New York are per notarial act or per person. Read your statute's wording.
Do travel fees count against the cap?
In most states no; travel is a separate, negotiated charge. A few states regulate it (Arizona ties it to the state employee mileage rate, for example), so check your state.
Which states have no maximum notary fee?
Commonly listed: Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Vermont, with Ohio uncapped for some acts. The fee must still be agreed and disclosed in advance.
Where do I find my state's official number?
In the statute or administrative rule cited by your Secretary of State's notary page. The examples above cite California Gov. Code 8211, Texas Gov. Code 406.024, Florida Stat. 117.05 and New York Exec. Law 136.
