Pricing & FAQs

A Notary Public is a public officer who serves as an impartial witness to sign and acknowledge signatures on documents. A duly appointed Notary Public is authorized to perform notary services throughout their state.  A notary public is a ministerial officer and is not permitted to draft or prepare legal documents unless the notary is also an attorney at law.

A mobile notary is any notary who, upon request, travels from their base location to location to perform notarial services. While a mobile notary may perform any notarial service prescribed by their state's statutory laws, it is more common that mobile notaries are called upon to perform various types of real estate or mortgage transactions. Hence, mobile notaries who perform such services are often notary signing agents or mortgage signing agents. They are distinguished from loan closers who, in most states, have more complex duties than a commissioned notary public.

The primary purpose of notarization is the prevention of fraud.  The Notary Public acts as a witness to the subscription (signing) of legal documents and helps to protect the legal rights of the persons whose signatures are being notarized.  The Notary Public must assure the persons signing a document are who they claim to be and are signing the document willingly.

The notary asks the signer(s) for a government-issued photo ID to verify their identity with a physical description and signature. Proper identification includes a state-issued photo driver’s license, U.S. passport, USCIS Permanent Resident Card, or a U.S. military ID card. The signer must give their actual ID to the Notary to view and inspect. The ID may not be viewed at a distance (or through a window). The Notary will retain possession of the ID until the end of the signing and then return it to the signer. The Notary must directly witness the signer sign the document in direct line of sight. The Notary must administer any required oaths or affirmations to the signer in direct line of sight and sound. The Notary must complete all journal entries before handing the journal to the signer in an appropriate social distancing manner. The signer should sign (and in California, place any required thumbprint) in the appropriate journal entry. The Notary must complete all notarial certificates in direct line of sight of the signer before leaving the signing.

Mobile notaries are not bound by office or store hours. Each notary works by appointment, which can be requested by email or phone. Offering flexible times (including weekends and some national holidays) allows our clients better options to accomplish their needs.

Notarization of a single signature document usually takes about 15 minutes to perform.

Usually, the notary and the client will mutually agree on a location for the signature. If the notary is traveling to a client, there may be an extra fee charged to reimburse the cost of transportation. Many signatures are accomplished by meeting in a mutual, safe location (e.g., coffee shop, hotel lobby).

Yes. The witnesses must be present at the signing in front of the notary. However, your notary can also often serve as a witness unless laws within the state (or specifics mentioned in the document that prohibits that the notary cannot be counted as one of your witnesses). If the state and document have no restrictions, it is at the discretion of the notary if they agree to be a witness or not.

No. e Notary Services is not a law office, and its independent contractors cannot act as your attorney. Further, e Notary Services does not practice law and does not give legal advice. Notary law differs from state to state and may be interpreted or applied differently depending on your location or situation. Any information on this website is not a substitute for the advice of a legal counselor. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, please consult with an attorney.

Yes. However, many financial institutions have notaries on staff that offer limited notary services and only for their customers. Additionally, even if you are a customer of the bank, not all types of documents can be notarized by in-bank notaries.

Yes. A client can be based in any state within the US. But if the client is visiting a state where the notary exists (and the client produces government-issued picture identification), the notary in their visiting state can notarize the documents. Fees will be based on their state regulations where the notary is based.

With Remote Ink-Signed Notarizations, a signer (and witnesses, when required) will join a ZOOM (or similar secure software) session with the notary. The signer (and witnesses) will show their approved photo ID to the notary on camera once the notary verifies the approved government-issued photo ID. The signer will sign and date the document on camera in the virtual presence of the notary. (If witnesses are required, they will also sign the document.) The signer will scan the document in PDF format and email it to the notary. The notary will counter-signed and stamp the document and return it to the signer in PDF format. If the state in which the signer resides does not permit notarized documents in PDF format, the document can be sent to the signer through UPS, FedEx, etc., at the expense of the signer.

With remote notarization, a signer personally appears before the Notary at the time of the notarization using specified, secure audio-visual technology over the internet instead of being physically present in the same room. Remote Online Notarization is also referred to as webcam, online, or virtual.

As of November 2021, only 30 state laws permit Remote Online Notarization. Also, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several states have not fully implemented RON and have pending legislation. Some states have issued special orders authorizing notaries to perform remote notarizations due to the emergency. Not all our notaries can fulfill this service. Check within the bio of the notary.

The RON is entirely virtual, including electronic ID verification and an electronic notarization signature and seal. The RIN is also virtual but requires visual proof of the signer's ID on camera, the notary watching the signer date and sign the document(s), scanning the document to a PDF format, sending it to the notary to affix their signature, and seal. The notary rescans the document in PDF format and returns it to the signer via email.

Many affidavits, real estate deeds, loan papers, powers of attorney, and other documents must be notarized appropriately to become legally binding. In addition, many types of letters, authorizations, and documents used in international trade and travel require the acknowledgment of a notary public.

Most document notarizations have the following steps:

• A subscriber (person signing the document) personally appears before the notary.

• The notary asks the signer(s) for a government-issued photo ID to verify their identity with a physical description and signature. Proper identification includes a state-issued photo driver’s license, U.S. passport, USCIS Permanent Resident Card, or a U.S. military ID card. Picture identification may not be required if the signer is personally known to the notary public.

• The notary begins logging the names and ID information of the signer(s) in their official journal. The subscribers will be asked to place their signatures in the journal record.

• The notary checks the document for completeness. This is not a formal legal review performed by an accountant or an attorney. Instead, it is a review to ensure no blanks in the document. Should blanks be discovered, the signer must fill them in or strike them out by drawing a line or "X" through them. This prevents others from altering or amending the document after it has been signed and notarized.

• The notary asks the signer if they understand the document’s title and are signing freely and willingly.

• If the document is an affidavit, the notary will take an oath or affirmation from the signer to ensure truthfulness.

• The signer signs the document in the presence of the notary.

• The notary signs and dates an endorsement or acknowledgment and affixes an official stamp to the document. Usually, this acknowledgment or jurat section is included at the bottom of the document. Occasionally a separate form will be used and attached to the document.

• The notary completes the log entry in their official journal detailing the document title, date, time, and place of notarization.