How much to charge as a mobile notary
A mobile notary business has an unusual shape: half your invoice is capped by statute and audited, and the other half is entirely yours to set. Knowing which half is which is most of running the business.
Quick answer
The notarial act itself is capped by your state, typically 5 to 25 dollars per signature, stamp or acknowledgment, and exceeding that maximum is exactly what state audits look for. Your travel fee is separate and in most states unregulated, covering time, mileage and inconvenience, which is where a mobile notary's income actually comes from. Most local mobile appointments total around 50 to 100 dollars once travel is included. Loan signing agents, who handle full mortgage packages, typically earn 75 to 200 per appointment with experienced agents commanding 100 to 200 or more. Itemise the two separately on every invoice.
The capped half and the free half of your invoice
| Notarial fee | Travel and service fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Set by | State statute | You |
| Typical amount | 5 to 25 per signature | Whatever the market bears |
| Regulated | Yes, with maximums | Unregulated in most states |
| Audited | Yes | Generally not |
| Where your income comes from | Rarely | Usually |
Step-by-step
- 1
Look up your state's maximum, and never exceed it
Statutory fees vary by state and change, and going over the cap is precisely what a notary audit is designed to catch. Check with your Secretary of State or notary regulator directly rather than relying on any published table, including this one, and re-check annually. Get most numbers in your business wrong and it costs money. Get this one wrong and it costs your commission.
- 2
Itemise the travel fee separately, always
On the invoice, show the notarial act at the statutory rate and the travel or convenience fee as its own line. This is not a presentational nicety: it is how you demonstrate compliance if anyone ever asks, and it is how the client understands that you are not overcharging for the stamp. Bundling them into one number looks like a statutory breach even when it is not.
- 3
Set travel by zone, not by the mile
Mileage-based pricing invites negotiation and makes you quote every job from scratch. Zones do not. Define two or three rings around your base with a flat travel fee for each, publish them, and quote in seconds. Most local appointments totalling 50 to 100 dollars are built exactly this way.
- 4
Decide whether you are doing general notary work or loan signings
These are different businesses. General notary work is many small jobs at 50 to 100 each. Loan signing is a specialist role handling full mortgage packages at 75 to 200 or more per appointment, requiring separate training, background screening and a comfort with lengthy document sets. The second pays considerably better per appointment and takes longer to establish.
- 5
Charge for the appointment, not the outcome
Signers change their mind, documents arrive wrong, identification does not match and appointments get cancelled at the door. Have a stated trip fee that applies whether or not the notarisation completes, and say it when booking. Without it, a wasted evening drive costs you everything and earns nothing.
- 6
Track mileage from day one
You are self-employed, mileage is deductible, and the travel fee that funds your business is also taxable income. The notaries who struggle are usually the ones who tracked neither. Log every trip as it happens. Reconstructing a year of driving in April is nobody's idea of a good weekend.
Tips & best practices
- Verify your state cap annually with the regulator directly. It is the one figure where being out of date is a compliance problem, not a pricing one.
- Zone pricing beats per-mile. It removes negotiation and lets you quote a job over the phone in seconds.
- Have a trip fee that applies even when the signing falls through. Wasted journeys are routine in this work, not exceptional.
Common questions
How much can a notary charge per signature?
+−
It is capped by state law, commonly 5 to 25 dollars per signature, stamp or acknowledgment, with general notarisation often at 15 to 25. Check your own state's maximum with its regulator, as figures vary and change.
Can I charge whatever I want for travel?
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In most states travel and convenience fees are unregulated and set by the notary, covering time, mileage and inconvenience. Most mobile notary income comes from there, but confirm your own state's rules before assuming it.
What does a typical mobile notary appointment total?
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Around 50 to 100 dollars for a local appointment once the statutory fee and travel are combined, varying with distance and how many signatures are involved.
How much do loan signing agents earn per appointment?
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Typically 75 to 200 dollars, with experienced agents often at 100 to 200 or more depending on complexity and location. It is a separate specialism from general notary work, with its own training and screening.
Should I charge if the signing does not go ahead?
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Yes, via a stated trip fee agreed at booking. Identification problems, missing documents and last-minute cancellations are routine, and a journey made is a cost incurred whether or not a stamp was applied.