Does Getting a Document Notarized Cost Money?
Notarization is a legal process used to verify the authenticity of a form or document. Laws regarding document notarization differ from state to state, though all state laws cover the same basic questions, including who may legally notarize a document and whether such a person may charge a fee for the service. Whether document notarization costs money, and how much money it costs, depends upon state law and the individual notary in question.
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Document Notarization
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Document notarization occurs when a notary public officially signs and places a seal or stamp on a document. A notary public may technically sign and stamp any document for the purposes of verifying its authenticity, though notarization usually only occurs in cases of official, legal documents such as contracts, loans and business plans. By notarizing a document, a notary public attests to the veracity of the signature(s) on it and its status as an official, legal document. Notarizing a document creates a legally binding situation for its signatories. A notary public may charge a fee for this service.
Notarization Fees
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All states permit notaries to charge fees for the service of notarizing documents. The legal limit for such fees varies from state to state. Massachusetts, for instance, allows a notary public to charge a maximum fee of $1.25 for notarizing a document as of 2011, while New Jersey allows charges ranging from $1.00 to $2.50 and Texas allows a charge as high as $6. Iowa maintains no official limit, stating only that a notary public may charge a "reasonable fee" for notarization services. A notary may elect to charge no fee for services, though notaries must pay states for the right to notarize documents, making the likelihood of free notarization slim.
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Other Fees Associated with Notarization
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Although states limit the amount a notary public may charge for document notarization, these individuals may charge a number of other fees associated with the process of notarization. Notary publics may charge for travel time and fees, giving legal advice, creating copies of documents, editing and reprinting documentation and time. A notary may charge one fee for traveling, a second fee for the time spent waiting to notarize a document and a third fee for changing the wording of a document, amounting to an exponentially higher cost than the legal limit for actually notarizing a document.
Who May Notarize Documents
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Only a notary public may officially notarize a document. Each state maintains laws for approving individuals as notaries. These individuals must submit a series of forms with the state and meet various qualification criteria, which differ from state to state. States and third party resources such as 123Notary.com maintain databases of all individuals in a state officially certified to notarize documents. Various states warn against fraudulent claims of official notarization, or businesses that charge inflated fees for signing and stamping documents but hold no official certification with the state as notaries. Always consult a state database before notarization.
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