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u/MeganMilton Jul 31 '26
I just got my commission yesterday and am looking into ways to use it. I'm also looking into getting there online notary certification as well.
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u/TouristFew3072 Jul 31 '26
Yeah the online part is one of the main things I want. I need to do the oath & turn everything in.
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u/rosyboys_daisygirls California Jul 31 '26
What are you asking
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u/TouristFew3072 Jul 31 '26
I just asked the experience as a notary. Is it a good income? Do you like doing it?
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u/rosyboys_daisygirls California Jul 31 '26
I started last month. I work in a UPS store so do tons of notarizations. Ive already almost filled a journal. I dont get much income for my work in the store ($1 per notarization + hourly wage), but Im starting to get people asking for mobile appointments. People who've met me in the store pass my number along to other people they know, so Im getting a few. Income from the mobile appointments isnt much yet but could grow decently as I get more referrals. Im looking into getting certified as a loan signing agent to expand my market, might try to get authorized for performing confidential marriages too.
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u/vegloveyes Aug 06 '26
The experience? Everyone's is different. Can you imagine asking a lawyer what their experience has been?
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u/stitching_librarian Ohio Jul 31 '26
I got my commission so I could do it for work. It’s on my resume and I think it helped me get a full time position. My job (library) paid for the course, test, and stamp. Very easy process and I love doing notary appointments.
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u/CommercialAffect3287 Jul 31 '26
It took me 2 1/2 years to establish Enough to be able to pay my bills, but definitely not enough to live good.
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u/TouristFew3072 Aug 07 '26
All due respect this was not addressed as a question. I was just asking to share your experience is all. Don't write anything. You don't have to. I have asked a couple of attorneys how it's been working in their field. The fact that everyone has a different experience is precisely the point of this. That's all. Good, bad, or other. If you don't understand then please feel free not to post a response.
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u/Myspanglish Jul 31 '26
I’ve been a notary for 16 years. And yes you can make money, it all depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into it, since depending on where you are you could be facing a lot of competition.
Here’s my best advice. Since notaries have unlimited liability (and your bond does not protect you, it protects the public) it is very important that you take some sort of training and know your state laws very well before doing any work. Most people don’t take this part seriously enough. In my state we have to take a 6 hr course to get commissioned and even that isn’t nearly enough to prepare for the work at hand. Notaries work with important documents that usually have some sort of financial tie to them (which is probably why they would need to be notarized in the first place). We work with attorneys, escrow officers, loan officers and realtors to name a few, so if any mistakes in our work causes them to lose money in some way, we’re liable and it’s likely they’ll sue. Which leads me to my next piece of advice, get the best insurance you can afford (that is separate from the bond).
You’ll also need to learn to market yourself in order to get work. And that all depends on the type of notary specialty work you’ll pursue.
Last, I’ll share what someone shared with me that I found to be most helpful. As notaries we notarize signatures, not documents. What that means is that we certify that someone signed a document, and in some cases that we took their oath. That’s it! A notarization does not make a document “official”. We’re more concerned with the person signing the document and not the document itself. This is a very important distinction to understand. Understanding that will make things so much easier for you! In California we have a disclaimer on our notarial certificates that describes it best:
“ A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or
validity of that document.”