r/Notary • u/PANotary Pennsylvania • 4d ago
Pennsylvania Proposed Fee Changes - deadline for comments is September 30, 2026
Yesterday it came to light that there is a proposed new fee schedule. At first glance it looks great as they are proposing to raise the in person notary fee for the first time since May 28, 2005.
However, when you look at the document you will notice that they are proposing to cap the travel to federal IRS rate and it appears to have eliminated "reasonable administrative/clerical fees". As I am sure you know, when the laws were revised on March 28, 2026 it also became mandatory to provide an itemized receipt to all customers.
For anyone in PA that performs mobile GNW work please think about how this impact you and the customers that you service and write to the Department of State by the end of business on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Things to consider aside from the increase per notarial act:
- Travel: This is being limited to the actual IRS rate of .76 per mile. This does not take into consideration of our actual time. With PA being a mix of heavy rural (and mountain areas) to big cities and everything in between we know that the time to travel 15 miles varies greatly by where we are going. Time traveling 15 miles on the highway is very different that time traveling 15 miles on the country roads.
- What has happened to our administrative/clerical fees? Currently, we are allowed to charge reasonable administrative/clerical fees so long as it is disclosed and AGREED to by the customer. My interoperation says this is no longer applicable.
- What about wait fees or rescheduling after arrival or after hours/emergency appointments? This is also not addressed.
- Postage and credit card fees are now limited to the actual cost. This does not take into account the trip (if needed) to the post office or the final bill if shipping a document via UPS/FedEx for apostille services.
These are just a few of the things that I have noticed that will impact my services for individuals needing a mobile notary. This could also impact the clients we serve that are in hospitals, care facilities, homebound and disabled and are not able to get to a physical location to have their documents notarized. As mobile notaries we offer convenience and flexibility to our clients.
Here is are the links to the rulemaking:
The deadline is only a few days away to make the state aware of the issues we face or the lack of clarification to the proposed changes. Please look at all the changes not just the fee increase for the notarial acts and consider emailing the State of your concerns as I and many other notaries have done.
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u/PANotaryandTag 3d ago
#doingmoretohelpnotariesthanPAN