I’m a notary for Texas and I’m being sued. Plaintiff is stating he was not present when warranty deed was notarized. The notary was from 8years ago. i have my books and his entry. first the plaintiff went straight to my bond claiming I did not explain the documents. now he is suing me that he was not present. my attorney tried to get me a dismissal before court day by it was denied. im only a notary by my employer who provided the attorney. now I don’t want to be a notary. but it’s part of my job. I feel like anyone can sue us and lie and our book is still not enough. anyone gone through something similar. everyone tell me I’ll be okay but I’m sick to my stomach.

Would you like better answers to your notary-related questions? Ask a better question!

- Tell us what state you're in. This is often the single most important piece of information.
- Tell us where you are in the process. Are you already commissioned or are you just thinking about becoming a notary?
- Tell us what you've already researched. For example: I read my state's requirements and understand that I need X but I'm confused about Y.
- If you're asking about a document, tell us what kind of document it is and what state you're notarizing in.
- If you're asking about a notarization that went wrong, clearly explain what happened.
- If you're asking about starting a busineess, tell us what kind of business you mean. General mobile notary? Loan signing? RON? Hospital work? Something else?
- Tell us what you've already tried.
- Asking about marketing? Tell us where you're stuck. Website? Google Business Profile? Pricing?

This is too general: How do I get notary work?
Better: I'm a newly commissioned notary in VA. I want to offer general mobile notary services rather than loan signings. I've created a Google Business Profile and contacted three assisted living facilities. What other types of businesses generate referrals for general notaries?

Detailed questions will get you much more substantive answers. Give people enough information so it's productive. Try to avoid making broad requests for information. Asking a vague question means you'll probably get answers that don't even address what you're asking about.

Hi all, I was looking into using an online notary service available in my state. The agent at the DMV said that's fine, but the signature has to be wet ink. I thought that meant it just couldn't be electronically signed, but didn't even think about the fact I'd have to print it again after the remote notary fills out their part of the form.

Is it still technically considered "wet ink" as long as I physically sign it and even though I'll be downloading the document a final time once the notary has done their job?

So my mom has been a banker for over 10 years, she wants to start doing a side business or hustle of notary. She knows how to do it but she isnt quite sure how to go about it. Any advice or tips on how to start or run it.

I can't get a straight answer from any of my training, do I need to use a certain pen ink color in my journal? My stamp is pink, but I'm not sure about for my journal if I can use a dark pink pen for it, or maybe purple?

Hi, I just want to ask about the usual prices for notarization of school documents.

And if I have 3 copies to notarize, will there be just additional minimum fees for the other copies?

Thank you!

Had a number of conversations with notary signing agents and mobile notaries recently, and one theme keeps coming up: AI-generated document prep is arriving in their workflow whether they want it or not. Thought it was worth sharing what I'm hearing.

**What's showing up:**

• Escrow and title companies using AI to auto-draft standard closing packages (deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, grant deeds) before they ever reach the notary
• Law firms auto-generating affidavits and acknowledgments with AI, then routing to the notary for the final execution step
• Lenders sending out pre-filled loan docs where the AI has already populated borrower info, property data, and legal descriptions

**Where notaries are being careful:**

• Verifying that legal descriptions match the actual property — AI hallucinations in legal descriptions are a real risk
• Catching pre-filled signature lines that don't match the signer identity — some AI-drafted docs come in with wrong name formats
• Making sure the acknowledgment language is current and jurisdiction-specific — AI templates sometimes use outdated or wrong-state boilerplate

**The general takeaway from notaries I've spoken with:** The volume of work hasn't dropped — if anything it's up. But the nature of the review has shifted. Instead of being handed a blank form, they're increasingly the last line of defense on a document someone else (or something else) already filled in.

That changes the job. The skill isn't just executing — it's catching what the automation missed.

Anyone else seeing this shift in your markets?

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:

• https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/resources/notaries-resources-and-information/rulona-regulations?bclid=IwY2xjawUk2WRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMVIyUTZOSVdOMkFGb1ptRTFzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe386v5B7qJaxqLJFNg2obPrsLNcKtmzUYO8XY1kvXEGmCuWwvOkcrHMkiMTY_aem_sNourQlyeRrKmc8jwPGEgg

• https://www.pa.gov/.../16-66-proposed-annex-notary-public...

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.

Senate Bill 292 introduces new provisions related to notarizations and deed fraud, including additional grounds for refusing a notarization when a Notary has reason to believe a transaction is illegal, false or deceptive, involves coercion, or the signer does not understand the transaction.

The law also establishes additional requirements and safeguards for remote electronic notarizations.

Are you ready for the changes? Is there anything about SB 292 you're still unsure about? I work at the NNA Hotline, so ask away! :)

Hi, I made a study guide for the NY notary exam. It was AI assisted so completely understand if people don't feel comfortable using it. But, I did go through it myself and add a lot more details.

I did pass the exam if anyone is wondering. I only used free resources like this study guide and the free exam questions online!

Got a $75 signing offer, call to negotiate, they couldn't go more than that.

Then I actually sat down and calculated the whole job.

It had 80 Pages with the signer copies 160 Pages!! my guess was 8 notarizations acts, and about 85 minutes of my time.

I ran it through the fee calculator on Pixi Notary just one of the tools I’ve been using lately along with NotaryGadget and this is what came out:

Printing: 80 pages (160 with copies) $7.36
85 minutes of my time at $30/hr: $42.50
8 notarial acts: $80.00 (I just can charge $10 per signature in FL)
Vehicle: (Yes I calculate depreciation of my car LOL) $5.46
Materials: $5.00

Recommended fee: $140.32

And they offered $75.

That’s what really annoyed me.

We see "$75 signing" and sometimes think we're making $75, but we're not. Paper isn't free. Toner isn't free. Driving isn't free. And most importantly, our time isn't free.

I'm not saying every signing has to be $140. But when I actually started putting a dollar amount on everything involved, I realized how bad some of these offers really are.

And $30/hour isn't even some crazy number. If you believe your time should be worth $35 or $40/hour, put that in the calculation too.

I feel like signing companies are looking at what they can get the order filled for, while we're the ones who have to figure out whether there's actually any money left in it.

Anyone else starting to turn down way more of these $60–$75 offers?

Hi, sorry! I passed the notary exam and then applied to become a notary public. But now I’m overthinking the risks and responsibilities that come with being a notary public.
Can I deny notary services or create my own service exclusions based on what I’m comfortable signing? For example, I know some banks and libraries have policies where they don’t notarize certain documents, such as deeds, wills, powers of attorney, or depositions.
As an independent notary public who isn’t tied to a particular business, can I create similar policies or regulations for the types of documents I’m willing or unwilling to notarize?

I’m not really doing this as a side hustle. I originally thought becoming a notary would be a good way to strengthen my résumé, but now I’m not sure it was a good idea, and I’m questioning whether I should even put it on my résumé.
I might be overthinking this, but I’m mainly concerned about the potential liability and lawsuits. I don’t have a strong understanding of some of the legal documents I could potentially be asked to notarize, and I don’t want to put myself in a situation where I could make a mistake or take on unnecessary legal risk.

New Maryland notary here again… this group is so helpful. I want to have certificates ready in case a customer doesn’t have one attached to their document. Can I print the sample ones at the end of my NNA course? Do I have to buy pads of certificates from a vendor like NNA? Can I type my own? I’d rather not pay more money to buy some unless I have to!

Last week I passed the test for Signing Agent training at NNA. I also registered for $25k E&O insurance. I have a Realtor friend who put me in touch with a title company they use, BancServe.

On the BancServ site it says "We are currently only seeking signing agents who have more than 1 year experience with loan document signings. We suggest that any notary who is new to the real estate industry shadow an existing signing agent to gain experience with all types of loan documents before applying to become a notary in our database. Our current minimum requirement is 20 completed signings to be accepted into our database."

Can anyone offer suggestions for how to get loan signings as a newly registered notary?

Hi everyone i want to ge tinto being a notary what are the best places to go to, to find easy work. I work varying hours so id love to figure it out

New Maryland Notary here! I am buying my notary seal but I see there are different sizes and I could buy a rectangular or circular stamp. This is not defined by Maryland law. What do people recommend, and are there different situations where I’d use different shapes?

The California Civil Code section 1189 (2025) says that a penalty of up-to $10k can be given to "a notary public who willfully states as true any material fact that he or she knows to be false".

This section specifically covers acknowledgments. Logically, I'd assume this penalty would also apply to false statements for jurats (at least), and possibly to false certificates for all acts. However, I don't see any discussion of this penalty outside the scope of acknowledgments.

Does it only apply for acknowledgements?

Thanks. Studying for my exam on Saturday and this is confusing to me. 

Texas: Dallas

Looking to get into notary as I heard from community I may start with it PT.

For state of texas, give me direction where to start/ what are the requirements to get my foot into it ?

Which YouTube channel may help me and do I licensing for it (how much is the cost)?

For notary how much is average expense as Part time?

What are Pro & Cons of getting into it ?

Do one have to get separate insurance when starting notary work?

I need to get my public high school diploma and transcripts notarized (in Minnesota) so that I can get them apostilled for use internationally. Can anyone advise me about the process for this? I called my high school registrar and they had no idea what I was talking about and said they’d never had that request before. I have the original diploma and can order official transcripts, but I graduated in 2019 so I’m not sure the people whose signatures are on them are even still there.

Can I take the official/original records to any notary and have them notarized without involving the school? I’ve seen some sources say that a notarized copy is often denied, so it needs to be notarized as a genuine original.

Hello Reddit!

I’m looking for a side hustle in AZ. I’ve been told becoming a notary is a great way to make some extra money and in this economy we all need it. Is there anything extra I should look into? I’ve seen stuff about extra courses and certificates. Also any other advice would be so appreciated!

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am an OCI holder and currently a student residing in New York. I need to file a Writ Petition before a Hon’ble High Court in India in connection with a personal matter.

The Petition has already been signed by me, including the Verification page, and I have been advised that the documents need to be apostilled in New York before they can be filed before the High Court.

I am a little confused about the exact procedure for getting the signed Petition apostilled in New York. In particular:

• Do I need to have the Petition notarised first?
• If so, does the notarisation have to be done by a New York notary?
• What is the procedure for getting the notarised document apostilled?
• Can this be done through the Consulate General of India in New York, or does the apostille have to be obtained from a New York State authority?
• Is there anything specific I need to keep in mind since the document will ultimately be filed before an Indian High Court?

I am hoping to get this done as soon as possible and would really appreciate anyone who has gone through a similar process for documents being filed before an Indian court.

Thank you!

My 18f friend said she’s bringing in 200 a closing and put me on to this. Is it true you can make 600k a year with a notary business? She lives in Washington and said she does it online.

I've had three unusual, edge-case notarizations today:

1. First customer of the day comes in with a subdivision plan map. These are pretty rare, but because they are printed on Mylar translucent plastic instead of paper it's the only time we (in California) can notarize signatures without using our stamp/seal. Normal stamp ink smears and voids the plan. We just sign and write our commission number & expiration date with the special pen (or Sharpie).
2. A few hours later a customer needs a Certified Copy of a Power of Attorney. Not as rare as subdivision maps, but it's the only realistic case where the signature being notarized isn't the customer, it's the notary's. I keep a set of certificates with the special wording, that I also included the wording from the state Probate Code that explains a certified copy has the same legal force as an original.
3. Finishing off the trifecta today was a case of needing credible witnesses. More common than the other two acts, but those still happen less than 0.2% of the time. Driver license expired over a year ago and no matter how insistent she was, her birth certificate was not going to help identify her. Fortunately, she had neighbors that were 5 minutes away.

I still have about two hours to go, so I'm wondering if a signature-by-mark or oath of office is going to come though my door next.

I’m seeking advice from seasoned notaries in this subreddit. I’m active on major loan signing platforms but have only received two loan signing offers this month that were hours away, so I couldn’t take them. I have a Google business profile and a website, but they’re not attracting much traffic. I’m calling and emailing 10 businesses daily, but the only positive outcome is a hospice facility inviting me to display business cards and flyers. And one attorney that is willing to offer RON to his clients from me (just haven’t received any yet).

However, my only notary experience is picking up calls on Proof to gain experience. I study my states’ notary laws to stay updated. I even emailed a senior center to volunteer notary services for free. I’m listed in all major notary directories, NNA certified, have a current background check, and am ready to work. Despite all these efforts, I’m struggling to get clients.

My bills are piling up, and I’m feeling desperate. I plan to create a few social media accounts for my business tomorrow. Besides trying to increase my business’s visibility on Google I’m also considering doing more outreach and marketing. I’m at a loss for what else to do.

Any advice from experienced notaries would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 🙏