Notaries typically charge between $2 and $25 for each signature they notarize, with the exact cap set by your state. The fee is per notarial act, not per page, so a one-page affidavit and a 50-page contract cost the same if each needs a single stamp. How much notaries charge in practice depends on where you live, how many signatures the document requires, and whether the notary comes to you or meets you online.
Per Signature, Not Per Page
What you’re paying for is the act itself: the notary checking your ID, watching you sign, and logging the event in their journal. The length of the document doesn’t change that work. What does change the bill is the number of stamps. If you and your spouse both sign a deed, that’s two acts and two fees. If a document needs both an acknowledgment and a sworn statement, that’s also two acts. The page count is a red herring; count the signatures and the type of certification each one needs.
What Your State Allows
Every state that regulates notary fees sets a maximum per act. Notaries can charge less, but not more. Most states land somewhere between $5 and $15. Georgia and New York sit at the low end with a $2 cap. Rhode Island goes up to $25.
A handful of states price additional signatures separately from the first:
- Texas: $10 for the first signature, $1 for each additional.
- Nevada: $15 for the first, $7.50 for each additional.
- Pennsylvania: $5 for the first name on an acknowledgment, $2 for each additional.
About nine states set no statutory maximum at all, including Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Tennessee requires only that fees be “reasonable.” In those states the notary names the price, so ask before they pick up the stamp.
Mobile Notary Fees
A mobile notary comes to your home, office, or hospital room. The notarization itself still follows the state cap, but travel is a separate charge, and that’s where the total climbs. Travel fees commonly run $25 to $75 or more depending on distance, and some notaries add surcharges for evenings, weekends, or holidays.
State rules on travel fees vary. Some cap mileage or require upfront disclosure; others leave it to the notary as long as the amount is reasonable. The practical result is that a $10 notarization can turn into an $85 bill once the drive is included. That’s not overcharging if it was disclosed, but it does mean mobile service often costs five to ten times what you’d pay walking into a bank.
Remote Online Notarization
Remote online notarization lets you handle the whole thing over a video call. As of 2025, 44 states and the District of Columbia allow it for real estate and financial transactions.
The notary’s fee for a remote session is often capped at $25 per act in states that set a specific maximum for it, higher than most in-person caps. On top of that, the platform that hosts the session charges its own technology fee. A representative pricing model runs $25 per document for a standard session, with additional seals or signers at $25 each. Subscription plans can bring per-document costs down to $10 to $19 for frequent users.
All in, a single remote notarization usually lands between $25 and $50. More than a bank visit, less than a mobile notary once travel is factored in, and done in under ten minutes.
Loan Signings
If you’re refinancing or buying a home, you’ll see a signing fee of $75 to $200 for the whole package. This covers a loan signing agent who reviews the documents, walks you through them, makes sure everything is executed properly, and returns the package to the title company. It’s a flat fee for the appointment, not a per-act charge, and it’s usually paid by the title company or lender rather than directly by you.
Where to Get It Done Free
Your bank is the first place to check. Many banks and credit unions notarize documents for account holders at no charge. Bank of America, for example, offers this to customers, though a notary isn’t always on site and you may need an appointment. Most major banks and credit unions run similar programs.
Free bank notarizations come with limits. The notary may turn away unfamiliar document types, anything with blank spaces, or situations where every signer isn’t physically present. If the bank can’t help, they’ll usually point you toward a paid notary or an attorney.
Other free options worth checking: some employers keep a notary on staff, AAA offices provide the service to members in some locations, and public libraries sometimes offer it too.
If You Think You Were Overcharged
In states with fee caps, charging over the maximum is a violation that can lead to discipline, suspension, or revocation of the notary’s commission. Complaints go to your state’s Secretary of State or whichever agency commissions notaries there. You’ll generally need to submit a written complaint with receipts or copies of the notarized documents.
That process addresses the notary’s conduct. If you want your money back, that’s small claims court or a private attorney. For fraud or forgery rather than a pricing dispute, go to local law enforcement or the county district attorney.
The simplest protection is to ask for a full breakdown of fees before anything gets stamped. A reputable notary will tell you exactly what each line covers. If the numbers don’t match your state’s published fee schedule, find someone else.