A basic affidavit runs anywhere from $0 to $50 when you draft it yourself and only need a notary. Hire an attorney to write it and the price climbs to $100 to $500 for something routine, and past $1,000 for complex financial or immigration statements. How much an affidavit costs depends on which of four layers apply to your situation: notarization, legal drafting, court or recording fees, and translation. Most people only pay for one or two.
Notarization: The One Cost Almost Everyone Pays
Notarization is the most common line item. A notary verifies your identity, watches you sign, and confirms the oath. States cap the per-signature fee by statute, and the caps vary. Georgia and New York sit at the low end with a $2 maximum. Rhode Island allows up to $25. A handful of states set no cap at all and let notaries charge whatever they disclose in advance.
For a one-page affidavit with a single signature, expect $2 to $25 depending on where you live. Banks and credit unions often notarize free for account holders, which is the easiest way to zero out this cost. Shipping and office supply stores also notarize, usually at or near the state maximum.
Mobile Notary Fees
If you can’t travel to a notary, one will come to you for a travel charge on top of the signature fee. Travel commonly runs $30 to $75 depending on distance. A typical setup: $30 for trips under five miles, scaling to $60 or more past 30 miles. Some states prohibit travel fees altogether; others tie them to the IRS mileage rate.
Remote Online Notarization
Online notarization handles the whole thing over video call. Pricing typically starts around $25 per document, with discounts for additional documents in the same session. Because there’s no travel charge, online notarization is often competitive with or cheaper than a mobile notary. Not every state authorizes it for every document type, so confirm your state allows it before booking.
When You Need a Lawyer
You don’t always need one. An affidavit stating simple facts — confirming your address, verifying a name change, swearing that a document is a true copy — is something most people can draft themselves from a template. The language doesn’t have to be fancy. It has to be accurate and sworn.
Attorneys earn their fee on affidavits that involve legal strategy, complex financial disclosures, or high-stakes proceedings where a poorly worded statement could hurt your case. Fees break down two ways.
Flat fees for simple to moderately complex affidavits typically run $100 to $500. A routine affidavit of heirship or a name-change declaration usually falls in this range.
Hourly billing applies when the affidavit needs investigation, document review, or multiple drafts. Rates run roughly $150 to $400 per hour depending on the attorney’s experience and market. A complex financial affidavit or one tied to immigration proceedings can total $500 to $2,000 or more once you factor in research and revisions.
Content drives cost more than format. An affidavit summarizing five years of financial transactions for a divorce takes far more attorney time than a one-paragraph verification of residency.
What Common Affidavits Typically Cost
The type of affidavit shapes which cost layers stack.
- Affidavit of heirship. Used to transfer a deceased person’s property to heirs without full probate. Many states allow this for estates under a certain value, with thresholds ranging from $15,000 to $200,000 depending on the state. Attorney involvement is common because property transfers carry real risk if done wrong. Budget $200 to $500 for drafting, plus recording fees if real property is involved.
- Affidavit of support (Form I-864). Required when sponsoring an immigrant family member. The affidavit itself is a federal form, but many sponsors hire an immigration attorney to review it. USCIS charges separate filing fees for the underlying petition.1USCIS. I-864 Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
- Financial affidavit. Courts in divorce and custody cases often require a sworn financial disclosure. Attorney fees for helping complete one commonly range from $300 to $1,000.
- Affidavit of name change. Simple enough to draft yourself. Total cost is often just the notarization fee.
- Affidavit of residence. Proves where you live for school enrollment, taxes, or benefits. Most people handle this without a lawyer. Cost is usually limited to notarization.
- Identity theft affidavit. The FTC provides a standard form at no charge. You fill it out, notarize if needed, and submit to creditors or law enforcement.
Court and Recording Fees
When an affidavit is part of a lawsuit or agency filing, the court or agency usually charges a filing fee. That fee isn’t specific to the affidavit; it’s part of the broader case cost. Federal district court civil filing fees currently run several hundred dollars, and state court fees vary widely by jurisdiction and case type.
If you can’t afford filing fees, federal courts let you apply to proceed “in forma pauperis,” which waives the fees. You submit an affidavit detailing your financial situation and showing you cannot pay.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915: Proceedings In Forma Pauperis Standardized application forms are available.3United States Courts. Fee Waiver Application Forms Most state courts have similar waiver programs, though eligibility and forms differ.
County Recording Fees
Affidavits that affect real property, like an affidavit of heirship or an affidavit correcting a deed, need to be recorded with the county recorder. Recording fees are typically charged per page, with a higher fee for the first page and a smaller fee for each additional one. Plan on $25 to $50 for a short document, though this varies by county. Some counties add fees for formatting or indexing.
Translation Costs
If your affidavit includes or supports foreign-language documents, federal agencies typically require a certified English translation. USCIS requires that every foreign-language document be accompanied by a complete English translation and a signed certification that the translator is competent and the translation accurate.4eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests USCIS doesn’t require translators to hold any particular credential; they just have to attest to their own competence.
Professional translators generally charge by the word or page. For common languages like Spanish or French, expect $15 to $30 per page. Less common languages or highly technical documents cost more. USCIS doesn’t require the translation itself to be notarized, which saves a step, though other agencies and state courts may.
The Federal Alternative That Costs Nothing
For many federal matters, you can skip the notary entirely. Federal law lets an unsworn written declaration signed “under penalty of perjury” carry the same weight as a notarized affidavit in most situations where federal law or regulation requires a sworn statement.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1746: Unsworn Declarations Under Penalty of Perjury That eliminates the notarization cost. It doesn’t apply everywhere, though, and state courts generally still require the traditional notarized version.
Ways to Spend Less
The biggest saver is knowing when you don’t need a lawyer. For affidavits stating simple facts, drafting from a free template is reasonable. Format matters less than accuracy.
For notarization, try your bank or credit union first. Many offer it free to account holders. If you have to pay, comparing a couple of notaries takes five minutes and can save $10 to $20.
For federal filings, consider whether an unsworn declaration will do the job in place of a notarized affidavit. If it will, you sign the declaration yourself and skip both the fee and the trip.
If you need legal help but can’t afford an attorney, legal aid organizations provide free assistance to people meeting income eligibility, generally at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.6Legal Services Corporation. What Is Legal Aid Local bar associations also run pro bono referral programs. Before spending anything, confirm an affidavit is actually required. Sometimes a signed letter or a different form does the same job at no cost.
The Cost People Forget
An affidavit is a sworn statement, so knowingly including false information is perjury. Federal perjury is punishable by a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1621: Perjury Generally The same penalty applies to false statements in unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury, so skipping the notary doesn’t reduce your exposure. State perjury laws carry their own penalties, most of them felonies. A false affidavit can also get your case thrown out, trigger court sanctions, or open you up to civil liability. Never sign an affidavit containing anything you don’t personally know to be true. If a fact is uncertain, say so or leave it out.