In Florida, a notary can charge up to $10 for each notarial act performed in person, up to $25 for an act performed through remote online notarization, and up to $30 to solemnize a marriage. Those are ceilings, not set prices, so a notary is free to charge less or nothing at all. Travel and administrative fees sit outside the statute and can be added on top, but only if the notary tells you the amount before the work starts.
The $10 Cap for In-Person Notarizations
Florida law limits the fee for a standard notarial act to $10.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties That covers the tasks most people need a notary for: administering an oath, taking an acknowledgment, attesting to a copy, or witnessing a signature.
The cap runs per notarial act, not per page or per document. One document can require more than one act. If a single form calls for two separate acknowledgments, the notary can charge up to $10 for each, because each acknowledgment is its own act. Two signers on the same document means two acknowledgments and, potentially, two fees.
Plenty of Florida notaries charge less than $10, and many charge nothing. Banks, credit unions, law offices, and shipping stores commonly offer notarization free or at a discount for customers. The fee, when charged, belongs to the notary personally rather than to the employer, though employers can set workplace rules limiting when their notary employees may charge during business hours.
The $25 Cap for Online Notarization
When the notarization happens through a live audio-video session rather than in person, the ceiling rises to $25 per act.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.275 – Fees for Online Notarization The higher figure reflects the identity-verification and technology requirements that come with a remote session.
The $25 covers only the notarial act itself. Remote online notarization platforms charge their own service fees on top, and those fees are not governed by the statute. One reason platform costs run higher is that a RON service provider in Florida must carry at least $250,000 in annual aggregate errors and omissions insurance.3Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.295 – Online Notarization Insurance Requirements Expect a total online notarization bill to exceed a simple in-person signing once you add the platform charge to the $25 notary fee.
The $30 Cap for Marriage Ceremonies
Florida notaries can solemnize marriages, and the fee for a ceremony cannot exceed what the clerk of the circuit court charges for the same service.4Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Title X Chapter 117 Part I Section 117.045 – Marriages The clerk’s fee is set at $30, so $30 is the ceiling.5Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 28.24 – Service Charges by Clerk of the Circuit Court
Any notarial acts performed as part of the ceremony, such as administering an oath, are separate and can be billed at the standard $10-per-act rate.
Travel Fees and Other Add-Ons
Florida’s statutes say nothing about travel fees. A mobile notary who drives to your home, hospital room, or office can set the trip fee at whatever the market will bear. The one firm expectation is disclosure: the notary should quote the travel fee before setting out. If you weren’t told in advance, you have a reasonable basis to push back on the charge.
Common structures include mileage, time, or a flat trip fee. Some notaries peg mileage to the IRS standard business rate, which is 72.5 cents per mile for 2026.6Internal Revenue Service. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents Per Mile Flat trip fees typically fall in the $25 to $75 range depending on distance, with higher charges for after-hours and weekend appointments.
Notaries can also bill for printing, scanning, or shipping. Those charges are separate from the notarial act fee and aren’t governed by the $10 cap. Ask for an itemized breakdown so you can see what you’re paying for each notarial act versus the travel and paperwork around it.
Real Estate Closings and Signing Agent Fees
A notary signing agent handles real estate loan signings, guiding a borrower through a stack of documents and notarizing each signature. The $10 cap still applies to each individual notarial act, but a signing agent is usually paid a single flat fee for the whole appointment, commonly $75 to $150, with more for complex or last-minute jobs.
Borrowers rarely write that check themselves. The signing agent’s fee is folded into closing costs and paid by the title company or lender, and it appears on the settlement statement rather than as a separate bill at the kitchen table.
What a Notary Cannot Charge You For
A notary who is not a licensed attorney cannot charge for legal advice or document preparation. Choosing which document you need, telling you which type of notarization to request, explaining the legal effect of what you’re signing, or helping you fill in the blanks all count as the unauthorized practice of law. A notary who does any of that risks losing the commission and can face criminal charges.
Watch for “document preparation” fees added by a non-attorney notary. Legitimate non-notarial charges cover mechanical work like printing, copying, and shipping. Anything that involves judgment about a document’s content or legal effect is outside what a notary is permitted to sell you. It matters for your protection too: an attorney who gives bad advice can be held to malpractice standards, while a notary who offers legal guidance has no equivalent accountability framework behind that advice.
If You Think You’ve Been Overcharged
Florida’s notary statutes don’t set a specific fine for exceeding the fee caps, but charging above the maximum violates the notary’s commission obligations, and the Governor’s office can suspend or revoke a commission for misconduct. An employer whose notary employee overcharges or commits other official misconduct on the job is liable for the resulting damages.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Section 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission; Unlawful Use; Notary Fee; Seal; Duties; Employer Liability; Name Change; Advertising; Photocopies; Penalties
If you were charged more than the statutory cap for the notarial act itself, or hit with travel or administrative fees you were never told about, complaints go to the Florida Governor’s office, which oversees notary commissions. Bring your receipt, a copy of the notarized document, and any written communication showing what you were quoted.