In Ohio, a notary can charge up to $5 for a traditional in-person notarial act and up to $30 for an online notarization. Those are legal ceilings, not set prices. Many notaries charge less, and banks and credit unions often do it free for their customers. What you actually pay depends on whether you walk into a local office, have a notary come to you, or handle the whole thing over video.
The Legal Fee Caps
Ohio Revised Code Section 147.08 sets the maximum a notary can charge:
- Up to $5 per notarial act performed in person.
- Up to $30 per notarial act performed online.
The fee is per notarial act, not per signature. A notarial act is the official procedure itself, like administering an oath, taking an acknowledgment, or witnessing a signature. If three people sign the same document and only one notarial act is required, the maximum charge is still $5 in person or $30 online. A notary who performs an online notarization cannot also add the $5 in-person fee on top of the $30.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.08 – Fees
These are maximums. A notary can charge $3, $1, or nothing. Financial institutions frequently waive the fee for account holders.
Extra Charges That Can Raise the Bill
Two add-ons are permitted on top of the base notarial fee.
Travel Fees for a Mobile Notary
When a notary travels to your home, office, hospital room, or another location, Ohio law lets them charge a reasonable travel fee on top of the $5 per-act fee. The statute doesn’t cap the travel charge in dollars, but it does require that the notary and the signer agree on the amount before the notarization happens. If a mobile notary shows up and quotes $50 for travel that you never agreed to, you aren’t obligated to pay it.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.08 – Fees
Actual travel fees vary widely with distance, time of day, and how urgently you need the appointment. Ask for the total cost upfront, travel included, before you book.
The $10 Technology Fee for Online Notarization
For online notarizations done through a live two-way video platform, the notary can charge a technology fee of up to $10 on top of the $30 notarial fee. That charge covers the platform used for identity verification and video conferencing. A notary is permitted to collect this fee even if the notarization doesn’t ultimately go through, for example when a signer fails identity verification.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.08 – Fees
So the true ceiling for an online session is $40: $30 for the act plus $10 for the technology.
Why Loan Signings Cost So Much More
If you’re buying or refinancing a home, the bill for the notary signing agent may run $75 to $200 or more. That looks impossible next to a $5 cap, but the two figures are measuring different things. Ohio’s fee cap applies only to the notarial act itself. A signing agent is also coordinating the closing appointment, walking you through dozens of pages of loan documents, handling return shipping, and hitting a lender’s timeline. Those services fall outside the statutory cap.
When you see a signing agent charge on your closing disclosure, most of it is document handling and coordination, not notarization. If a fee confuses you, ask the signing agent to break it out into the notarial portion and the service portion.
Where to Get It Done for Less (or Free)
Your bank or credit union is the best first stop. Most have notaries on staff and offer the service free to account holders. Some branches will notarize for non-customers at the standard $5 or less.
Other places that commonly provide notary services:
- Shipping and office supply stores such as The UPS Store, usually during business hours.
- Law offices and real estate offices, especially if you’re already a client.
- Public libraries, though availability differs by branch.
- Mobile notaries, who come to you for a travel fee on top of the $5 act fee.
- Online notary platforms, available around the clock at up to $40 per session.
Call ahead. Not every location has a notary on duty at all times, and some require an appointment.
What a Notary in Ohio Cannot Charge For
Overcharging carries a real penalty. A notary who charges more than the statutory maximum can be removed from office by the court of common pleas in their county, and a notary removed on that ground is permanently ineligible for reappointment.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Section 147.13 – Removal for Receiving Excess Fees
You also shouldn’t be charged for services a non-attorney notary isn’t allowed to provide in the first place. An Ohio notary who isn’t a lawyer cannot draft legal documents for you, advise you on which type of notarization your document needs, represent you in a proceeding, or determine whether a power of attorney is legally valid.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Section 147.141 – Prohibited Acts If you aren’t sure which notarial act your document needs, ask the entity that issued or requested the document rather than paying a notary to make that call.
What to Confirm Before You Pay
Before the notary starts, three questions keep the price predictable. Ask what the fee will be for the notarial act itself. If a notary is traveling to you, get the travel charge in writing or at least confirmed verbally before they leave. If you’re going online, confirm whether the platform’s technology fee is included in the quoted price or added on. Bring valid, government-issued photo ID that is either current or expired no more than three years, because a failed identity check on an online platform can still cost you the $10 technology fee.