How Much Does It Cost to Notarize a Document in California?

Notary fees in California are capped at $15 per signature for the notarial act itself under Government Code Section 8211. That ceiling covers only the notarization. A mobile notary’s travel, a loan signing agent’s package fee, or an online platform’s technology charge can all be added on top, and none of those extras is capped by state law.

The $15 Cap and What It Covers

Section 8211 lists every notarial act a California notary can perform and sets the maximum fee for each. A notary who charges more than these amounts is violating state law.

Acknowledgment: up to $15 per signature. This is the most common notarization, where the notary confirms your identity and that you signed willingly.¹
Jurat: up to $15 per signature. You swear under oath that the document’s contents are true, and the notary witnesses the signature.¹
Certified copy of a power of attorney: up to $15 per copy.¹
Oath or affirmation with no signature: up to $15 per person, for when someone needs to swear a statement but no document is being signed.¹

The cap moved from $10 to $15 effective January 1, 2017. A notary can charge less, and some do, but no California notary can legally charge more than $15 per signature for a standard notarial act.

Mobile Notary Travel Fees

When a mobile notary comes to your home, office, or hospital room, the travel fee is a separate charge that California law does not cap. Most mobile notaries charge somewhere between $25 and $75 for travel, and the fee can climb higher for late-night calls, weekends, or long distances.

Your protection is that the travel fee should be agreed on before the notary leaves. Ask for the total cost upfront, with the per-signature fee and the travel charge broken out separately. If a notary quotes a single lump sum, ask for a breakdown. The notarial portion still cannot exceed $15 per signature no matter how the charges are bundled.

Loan Signing Agent Fees

Real estate closings are where notary costs add up fastest. A refinance or purchase package typically involves dozens of documents, several of which need notarized signatures. Loan signing agents run the whole appointment, walking the borrower through each document, collecting signatures, and notarizing the required pages.

The per-signature cap still holds, but the total bill reflects the number of signatures plus the agent’s fee for managing the signing. Loan signing agents in California commonly charge $75 to $200 for a full package, depending on the complexity of the deal and who is paying. In many home purchases and refinances, the lender or title company covers the notary cost, and you will see it itemized on your closing disclosure.

Remote Online Notarization

California authorized remote online notarization through SB 696, signed into law in 2023.² You appear before a notary over a live video call instead of meeting in person. The notary verifies your identity through knowledge-based authentication questions and credential analysis, then watches you sign electronically.

SB 696 did not set a separate fee cap for online notarizations, so the $15-per-signature maximum under Section 8211 still applies to the notarial act itself. The platforms that facilitate these sessions typically charge their own technology fees on top of the statutory notary fee. Full implementation of the state’s online notarization system is expected by January 1, 2030.

Free and Low-Cost Options

If you only need one or two signatures on a straightforward document, you can often skip mobile fees entirely. Many banks and credit unions offer free notary services to account holders. Credit unions are especially reliable since most keep a notary on staff at larger branches. Some locations charge non-members a fee, usually $15 per signature matching the statutory cap.

Shipping stores, real estate offices, and tax preparation businesses also frequently employ notaries and charge the standard $15 per signature. Call ahead, because not every branch has a notary available every day and some require appointments. For a single document, the savings compared to a mobile visit can be significant.

What Notary Fees Do Not Buy

A notary’s job is narrow: confirm identity, witness signatures, and administer oaths. The fee covers those procedural steps and nothing more. California law prohibits non-attorney notaries from giving legal advice, and notaries who advertise in a language other than English must post a notice stating “I am not an attorney and, therefore, cannot give legal advice about immigration or any other legal matters.”³

A notary cannot choose which document you need, tell you what type of notarization to request, help you fill out a form, or explain what a document means. If a notary offers those services, they are crossing into the unauthorized practice of law.

If You Are Overcharged

The Secretary of State can revoke or suspend a notary’s commission for misconduct, which includes charging more than the statutory maximum.⁴ If a notary charged you more than $15 per signature for the notarial act itself, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of State’s Notary Compliance unit by completing the complaint form and mailing it with supporting documentation to the Sacramento office.⁵

The Secretary of State investigates disciplinary violations but cannot order a refund or award money damages. To get your money back, you would need to go through a private attorney or small claims court. You can also file a claim against the notary’s surety bond by contacting the county clerk’s office identified on the notary’s seal to get the name of the bonding company.⁵

1
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8211
2
California Legislative Information. SB-696 Notaries Public
3
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8219.5
4
California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8214.1
5
California Secretary of State. Submit a Complaint Against a Notary Public