Is Florida a Notary State? Duties, Fees, and ID Rules

Yes, Florida is a notary state. The Governor formally appoints notaries public as state officers under Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes, each commission runs for four years, and an appointed notary can perform official acts anywhere inside Florida’s borders.¹ For anyone signing a deed, power of attorney, affidavit, or other sworn document in the state, that framework shapes who can notarize for you, what they can and cannot do, and what it costs.

What “Notary State” Means in Practice

Florida’s system is centralized at the state level rather than run through counties. The Governor may appoint as many notaries as the state needs, and each one must be at least 18 years old, a legal resident of Florida, and able to read, write, and understand English. Permanent resident aliens can qualify by filing a recorded Declaration of Domicile with their application. Residency has to be maintained for the full four-year term, and the notary can only perform official acts while physically inside Florida.¹

The English requirement is substantive, not a formality. The notary has to understand the certificate being completed and communicate with the signer about what the act means.¹

What a Florida Notary Can Do for You

Florida notaries perform a handful of specific official acts. The most common is taking an acknowledgment, where the notary confirms the signer’s identity and that the signature was made voluntarily. Notaries also administer oaths and affirmations, which is what makes an affidavit or deposition a sworn statement subject to penalty of perjury.²

A Florida notary can also supervise the making of a copy of a document and attest that the copy is a true reproduction of the original. One limit matters here: the notary cannot certify copies of vital records like birth or death certificates, or of public records available from the official custodian. Those have to come from the agency that holds them.²

Florida is one of the states that lets notaries solemnize marriages. Any notary with a valid commission can officiate a wedding for a couple holding a valid Florida marriage license. The fee for a marriage ceremony follows a different schedule from standard notarial acts and cannot exceed what circuit court clerks charge for the same service.³

What a Florida Notary Cannot Do

Florida law draws a sharp line between notarizing documents and practicing law. A notary cannot give legal advice, suggest legal remedies, or prepare legal documents for customers, even if the notary happens to know the answer. The commission does not authorize that kind of guidance.⁴

Several situations require the notary to refuse the job outright:⁵

A document with blank spaces intended to be filled in later cannot be notarized.
The signer has to appear before the notary, either in person or through authorized audio-video technology. Mailing a signed document to a notary does not work.
If the signer does not speak or understand English, the notary must refuse unless the nature and effect of the document can be translated into a language the signer understands.
A notary cannot notarize for someone who appears mentally incapable of understanding the document, or who has been adjudicated incapacitated by a court.
Nothing in the document or the notarial certificate can be altered after signing.

Notaries also cannot notarize their own signatures, and standard practice bars notarization where the notary is a party to the transaction or has a direct financial interest in it. The point is to keep the notary acting as an impartial witness.

ID You’ll Need at the Notary’s Desk

A Florida notary cannot notarize your signature without confirming your identity, either through personal knowledge or an acceptable ID. “Personal knowledge” means enough prior association for the notary to be reasonably certain of who you are. Without that, you need a current ID (or one issued within the past five years) that carries a serial or identifying number. Acceptable forms include:²

A Florida driver license or state ID card
A U.S. passport issued by the Department of State
A foreign passport stamped by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
A driver license or ID from another U.S. state or territory, Canada, or Mexico
A military ID issued by any branch of the U.S. armed forces
A Veterans Affairs health ID card
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ID card

The notary has to record which ID was used on the certificate. Showing up without qualifying ID, and without anyone present who personally knows you, is the single most common reason a notarization gets refused.

What Notarization Costs

Florida caps the fee at $10 per notarial act for standard in-person services. Marriage solemnization and remote online notarization have their own fee schedules.²

Many banks and credit unions notarize documents for account holders at no charge, so checking with your financial institution first is often the cheapest route. Mobile notaries who travel to your location add a convenience or travel fee on top of the statutory maximum, and that travel fee is not regulated by Chapter 117. Ask for the total before booking.

How to Become a Florida Notary

If you’re reading this from the other side of the desk, the process is straightforward and the out-of-pocket cost is modest. You need to be at least 18, a legal Florida resident, and able to read, write, and understand English.¹ From there:

Complete the mandatory three-hour notary education course through the Florida Department of State’s online program, answer the section questions, and get the completion certificate.⁶
Submit a signed and sworn application with a $25 application fee, a $10 commission fee, and a $4 education surcharge, totaling $39. Veterans with a disability rating of 50 percent or greater may have the commission fee waived.¹
Obtain a $7,500 surety bond from an authorized surety company. The bond protects the public if you breach your notarial duties and has to be approved and filed with the Department of State.¹
Include an affidavit of good character from someone unrelated to you who has known you for at least a year.
Swear an oath that you have read Chapter 117 and understand your duties, responsibilities, limitations, and powers.⁷

A bonding agency usually packages the application, bond, and oath together. The surety bond itself typically costs well under $100 for the four-year term, depending on the company.

Remote Online Notarization

Florida authorizes remote online notarization, known as RON, which lets a notary complete official acts through live audio-video technology. The signer does not need to be in the same room, city, or even state. The notary, though, has to be physically inside Florida during the session.⁸

A standard commission does not automatically include RON authority. A notary who wants to perform online notarizations has to hold an active commission first, then complete a separate online notarization training course, contract with an approved third-party technology vendor, and pay a $10 registration fee to the Florida Department of State. The RON registration expires on the same date as the underlying commission, no matter when the notary added it.⁹ During the session, the notary verifies identity through the audio-video connection, records the full session, and keeps the recording along with an electronic journal of the transaction.⁸

Where to Find a Notary in Florida

Notaries are easy to find across the state, and many services are free or sit at the $10 cap. Banks and credit unions are the usual starting point, since many notarize documents for their account holders at no charge. Shipping stores, law offices, real estate agencies, and public libraries often have a notary on staff. For documents that have to be signed somewhere other than an office, mobile notaries travel to homes, hospitals, and workplaces for a travel fee on top of the statutory maximum. For out-of-state signers or anyone with mobility limitations, a RON session completes the process by computer or phone.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.01 – Appointment, Application, Suspension, Revocation, Application Fee, Bond, and Oath
2
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.05 – Use of Notary Commission
3
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.045 – Marriages
4
Florida Department of State. Notary Public Law FAQ
5
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 117.107 – Prohibited Acts
6
Florida Department of State. Notary Education Program
7
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 117 – Notaries Public
8
Florida Senate. Florida Code 117.265 – Online Notarization Procedures
9
Executive Office of the Governor. Notary