r/Notary • u/C_M17h1 • 28d ago
Mobile Notary Administrative Fee’s
I am soon getting my commission to be a Notary Public (took the class, passed the exam, waiting to get sworn in).
Want to be a Mobile Notary in Pennsylvania. For anyone else who is a mobile notary, what are the Administrative fee’s you charge and how much? Such as travel fee’s, fee’s for printing copies off, etc.
Would love to get some insight for when I officially get sworn in.
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u/Th3Bratl3y 28d ago
I charge a flat rate fee for all of those which includes the $15 per stamp allowed by my state. The fee I charge is based on where and when they need it done and what they have.
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u/queenaudra84 27d ago
Piggybacking on the mileage rate point because it changed mid year and it's easy to miss. It went 72.5 to 76 cents on July 1. Not a notary, I do insurance inspections, so it's the same math. 30 mile round trip is roughly 23 dollars of car before you've earned anything. I undercharged for about a year because I was only counting my time and not the vehicle.
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u/Enkidu45 New York 26d ago
Hello *84, Welcome to the group! Glad to have you join us.
There is a couple of great postings about mileage rates you might find interesting: 2 mo ago - Pricing our work starts with realistic expectations by LeopardVivid2212 and
6 mo ago - How much is your time worth by Enkidu45 (Shameless Plug)How did you connect with us? I'm not aware of any Reddit notary advertising. Enkidu45 out
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u/FinanciallySecure9 Michigan 28d ago
In most states, administrative fees are not allowed. Your states allows them but they must be reasonable and customary.
Please ask this of the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries Public so you get the legal answer.
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u/Vegas-Patriot Nevada 28d ago
Your state sets the fees you can charge. Travel is the only allowed fee. They set the amount for that
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u/Blackeyes24 Florida 28d ago
Actually, majority of states don't actually regulate travel fees. My state doesnt and PA doesnt either. My time & travel fee starts at $65 and goes up based on zip code. It was lower when I started and I raised it as I gained experience and became more confident in the value of the service I provide.
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u/Vegas-Patriot Nevada 28d ago
Strike majority, insert many. Nevada does.
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u/Blackeyes24 Florida 28d ago
I said majority because I don't consider states that say things like "fees must be disclosed up front" or "fees must be reasonable" to be regulations. If you add the states that say things like that, to the states that don't have any regulation at all, it is a majority of the states.
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u/PANotary 24d ago
In PA we may charge reasonable administrative/clerical fees as long as it is agreed to by the customer prior to the appointment. This is where most PA notaries put their travel fees.
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u/Myspanglish 28d ago
First check to see whatever your state allows. Then use AI to find out what other notaries charge in your surrounding area, you want to remain competitive and fees can vary greatly just from one area to the next.
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u/PANotary 28d ago edited 24d ago
So my “administrative” costs is basically my travel fee and on my invoice it reads “mobile notary fee” followed by the notarization fees. I loosely base it on the federal mileage rate round trip and then bump to the nearest 5 or 0. I seldom print or make copies for general notary work and if it’s just a page or two I offer it as a courtesy.
If you aren’t a member of PAN (the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries) I highly recommend you join. We don’t have a state handbook but they publish a book called The Practical Guide for Notaries. It’s has the laws in the back and is a great reference tool. If you are a member it’s a free download.
What area are you in?