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National Notary Association
The National Notary Bulletin

Survey: What changes would you like to see for Notaries?

By David Thun

notary-change-survey-resize.jpgFor the Notary world, the 21st century has been defined as a time of change. And changes affecting Notaries are everywhere — in new laws, new technology, new marketing and business strategies and much more.

We’d like to ask our Notary community: What changes do you think would help Notaries the most as we move forward into the 21st Century? Please share your thoughts and suggestions in the survey below. We’d also like to speak to Notaries directly for an upcoming article in The National Notary magazine, and you are invited to leave your contact information if you are interested in entering our giveaway for a Notary gift bag, or if you would like to be interviewed for our upcoming magazine article. Responses must be received by March 31, 2019. Thank you!

[CLOSED] Take The Notary Changes Survey

33 Comments

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Douglas Stout

20 May 2019

I have been a Ca. Notary Public/Certified Loan Singing agent since 2011. This is my third professional career now that I’m in my sixties. In other words I did not just fall off the turnip truck. When I started in this business I was contacted by some lenders and escrows and was being paid as much as $250.00 at times to complete packages. Now enter the 21st. century in the notary/ signing agent world with signing services sliding in between the lenders, escrow and title receiving the notary fee (for the notary) and the dispersing it out the signing agents a lot of the time for as low of a fee as possible. This not always the case but as the recent years have passed our fee has dropped and in some cases significantly. Are the upper level officials in lending, Title and escrows aware and if so even care about the incentive for signing agents to do a good and professional job representing them for less money ? I’m considering a fourth career because of the unfairness and illogical situation I am in.For an important part of the lending and real estate industry to be handled and basically disrespected is a travesty. How do we make upper level people understand the worsening situation?

Steve

19 Apr 2019

I only became a notary because my boss asked me too. At $2.50 a signature I feel that is a waste of time there is no way i would become a notary. (NV.)

Michelle Neely

27 Mar 2019

A few changes I'd like to see is all states require Notaries to have journal, with the minimum: signers name and signature, ID verification info, type of notarization, doc type, date and place of notarization. Standard Acknowledgement and Jurat wording for all states. Also, all states require State Notary Law course to ensure each person applying/renewing for a commission completely understands the laws beforehand instead of during or after, at a reasonable fee. Update the notary fees.

Jacqueline Grant

26 Mar 2019

Increase in notary fee

Linda L. Blest

25 Mar 2019

We should always have the documents the day before the signing. Especially when you accepted the assignment a week ago. There is no reason you should have to plan your day around returning to your office midday to print documents on an assignment you accepted days before.

Andrea DeJesus

25 Mar 2019

Loan signing agents should get paid at most 72 hours after a loan closes. It’s not right that we have to wait 30-60 days to get paid.

LAURA CERVANTES

22 Mar 2019

I just attended a seminar to become a notary in California (employer paid for it). I think new applicants should have more detail information as for those renewing, a vast number of questions and the new members do not have a clue or understand what's being discuss. Would like to see a six months online refreshing course available for those in need to learn more or go over what's new or how to do it. I didn't feel confident about passing the test and waited 3 weeks for the results. Finally, the results arrived and I could have sworn I did not passed. However, the letter states 70% and passed! Not sure if this is correct but I do not feel ready to start. I am waiting for the remainder of materials, then go to county clerk and file. I have been reading all articles received from NNA and I see that a lot of notaries have a lot of issues and would like to see changes applied. Well, at least I will only be doing this for my employer. I wanted to ask if the $15.00 per signature still applies or will be F.O.C. to the employer? Any feedback is greatly appreciated it.

SK Winters

22 Mar 2019

Jurat - I wish when multi Jurats are required that the notary could give oath or affirmation once for all Jurat and not have to administer individually.

Wendy Benalcazar

21 Mar 2019

I would like to see uniform wording for all notarial certificates for all states and a fee increase.

Regina Shepard Williams

21 Mar 2019

A quarterly onsite refresher/training in every local city especially Memphis, TN.

Yvonne

19 Mar 2019

I wish title company can update their software to reflect correct CA notary form. I want to know why title company charge clients $150 - $200. Yet pay notary $65 - $100. Notary should get at least 60% of the total notary fee. If not, title company cannot request notary to allocate 1 hr for the appointment.

Valeria Carcana

19 Mar 2019

I would like to see a Fee Increase as well as MANDATORY Testing in order to get a Notary Commission in NJ.

Yvonne LippeGarza

18 Mar 2019

I think once certified you should have the exam every two years. Once a year is too often. Pay should increase for signings as well. Companies should pay within a week after funding.

Marilyn Jones

18 Mar 2019

Increase in fees all the way around.

abigailvanburen@hotmail.com

18 Mar 2019

We need to have a more secure way of stamping document rather than plain black ink. One issue with this is depending on the location it can make parts of the document illegible. The second being easy to replicate the stamp. One option could be a type of holographic color.

Jonesynotary@gmail.com

18 Mar 2019

i would like to see the use of journals electronic or paper the choice of the notary but mandatory.

Victor E Martinez

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see an increase in fees for CA; i would also like to see that ALL notaries are required to charge the minimum so that they don't take market share by charging very low fees. It is hard enough to get customers in a rural area.

Douglas Cummings

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see an electronic version of Journals that are valid in all 50 states. I have only seen one and that version appears to no longer work.

BJ

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see Journals be required for all states. My employer refuses to let me keep a Journal as they are not required in my state and if I tried to keep an unofficial one the entries would not contain pertinent information like the Client's signature.

Victor Montalvo

18 Mar 2019

I, am so happy and proud to be a NOTARY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA STATE.,since 1996. I am doing my job safety .

Nathan Travers

18 Mar 2019

Open to an interview and entry to the drawing

National Notary Association

18 Mar 2019

Thanks Nathan! Please be sure to visit the survey link and include your contact information and that you are agreeable to being contacted at the end of the survey.

M MildredHarvey

18 Mar 2019

I would like to be added to our Notary as a Mortage Signer Thank You

Angela Ma

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see title companies contracting the signing agent directly to expect to pay the standard fee they typically charge the signer. I also agree that signing agent companies should not pay the notaries over 15 days. The fees are paid when funds are disbursed at closing. The lag of time allows a signer company to use the funds for other matters. I've been cheated of fees being unpaid due to the signing company's misuse of funds. They should be highly regulated. It's not worth the time to try to obtain the fees in small claims so I think most signing companies know this is a way out of paying the notary. At the end of the day, the notary performs the work but gets screwed by the signing companies. They should be regulated. The only platforms are blog posts of certain signing companies having a bad reputation but nothing's being done.

Joel Hedge

18 Mar 2019

I would like for Texas to change the rule that when recording the clients information in the notary journal the Notary be able to record ID numbers such as driver's license ID. This would be one more step to help identify the signer. I won't comment of the absurdity of the current procedure at this time.

Milly

18 Mar 2019

I think there should be a better way to give a copy of documents to signers besides printing the "extra" copy. In this digital age, something secure should be done. Because most of the time I hear "Why do I need these, they do not have complete signatures of the Title Company and/or the Lender". Then the signers say they will have them shredded. :After the time it takes to print the documents for signatures, cost of printing, and paper used, the extra copies for the signers (which is well over 150 pages most of the time) is very costly to the Notary for the signer (s) to discard the copies. Scenarios: 1) I have had a signing of over 125 pages. I printed the documents, printed the signers copies and was ready to go to the signing when the signing agency called and said there was a change in the documents. A reprint was needed. The math is 125 pages for the original documents, 125 copies for the signers. This is 250 pages. Then a reprint is 125 for the originals and 125 pages for the signers. This is 250 pages more which was 500 pages (a ream of paper). Just for one signing. 2) Then the situation of approximately 125 pages for the signatures. 125 for the copies, then the signing cancels. 250 more pages to shred.. The above is just examples. If there were more documents to print (which 125 is a very low number) then that obviously increases the documents. This is a digital age. Something should be done. I use Drop Box for my Real Estate contracts, etc. (example) Thank you for your time, Milly King

Marlene Diaz

18 Mar 2019

I think signing services should be regulated by the state and/or federal agencies in every aspect. Specifically, in regards to timely payments and unfair business practices such as hiring a notary for a loan signing and actually sending two loan packages.

Candy Tobias

18 Mar 2019

I think for existing notaries to have to attend an all day class and then retest is ridiculous. Continuing Ed classes should be sufficient like with insurance and securities licenses

Sherry D Boyle

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see the fee for Acknowledgements and Jurats be a minimum of $10.00 for each signature (currently only $6.00 in Texas). I would also like to see a law that signing services must pay their Notaries within 3 days of the order closing. It is absurd that some of them use "our payments" for up to 60 days. We are the reason they closed the order in the first place and if not for us, they wouldn't even be in business! I believe they should have to pay a print/trip fee of a minimum $25. to cover our expenses for cancelled/No-Show orders. No more taking advantage of Notaries!

LYNNE REYNOLDS

18 Mar 2019

I think in the journal we should be able to write one entry for husband and wife.

Ms. Noris Hernandez

18 Mar 2019

I would like to see an increase of fees .

Carol Miller

18 Mar 2019

One thing that is frustrating for me is the notary portion of any document is different. Sometimes I feel that it would be good to have this portion the same all around.

Brenda

17 Mar 2019

I would like to see mandatory State specific testing for new and renewing Notaries. It is imperative that the State laws are known and adhered to.

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