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The National Notary Bulletin

Can I charge a document witness Notary fees?

By NNA Staff

When notarizing a document that requires witnesses - can the $5 fee be also be charged to the witness, or is it only for the principal signer? — K. E., North Carolina

You may only charge the fee for the person whose signature you notarize. You may not charge a fee for the witnesses’ signatures unless their signatures are required to be notarized.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

Confronted with a tricky notarization? Unsure how to proceed? NNA members have unlimited access to our expertly trained NNA Hotline counselors to help you with all of your notarial questions. Call 1-888-876-0827, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.



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14 Comments

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Donald Perry

04 Sep 2024

I had a will notarized at UPS store. They charged me $25 per witness. I needed 2 witnesses. Fortunately my neighbor walked in,so with one witness, I had to pay $25. Is this legal?

National Notary Association

04 Sep 2024

Hello. To help us answer your question, can you please tell us what state you are located in?

Joanna

09 Feb 2024

I charge $2.50 in NJ. If a document needs a witness and I provide the witness can they charge their own fee for witnessing the document?

National Notary Association

09 Apr 2024

Any fees charged by the witness are between the witness and the signer.

National notary

07 Aug 2023

Can you explain the procedures for a notary bringing their own witness to sign a document. For example, does the witness have to wait until the notary gets paid for the job that day, to receive their fee? Should or can they be paid. after the signing?

National Notary Association

09 Aug 2023

Based on what you’ve described, we think it would be best if you contacted our Hotline team by phone and provided them with a more detailed description of the situation. The NNA Hotline: 1-888-876-0827 Mon – Fri: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT) Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT) If you’re not an NNA Member or Hotline Subscriber, they will provide you with a one-time courtesy call.

Sandra Elliott

29 Jun 2023

If a document requires a witness signature to be notarized and I provide the witnesses, how much can I charge for providing a witness. Also, do I charge $6 for the witness notarized signature as I would for the principal? I live in Maryland.

National Notary Association

30 Jun 2023

Hello. Providing a witness is not an authorized notarial act in Maryland.

Pearl Buchanan

23 Apr 2023

I never charged a witness fee as it's part of the documents

D sundquist

19 Apr 2023

I never charge for witnessing a document. If the document(s) is challenged, I don't want to be accused of being coerced by anyone saying I signed because I was paid.

Logan Guinn

13 Jun 2022

Anytime I have to "SIGN", Stamp and Emboss it is 5 dollars every time. Witness signature has nothing to do with the FEE. It's the document. So, if you have seven documents that require your Sig-Stamp-Embss. That is 35 dollars per document you are authoring.

John Helfrich

13 Jun 2022

Question - Rarely, but often enough, I encounter customers that want a document certification. In the past, we did a "document certification by custodian." but when I last renewed my commission, this procedure was not mentioned. Can we still do this?

National Notary Association

14 Jun 2022

Hello. There have been changes in many states regarding this practice. Based on what you described, it would be best to contact our Hotline team by phone and provide them with your state so they can look into it. The NNA Hotline: 1-888-876-0827; Mon – Fri: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT); Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT)

Monica V..

13 Jun 2022

Mind you, if they ask you to provide witnesses, you can charge a fee for that. I always have the signer pay the witness directly, so I do not need to keep administration on that. Make sure you provide an invoice that reflects that.

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