Public Notary

[pbratt]

Dear fellow Mustachians,

I'm a first time poster, long time lurker, and have a question for you all. I'm trying to think of ways to do some side income work from my home. I'm wondering if it is worth it to become a public notary. I live in Texas, and there is no test, and one gets to be a notary for 4 years. Does anyone have experience on whether it is a worthwhile side business to work in? My full-time employer is encouraging me to become a notary to sign things for work, but won't pay for the registration fee of $80 for a 4 year term. Thanks for any advice!

Sincerely,
Peter

[honobob]

Why would your work expect free notary services?  Depending on your state laws there can be major liability issues.  Otherwise I use a notary several times a year and use independent notarys if not at a title company.  In CA banks no longer provide this service to their customers.

[soccerluvof4]

 In my 49 years...well lets say 31 years of using notary's for one reason or another I cant ever think of having to pay for the service. Maybe i am missing something or its state to state but I never have paid for it. In fact i have to get a Insurance paper notarized next couple of days.

[Frankies Girl]

I've never had to pay for it as it's available for free at my bank, or even from a few coworkers (my workplace did pay their fees associated since it was a company benefit).

Not sure what circumstances would be available where you would actually charge someone?

 

[Undecided]

It varied wildly by state. In NY, for example, last I checked, the maximum amount a notary may charge is some trivial amount, and it is not unusual to see it as a free service. In Oregon, on the other hand, I think a notary can charge $10 per signature (so $20 for a couple to have their signatures notarized), so mailbox stores tend to offer the service at that price.

[jp]

It isn't worth anything.  The only notaries that charge in my area are those scamming the migrant farm workers from Mexico and Central America (I haven't exactly figured out what the deal is, but I think they pass themselves off as lawyers? maybe). 

I have never paid a notary, nor did I ever charged a fee when I was a notary.  I am an attorney, and I have to use notaries all the time.  It is nothing, and half of the people in my office are notaries. 

[Undecided]

It isn't worth anything.  The only notaries that charge in my area are those scamming the migrant farm workers from Mexico and Central America (I haven't exactly figured out what the deal is, but I think they pass themselves off as lawyers? maybe). 

I have never paid a notary, nor did I ever charged a fee when I was a notary.  I am an attorney, and I have to use notaries all the time.  It is nothing, and half of the people in my office are notaries.

That's a very provincial point of view---or did you mean to say that you are in the same state as the OP?

FYI, many services performed by attorneys in the US are performed by "notaries" in many other countries---notwithstanding the similarity in title, it is a very different role.

[Nothlit]

The only notaries that charge in my area are those scamming the migrant farm workers from Mexico and Central America (I haven't exactly figured out what the deal is, but I think they pass themselves off as lawyers? maybe). 

Yup.

[jp]

FYI, many services performed by attorneys in the US are performed by "notaries" in many other countries---notwithstanding the similarity in title, it is a very different role.

Yeah, that's the scam.   

In The U.S., a notary basically verifies that you are who you say you are when you sign something.  That is worth possibly $5 for convenience, if you can't be bothered to look at the nearest bank or courthouse for a free notary.  As such, the only people charging a notary fee, in my region anyway (not just State, because I have seen it in many States across the Midwest) are those taking money for things they aren't really allowed to do or overcharging vast amounts and trying to prepare or "review" documents.  Basically, it is a ripoff of people who think a notary means something other than what it actually means here.