A notary invoice is a bill for notarial services that lists each notarial act separately, such as every acknowledgment signature or jurat, at no more than your state's legal maximum fee, and shows any travel or other agreed charges on their own lines. Keeping the capped fees apart from everything else is what makes a notary invoice different from an ordinary one.
Most trades can charge whatever the market will bear. Notaries cannot, at least not for the notarial act itself. That one rule shapes how a notary invoice should be written, what goes on it and what has to stay off it. This guide covers what a notary invoice is, what it must include, how the state fee caps work, and a worked California example you can copy.
What is a notary invoice?
It is the document a notary public gives a client, or the signing service or title company that hired them, to request payment for notarizations and any related services. It does the same job as any invoice: it records who you are, who you billed, what you did, what it costs and when payment is due.
What sets it apart is that part of the bill is set by law. Most states fix the maximum fee a notary may charge for each notarial act. Travel, printing and waiting time are usually a different matter, so a clear notary invoice separates the two kinds of charge so anyone reading it can see the capped fees were respected.
Many notaries give walk-in clients a receipt rather than an invoice, because they are paid on the spot. If you are unsure which document you need, our guide to invoice vs receipt explains the difference. An invoice asks for payment; a receipt confirms it has been made.
What notaries can legally charge: three examples
Fee caps vary a great deal from state to state, and they are written per signature, per person or per act depending on the state. Three examples, taken straight from the statutes:
| State | Maximum fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| California | $15 for each signature taken on an acknowledgment; $15 for administering an oath and executing a jurat | Government Code section 8211 |
| Florida | $10 for any one notarial act | Florida Statutes section 117.05(2) |
| New York | $2 per person for an acknowledgment; $2 for an oath or affirmation | Executive Law section 136 |
The gap between New York and California on the same act shows why you cannot copy another notary's invoice from a different state. Check your own state's statute, or the handbook your commissioning office publishes, before you set a price, and check it again when your commission renews, because caps do change.
Some notarizations carry no fee at all. California's section 8211, for example, bars a fee for certain notarizations connected with voting and with military veterans' benefit claims. Where your state has rules like these, the invoice line should show the act at $0 rather than leaving it off, so your record is complete.
Travel and other fees go on separate lines
Mobile notaries earn much of their income from travel, and a notary fee statute often says nothing about it. California's section 8211 sets fees for notarial acts and does not address travel at all. That does not make travel fees unregulated everywhere, so read your state's rules on them before you quote.
Wherever travel or service fees are allowed, three habits keep you on the right side of the line:
- Agree the fee before you travel. Quote it when the appointment is booked and confirm it in writing, so it never arrives as a surprise on the invoice.
- Never fold it into the notarial fee. A single line reading "Notary services, $75" makes it impossible to show the capped part stayed within the cap. List each notarial act, then travel, then anything else.
- Describe it plainly. "Travel to client address, 18 miles, as agreed at booking" is clearer than "Service fee".
The same applies to printing loan packages, courier or shipping costs, and after-hours appointments: separate lines, agreed in advance.
If you drive to appointments, keep a mileage log as well. It supports your travel line and may support a tax deduction; our guide on how to deduct business mileage covers what the IRS expects you to record.
What to include on a notary invoice
- Your details: name as commissioned, business name if you use one, contact details, and your commission number if your state or client expects it.
- The client's details: the person or company responsible for paying. For a loan signing, that is usually the signing service or title company, not the borrower.
- A unique invoice number and the invoice date. Our guide to invoice numbers explains how to set up a simple sequence.
- The date and place of the appointment.
- Each notarial act on its own line: the type of act (acknowledgment, jurat, oath, copy certification where allowed), the document it relates to, the number of signatures or signers, the unit fee and the line total.
- Travel and other agreed fees on separate lines, each described.
- Total due, payment terms and accepted payment methods. For one-off clients, due upon receipt is the usual choice.
- A reference the client uses, such as a signing service's order number or a file number, so your invoice matches their records and is paid faster.
One thing to leave off: the private details of the people who signed. Your journal is the place for identification records, not an invoice that may be emailed around an office.
Keep the invoice and your journal in step
In states that require a notary journal, the invoice and the journal should tell the same story. California's Government Code section 8206 lists the fee charged for the notarial service among the details every journal entry must contain. If your invoice shows $45 in notarial fees for an appointment, the journal entries for that appointment should add up to $45 as well.
Numbering your invoices in sequence and writing the invoice number beside the journal entry makes it easy to match the two later, whether you are answering a client's question or reviewing your own records at tax time.
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A worked California example
The notarial fees below use California's statutory maximums. The travel fee is a round number chosen to show the layout, not a recommendation; set your own and agree it in advance.
A mobile notary visits a client's home. Two owners sign a grant deed that needs an acknowledgment, and one of them signs an affidavit that needs a jurat. The travel fee was quoted at $40 when the appointment was booked.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment, grant deed (per signature) | 2 | $15.00 | $30.00 |
| Jurat, affidavit (oath administered, per person) | 1 | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Travel to client address, as agreed at booking | 1 | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Total due on receipt | $85.00 |
Anyone reading it can see $45 of notarial fees at the legal maximum and a separately agreed $40 travel fee. The journal entries for the two acknowledgment signatures and the jurat record $30 and $15 respectively.
Loan signings and signing services
Notaries who work as loan signing agents are usually paid a flat fee per signing by a signing service or title company, under terms the two sides agree. Two points still apply. First, the notarial acts inside that signing remain subject to your state's cap, so it helps to know how your flat fee breaks down. Second, the company paying you is the client on the invoice, so use its order number and send the invoice to the address it specifies, or it may sit unpaid in the wrong inbox.
Keep a copy of the fee confirmation for each assignment. If a payment is short, that confirmation and your invoice are what you will point to.
A tax note for notaries
The IRS treats notary fees differently from most self-employment income. Its instructions for Schedule SE list fees received for services performed as a notary public among the amounts that are not subject to self-employment tax. That exemption covers notary fees, not income tax, and it does not automatically extend to everything a signing agent is paid for, such as printing, courier work or document handling.
That is one more reason to itemise: an invoice that separates notarial fees from travel and other services gives you, or your tax professional, the figures needed to report each correctly. Tax situations vary, so check how the rules apply to you before you file.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a notary invoice?
A notary invoice is a bill for notarial services. It lists each notarial act, such as every acknowledgment signature or jurat, at no more than the state's maximum fee, and shows travel or other agreed charges on separate lines. It includes the notary's and client's details, an invoice number, the appointment date, the total due and the payment terms.
How do I write a notary invoice?
Add your details and the client's, a unique invoice number and the invoice date, then the date and place of the appointment. List each notarial act on its own line with the number of signatures or signers and the fee, add travel and other agreed fees on separate lines, and finish with the total, payment terms and how to pay.
How much can a notary charge in California?
Under California Government Code section 8211, a notary may charge up to $15 for each signature taken on an acknowledgment and up to $15 for administering an oath and executing a jurat. The statute does not set travel fees, which should be agreed with the client in advance and shown on a separate line.
Can a notary charge a travel fee?
In many states a notary may charge a travel fee in addition to the notarial fee, but the rules differ by state, so check yours first. Where it is allowed, agree the amount before the appointment, keep it off the notarial fee line, and describe it clearly on the invoice.
Should a notary give an invoice or a receipt?
Use an invoice when you are asking for payment later, which is typical for signing services, title companies and business clients. Use a receipt when the client pays at the appointment, which is typical for walk-in or mobile work for individuals. Both should itemise the notarial acts and any other fees.
Are notary fees subject to self-employment tax?
The IRS instructions for Schedule SE list fees received for services performed as a notary public among the amounts not subject to self-employment tax. They are still income, and other amounts such as travel or printing fees may be treated differently, so check with a tax professional.
