How much should a notary charge for a loan signing? Start with your real cost.

People are sometimes surprised when I tell them this, but I don't lower my fees. Not for a new client, not for a slow week, not for an agency promising more volume later. Before I explain why, here's how to find your number in the first place.

What does your state allow you to charge?

Before you set a single price, learn what your state allows. Some states set or limit what notaries can charge for certain notarial acts, and those limits may be different from what you charge for travel, printing, or signing services. Check your state's current rules, and when in doubt, ask your commissioning office or a professional association. Price confidently, but price legally.

What does a loan signing really cost you?

A signing isn't the hour at the table. It's about three hours once you count printing, review, the drive, the signing, and getting the documents back. Your fee has to cover that time, plus:

• Gas and the wear on your car
• Printing, paper, and toner
• Supplies
• Insurance

Add it up honestly. Many notaries who think they're making good money are actually working for far less once those costs come out. Cutting your price doesn't cut your costs. It only cuts what you keep.

Should you lower your fee to win a title company?

I don't, for three reasons.

1. I know what I bring. My track record and my experience speak for themselves, and I've earned the right to charge for them.
2. Cutting your rate makes you a commodity. You're no longer the notary they want. You're just the cheapest one available. And there will always be someone willing to go a little cheaper.
3. People tie price to value. When you charge like a professional, people expect professional work, and they treat you like a professional.

A client you win on price is a client you'll lose on price. And once you've set a low rate with someone, it's very hard to raise it. Compete on reliability, communication, and accuracy instead. Those are the things agencies remember.

How do you raise your rates?

On purpose, and on a schedule. Your costs go up every year, and so does your experience. I raise my prices every year, within reason, and let clients know ahead of time. I won't pretend that costs me nothing. Some clients leave when the price goes up. The ones who stay are choosing me on value, not on price.

What should your terms include?

• Every adjustment in writing. If an agency offers an extra travel fee, a rush fee, or anything outside your standard rate, get it in writing before you accept. A short email is enough.
• A dead-deal policy. Sometimes you complete a signing and the deal dies afterward. Some agencies will then offer to pay only your trip or print fee, or nothing. It's happened to me. Decide your policy now, put it on your rate sheet, and make sure every agency has seen it. Your work was the same whether the deal closed or not.
• Records you could prove a signing with. Keep your orders, confirmations, invoices, and any journal entries your state requires. I once had to prove a signing two years after I did it. The recorded deed, with my stamp on it, settled the argument in seconds.

What does the title coordinator think about your fee?

She's balancing a lot of costs on every file, and your fee is one of them. She has to justify it to her manager and sometimes to the lender. When your price is clear, consistent, and backed by excellent work, you make that easy for her. When it keeps changing or surprises her on the invoice, you make it hard. Clear pricing is part of being easy to work with.

This is Chapter 7 of the notary side of Closed Together. The matching chapter on the title agent side is about paying notaries like partners.

This article shares general practices and personal experience from real signings. It isn't legal advice. Notary laws, fees, and requirements vary by state, and lenders and title agencies set their own instructions, so check the current rules where you work.