To get a document notarized, bring a valid government-issued photo ID and your complete but unsigned document to a commissioned notary public. The notary will check your identification, watch you sign, and apply an official seal certifying that you are who you say you are and that you signed willingly. The whole appointment usually takes under fifteen minutes. Fees generally run between $2 and $25 per signature, with mobile and remote services costing more.
What to Bring
A Current Photo ID
Government-issued photo identification is non-negotiable. The most universally accepted forms are a state driver’s license, a state ID card, and a U.S. passport. Military IDs and permanent resident cards are accepted in most places as well. The name on your ID must match the name on the document. If your name has changed through marriage or a court order and your ID still shows the old name, sort that out before the appointment.
Expired ID is the most common thing that trips people up. Some states accept identification that expired within the last three to five years; others require the ID to be current on the day of notarization. If your only ID is expired, call the notary before making the trip.
If you genuinely cannot produce acceptable identification, many states allow a “credible witness” to vouch for your identity. The witness must personally know both you and the notary (or bring their own valid ID) and must swear under oath that you are the person named in the document. This is a path for people who truly cannot obtain standard ID, not a shortcut for anyone who forgot their wallet.
The Document, Complete and Unsigned
Fill in every blank on the document before the appointment. Notaries are trained to refuse anything with empty fields because a blank space is an opportunity for someone to add terms after the seal goes on, which is exactly the kind of fraud notarization is meant to prevent. If a field doesn’t apply to you, write “N/A” or draw a line through it.
Leave the signature line blank. The notary has to watch you sign. Many will refuse to notarize a document you’ve already signed, though some states allow acknowledgments on previously signed documents as long as you confirm the signature is yours. Signing in front of the notary is always the safer approach.
Any Required Witnesses
Some documents require witnesses in addition to the notary. The document or your state’s law will say so. Witnesses generally have to be “disinterested,” meaning they have no financial stake in the transaction, and they need to be physically present with their own ID.
Where to Find a Notary
Banks and credit unions are usually the cheapest option. Most provide notary services free to account holders. Call ahead, because not every branch has a notary available at all times.
Shipping and office supply stores such as UPS Store and FedEx Office locations typically keep a notary on staff during business hours. You don’t need to be a customer; walk in and pay the posted fee. Law offices, real estate offices, insurance agencies, and accounting firms often have notaries too, though they may limit services to their own clients. Some public libraries and county clerk’s offices offer notary services, sometimes at no charge.
If you can’t travel because of illness, disability, or scheduling, a mobile notary will come to your home, hospital room, or office. They charge the standard notary fee plus a travel fee, which can add roughly $50 to $150 or more depending on distance and time of day. For an urgent hospital signing, a mobile notary is often the only practical option.
How Much Notarization Costs
Most states cap the fee a notary can charge per notarized signature. Those caps generally run from $2 to $15 for standard in-person work, with most states in the $5 to $10 range. About nine states set no statutory cap and let notaries choose their own rates, though competition tends to keep prices reasonable. Remote online notarization usually carries a higher maximum, often $25 per signature, because the platform adds its own costs.
The per-signature fee is the base, not the total. Four signatures means four fees. Mobile notaries add travel charges on top; some states regulate those separately while others allow “reasonable and actual” travel expenses. Ask for the full total before you commit to the appointment. Free notarization at your own bank is hard to beat if your document qualifies.
What Happens at the Appointment
The appointment follows a predictable order. The notary examines your ID first, checking that the photo matches your face, the name matches the document, and the ID is valid and untampered. Experienced notaries look carefully, because their commission is on the line if they notarize for someone using false identification.
Next, the notary gauges your awareness and willingness. They are watching for signs that you understand what you’re signing and that no one is pressuring you. If you appear confused about the document’s purpose, or if a family member keeps answering questions directed at you, a careful notary will pause or stop. This is one of the real consumer protections built into notarization, even when everything looks routine.
You then sign while the notary watches. If the document requires a sworn statement, the notary will first administer an oath (“Do you swear that the statements in this document are true?”) or an affirmation, which carries the same commitment without religious wording. You answer verbally, then sign.
After you sign, the notary fills in the notarial certificate with the date, location, type of notarial act, and names of the signers, then signs and applies their seal or stamp. The seal shows the notary’s name, commission number, commission expiration, and the state of authorization. Finally, the notary records the transaction in their journal. Journal requirements vary by state, but the log creates a permanent record that can be referenced if the notarization is ever questioned.
When a Notary Will Turn You Away
Notaries are not obligated to notarize everything placed in front of them, and knowing the common refusal grounds saves you a wasted trip.
Blank spaces on the document are an automatic stop. So is an ID problem, whether that means expired identification, no ID at all, or a name on the ID that doesn’t match the document.
Conflict of interest is another ground for refusal. A notary named as a party to the transaction, standing to benefit financially, or holding a direct interest in the outcome should not notarize the document. A notary buying your house cannot notarize the deed. A notary earning commission on an insurance policy shouldn’t notarize your acceptance of it. State rules extend similar restrictions to close family, with the specifics varying.
The most consequential refusal involves willingness and competence. If the notary believes you are being coerced or that you cannot understand what the document does, they should refuse. This comes up most often in hospitals, elder care, and family disputes over powers of attorney. A notary who proceeds anyway risks losing their commission, and the resulting document can later be voided in court.
Remote Online Notarization
Remote online notarization lets you complete the process over a live video call rather than in person. As of early 2025, 45 states and the District of Columbia have permanent laws authorizing it. At the federal level, the SECURE Notarization Act has been reintroduced in Congress to create a nationwide framework, but it has not been enacted.1Congress.gov. H.R.1777 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): SECURE Notarization Act of 2025
The process runs through a specialized platform that handles identity verification and electronic signing. You typically upload your ID, answer knowledge-based authentication questions drawn from public records (such as which of a set of addresses you’ve lived at), then join a recorded video session with the notary. You apply an electronic signature while the notary watches, and the notary applies a digital seal. The session is recorded and stored as part of the notarial record.
Remote notarization is useful when you are traveling, when signers are in different locations, or when mobility makes an in-person visit hard. Expect to pay $25 to $50 or more per session. One practical limit: not every recipient accepts remotely notarized documents. Some county recorders, title companies, and foreign governments still require traditional ink-and-stamp notarization, so confirm the receiving institution accepts a remote notarization before paying for one.
If Something Goes Wrong on the Certificate
If the notary catches an error while you are still there, the fix is simple: they line through the mistake, write the correction, and initial and date the change.
If you spot an error after leaving, the answer depends on your state. Some states let the notary correct the certificate later if you bring the original back and the change matches their journal entry. Others, including California and Florida, do not allow post-appointment corrections at all; the only fix is a fresh notarization. When the error is substantive, such as a wrong name or the wrong type of notarial act, redoing the notarization is usually the safer route regardless of what your state allows.
Using a Notarized Document Abroad
Notarization alone is usually not enough for international use. Countries that participate in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention accept a standardized certificate called an apostille, which authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use overseas. More than 120 countries recognize apostilles.2USAGov. Authenticate an Official Document for Use Outside the U.S.
Get the document notarized first, then submit it for an apostille. For most state-level documents, you send it to the secretary of state’s office in the state where the notary is commissioned. For federal documents, you submit to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Authentications, which charges $20 per document and takes about five weeks by mail.3U.S. Department of State. Requesting Authentication Services State-level fees and turnaround times vary, so ask your secretary of state’s office. If the receiving country is not part of the Hague Convention, you may need a longer authentication chain involving the foreign country’s embassy or consulate.