Notary Frequently Asked Questions

  • A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by state government, typically by the Secretary of State, to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations, or notarial acts. Notaries deter fraud and establish that the signer knows what document they are signing, and that they are a willing participant in the transaction.

  • A Notary’s duty is to screen the signers of important documents for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction.

  • A Notary Signing Agent is a Notary Public who has been trained to summarize and assist the client(s) with executing their loan documents.  Lenders and title companies hire Loan Signing Agents as independent contractors to assist in the last step of the loan process.

    The responsibilities of a Notary Signing Agent generally include printing loan documents, meeting the client, giving the client a brief description of the loan documents, ensuring the client understands their documents (without giving legal advice), and notarizing their signature(s).  Since Notary Signing Agents have access to private financial information about borrowers and are sent into their client’s home, the mortgage finance industry requires all Notary Signing Agents to undergo a background screening on an annual basis. This helps prevent mortgage fraud and ensures the consumer’s information is secure.

  • The purpose of an acknowledgment is for a signer, whose identity has been verified, to declare to a Notary or notarial officer that they have willingly signed a document. The signer must be able to directly communicate with the Notary, without a translator.

    An acknowledgment requires the following steps:

    The signer must physically appear before the Notary by physical presence or audio-video communication technology on the date and in the county indicated on the Notary certificate

    The Notary must positively identify the signer

    The signer must declare (acknowledge) they are signing the document willingly and for the purpose intended

    Jurat

    A Florida Notary Public is authorized to notarize an Individual Jurat and a Disabled Person’s Jurat. 

    The purpose of a jurat is for a signer to swear to or affirm the truthfulness of the contents of a document to a Notary. The Notary administers an oath or affirmation to the affiant, who verifies the truths listed in the document, under penalty of perjury.

  • Unacceptable ID cards for identifying acknowledgers include, but are not limited to, birth certificates, Social Security cards, credit cards and driver licenses without photographs. For Real Estate Closings some can be used as a 2nd form of ID only.

  • A Florida Notary may identify a document signer through any one of the following listed below. The document must be VALID. If EXPIRED, it must have been issued within the past 5 years AND bear a serial or other identifying number. While one valid identification document or card may be sufficient to identify a signer, the Notary may ask for more. 

    Florida driver license or identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles.

    U.S. passport issued by the U.S. Department of State.

    Foreign passport if stamped by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

    Driver license or non-driver ID issued by another U.S. state of territory.

    Driver’s license officially issued in Mexico or Canada.

    U.S. military ID.

    A veteran health identification card issued by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

    A spoken oath or an affirmation must be administered, and the signer must respond out loud. Silent answers such as a nod of the head are unacceptable.

  • As a Mobile Notary Service, we specialize in bringing our services to you.  We travel to your home, place of work, a restaurant, coffee shop, nursing facility, or hospital, etc.  This includes (however, is not limited to) Orange, Lake, Seminole (for example, Orlando and surrounding areas, Clermont, Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Mount Dora, Lake Mary.

  • Florida statutes authorize the following notarizations or notarial acts: Acknowledgements, Certified Copies, Inventorying a Safe-Deposit Box, Jurats, Oaths and Affirmations, and Verifying a vehicle Identification Number.

  • A Notary may not choose the type of notarization on a signer’s behalf. This is considered an unauthorized practice of law.

  • A Florida Notary Public is authorized to notarize Signature by Mark Jurat and a Signature by Mark Acknowledgement. Contact us for more information.

    • Mobile Appointment & Travel Fees:

      • 1–10 miles: $65

      • 11–15 miles: $75

      • 16–25 miles: $90

      • 26–30 miles: $110

      • 30+ miles: Custom quote

      Notarial Fee: $10 per notarial act

    • Same-Day Service: Additional $20

    • After-Hours Service: Additional $25

    • Weekend Service: Additional $25

    • Example: Customer is 10 miles away and needs 3 notarial acts

      $65 mobile appointment
      + $30 notarial acts
      = $95 total

    Remote Online Notarization (RON)

    Notarize your documents remotely from the comfort of your home or office.

    • RON: $25 per online notarial act

    • Additional notarial acts: $10 each, where applicable

    • Additional witnesses: $10 each when a witness is provided or arranged

    • On-demand witnesses: $10 each

    • Additional seals: $10 each, when applicable

    • Additional service fees may apply depending on document complexity and the RON platform used.

    Most standard RON appointments can be completed in approximately 30 minutes, provided all required documents, identification, and participants are ready.

    Please contact us for pricing and availability.

    Real Estate Closings & Loan Signings

    Pricing varies based on the type and size of the document package, location, travel distance, appointment time, number of signers, printing/scan-back requirements, and special handling.

    Please contact us for a customized quote.

  • We accept payments through all major credit cards, Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, cash, checks.  We can also provide an invoice upon request.