How much does a notary make?

We’ll answer that question below here in a minute. But before we jump into that topic…

You might have a hard time trying to figure out what’s best since a lack of options isn’t the problem in this task. Instead, it’s more about finding out what suits your needs the most and can make you the money you’re looking for.

If you ask us, we can come up with many ideas, but here’s one that we’re sure you haven’t thought about: consider offering notary public services.

It’s an easy way to make extra money and learn about the law while doing it! In this blog post, we will discuss what it takes to become a notary public and see how much money you can make if you decide to do so.

What Does A Notary Public Do?

You must be familiar with this term, considering that we need one for our personal needs at least once or twice in our lives.

Notaries (yes, in plural) are public officials that follow the law to make sure that a document is authentic and the signatures in it are real and proof of its authenticity.

First, notaries are usually needed when there are legal documents that need to be notarized. Secondly, they also come in handy for authenticating and verifying the authenticity of a document’s signature or seal.

Thirdly, for example, if you’re taking out a loan or applying for insurance on your car—you guessed it! You’ll need one as well.

In other words, they deal with all the legal documents you can think about and make sure to avoid frauds, verify a signer’s identity, and that every participant in the signing is willingly doing it and aware of every detail in the document.

Their state governments commission each notary since guidelines or requirements to become one vary depending on the location. However, they all have the same role.

How Do You Make Money as One?

We know that so far, it sounds like a lot of work. However, this is because you’re probably thinking that you’ll have to spend time in an office verifying documents and going over the details.

Well, no, you won’t. Some notaries indeed handle it like in the previous situation.

But we’re talking about notary public as a side hustle, so there wouldn’t be a point for us to suggest an option that will feel more like a full-time job.

That being said, notaries charge for their services by following the maximum fees allowed by the state depending on the notarial act you will perform.

But besides getting paid for the process itself, you can also charge for the time spent.

Fees and service charges may vary depending on the state, but usually, notaries charge around $20 for a simple signing of your name and maybe some more if it’s an extensive document.

On top of that, you can also make money by charging per hour—usually between $45 to $75/hour. Of course, this is only possible if you decide to become a mobile notary.

This latter option includes another expense: traveling to places. However, you can ALSO charge fees for having to go to the site.

You can pretty much charge for anything that isn’t usually included in your functions and make sure you’re fair about it.

But now, moving on with numbers, how much can you genuinely make per month?

As a part-timer, you will have to expect less revenue, but for a side hustle that doesn’t really take a lot of time, you can easily make around $300 per month on average, depending on how you start and if you get clients.

Keep in mind that the more you stay in business and continue working in this option, you can increase your earnings.

Over 15% of the notaries in the USA have a monthly income that ranges between $1.000 to $2.000. That’s not bad at all!

What It Takes to Be A Notary

After reading the numbers, we bet you’re a bit enthusiastic about getting started.

Therefore, let’s go over the details that may or not limit you from making money with his side hustle.

To be a notary, you can’t just go to the state government and request for the role (or it isn’t the correct order, at least).

You have to acquire knowledge about how to make sure a document is authentic and go over signatures.

That being said, every state has different qualifications, so you’ll need to look for them accordingly. Once done, you need to go over them (and don’t worry, requirements can be requested by visiting the government institution in your city).

Not all states request possible notaries to go under training. However, we highly recommend it.

It will make it easier for you to understand the particulars of each state and client and have an idea of how to deal with various scenarios.

For it, you can rely on an approved education vendor or request information about people who can help you get started once going to apply to become one.

You’ll also need a notarizing seal, which is relatively easy to acquire since many companies offer them online nowadays (look up “notary seals”) unless you’re looking forward to being independent (which would be the right move).

Aside from this, don’t worry; becoming one isn’t difficult at all. There’s no such thing as natural talent or even needing one.

You just need to learn and get used to documents and verifications. Also, make sure to work on how to deal with people.

If you are up for it, we are sure you will be more than just fine.

Also, don’t overthink about the investment you have to make in order to get started.

The state fees for applications range from $20 to $120, and the training we suggested to look for shouldn’t cost over $100-200. Just make sure to choose who you trust for it carefully.

Making Money but Not A Fortune – Pros & Cons

We’re gonna be honest, notary public services are always needed, and it is pretty easy to find clients after a few weeks.

However, it isn’t something that will make you rich unless you consider it a full-time job and invest A LOT of time in it. Other qualifications are required in this case as well.

Also, despite getting paid for traveling to specific places, moving from a corner of the city to another can be painful.

What are we trying to say with this? That you shouldn’t consider this side hustle? That’s not it.

We just want you to consider the disadvantages that can represent for you.

For example, if you aren’t willing to travel to the client, you would have to settle for a traditional way that places you in an office or just quit the idea of being a notary.

Notarizing and any function you perform needs to be done in person, so it isn’t something that will open the option to work online unless you find a way to, at least, organize appointments and other aspects in that way.

On the other hand, keep in mind these cons we don’t want to ignore:

• Steady income can be difficult while getting started and even after a few months.
• You can be sued, so make sure to save records of everything.
• Dealing with people can be difficult.

Alright, enough of the cons, and let’s focus on the pros.

We first mentioned that you will always have clients, and if you’re unable to find them, you’re doing something wrong.

People cannot do anything unless they notarize a document or verify a signature. There’s a lot of work to be done, so you won’t struggle to try to find your piece of the cake.

Others we can include are:

• You improve your resume and skill set.
• You can have a flexible schedule.
• Being a notary “public” doesn’t limit you. You charge directly to your clients.
• You’re your own boss.

So, let’s go over it for the last time.

If you’re looking for a way to make some money on the side, providing notary public service could be an excellent option.

It won’t make you rich, but it’s not bad either.

In order to start this side hustle idea of yours, you need to find out what the process is in your state and invest some time into learning about it before applying.

Once done, you can start applying for jobs and rendering services to clients.

It’s not difficult at all, nor will it be time-consuming. It just needs a lot of patience because you need to get used to the process first.

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