Why notary fees differ so much by state
Every US state sets its own ceiling on what a notary public may charge per notarial act: some at a few dollars, others at $15 or more, and a handful with no statutory maximum at all. The caps usually apply per act or per signature, and states differ again on travel fees, remote online notarization, and how loan-signing work is treated. The state pages above summarize each jurisdiction's rules with sources and the date each was last reviewed.
Whatever your state allows, the operational rule is the same everywhere: record every signing, fee and mile as you go. Notarial-act fees and other income (travel, signing-service fees) are worth tracking separately, because they can be treated differently at tax time, a distinction built into the tracker linked above.
What is the highest state-set maximum notary fee in the US?
$25.00 per notarial act is the highest maximum shown on this page, in Rhode Island. Most other states cap notary fees well below that, and some set no statutory maximum at all.
Do all US states cap notary fees?
No. Of the 51 jurisdictions listed on this page (the 50 states plus the District of Columbia), 11 show no statutory maximum fee, meaning the notary may set their own fee, subject to any disclosure or reasonableness requirement noted on that state's page.
How current is the notary fee information on this page?
This hub page was updated October 2026. Each state's figures were last reviewed in July 2026, apart from Alabama, Kansas and Mississippi, which were reviewed again in October 2026. Open a state page for its sources and exact citations.