10.1 Authorized Fee Schedule

The $15 Rule and Why Per-Signature Math Matters

A signer at a real-estate closing asks, "How much do I owe you?" You performed acknowledgments for a husband and wife on one grant deed. The correct answer is $30, not $15, because California charges per signature, not per document. Get this backward and you either undervalue your service or, far worse, overcharge — a violation that can support a complaint to the Secretary of State.

California Government Code section 8211 sets maximum fees. You may charge less, offer discounts, or waive the fee entirely, but you may never charge more than the statutory cap. The 2026 cap for most acts is $15 per signature. A bill (AB 1597) proposed raising acknowledgments and jurats to $20, but it is not enacted — if the exam asks for the current maximum, the answer remains $15.

Statutory Fee Schedule (GC 8211)

Trap: The deposition lines are the only ones that break the $15 pattern, and the structure under GC 8211(c) has three parts: $30 for all services rendered in connection with the deposition, plus $7 for administering the oath to the witness, plus $7 for each certificate to the deposition. A common distractor folds the $7 oath into the $30 base — it does not; the $30 covers services, and the oath is a separate $7. Memorize "$30 + $7 + $7" for a deposition with one oath and one certificate ($44 total) — the exam almost always tests it as a calculation.

Worked Fee Calculations

Example 1 — Joint grant deed

Husband and wife each sign; both signatures acknowledged.

• 2 signatures × $15 = $30 maximum

Example 2 — Single signer, two documents

One person signs a deed and a separate affidavit; you take an acknowledgment on each.

• 2 acts × $15 = $30 maximum (the count follows signatures/acts, not people)

Example 3 — Deposition

You administer the oath to one witness and issue 3 certificates.

• $30 (all deposition services) + $7 (oath to witness) + (3 × $7 certificates) = $58 maximum

Example 4 — Charging less

A signer cannot afford the fee; you waive it. This is lawful — the cap is a ceiling, not a floor.

What You May and May Not Do

Travel Fees — Unregulated but Disclosed

California does not cap mobile-notary travel fees; they are a separate, negotiable charge for time and mileage. Three rules keep them clean:

1. Disclose and agree in advance — quote the travel fee before the appointment.
2. Keep it separate — itemize the notarial fee ($15/act) apart from travel.
3. No bait-and-switch — you cannot inflate the notarial fee and call the excess "travel."

Special Situations That Confuse Notaries

• Refusing service over fees: You may quote a fee, but you cannot refuse a lawful notarization solely to squeeze out a fee above the cap. Refusing for a legitimate reason — no valid identification, the signer is not personally present, the signer appears coerced or lacks capacity — is proper; refusing to pressure a higher price is not.
• Per page vs. per signature: Certifying a copy of a power of attorney is billed per page certified ($15/page), unlike acknowledgments which are per signature. Do not blur the two; this is a favorite exam distractor.
• Per certificate on depositions: The $7 deposition certificate fee is per certificate issued. It is separate from both the $30 base for deposition services and the $7 fee for administering the oath to the witness — three distinct line items under GC 8211(c). Count certificates, not pages.
• Waiving a fee does not waive a duty: Charging less or nothing does not relieve you of any obligation — you still complete the journal entry, capture the thumbprint when required (e.g., deeds and powers of attorney), verify identity properly, and affix the seal. A free act is still a full act.
• Overcharging is discipline-bait: Charging above the statutory maximum is grounds for the Secretary of State to refuse, revoke, or suspend a commission and can support a civil claim by the signer.

On the Exam

Expect 2–4 fee questions. Reliable answers: acknowledgment/jurat $15 per signature; deposition $30 + $7 oath + $7/certificate; power-of-attorney copy $15 per page; you may charge less or nothing; you may never exceed the cap; travel fees are separate, uncapped, and disclosed in advance. If a question offers $20 as the acknowledgment maximum, it is a distractor based on the unenacted AB 1597 — the current law remains $15, and overcharging is grounds for discipline.