5.1 Notary Fees
Key Takeaways
The Department of State sets MAXIMUM fees under 57 Pa.C.S. § 329.1; a notary may never charge more, but may charge less or nothing.
Taking an acknowledgment is $5 for the first individual and $2 for each additional name in the same certificate.
Administering an oath/affirmation, taking a verification, witnessing/attesting a signature, and certifying a copy are each capped at $5 (per individual, per signature or per copy).
Electronic and remote online notaries may charge an additional fee not to exceed $20 per act performed with electronic records or communication technology.
Fees are charged per notarial act, not per document; clerical and travel charges are separate, unregulated, and must be customary and reasonable, disclosed in advance, and itemized on the receipt.
Who Sets Notary Fees in Pennsylvania
Under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), the fees a notary may charge are not left to the open market. Section 329.1 of 57 Pa.C.S. authorizes the Department of State to fix, by regulation, the maximum fee that a notary public may charge or receive for each notarial act. The amounts live in the Department's fee schedule (4 Pa. Code Chapter 167), updated in the regulations that took final effect on March 28, 2026.
Two ideas are tested constantly:
- The schedule sets a ceiling, not a floor. A notary may lawfully charge the maximum, charge a reduced amount, or waive the fee entirely (common for friends, employers, or charitable work).
- A notary may not charge or receive more than the maximum. Exceeding the cap is grounds for discipline, suspension, or revocation of the commission.
Fees attach to the notarial act, not to the document. A single deed that requires two acknowledgments and an oath generates three separately chargeable acts.
The Pennsylvania Maximum Fee Schedule
| Notarial Act | Maximum Fee |
|---|---|
| Taking an acknowledgment (first individual) | $5.00 |
| Each additional name on the acknowledgment | $2.00 |
| Administering an oath or affirmation (per individual) | $5.00 |
| Taking a verification on oath or affirmation (per individual) | $5.00 |
| Witnessing or attesting a signature (per signature) | $5.00 |
| Certifying or attesting a copy or deposition (per certified copy) | $5.00 |
| Noting a protest of a negotiable instrument | $3.00 |
| Electronic / remote online notarization | up to $20.00 additional per act |
The witnessing or attesting a signature line ($5 per signature) and the explicit $20 electronic/remote ceiling were confirmed in the regulations effective March 28, 2026. Note the two acts where the per-signature math differs from the acknowledgment:
- A verification on oath (affidavit) is $5 per individual making the statement, so two people swearing to one affidavit means up to $10 — the cheaper $2 “additional name” rate applies only to acknowledgments.
- Witnessing/attesting is charged per signature witnessed, so three witnessed signatures = three $5 charges.
Worked Fee Calculations
Example 1 — Single acknowledgment. One signer acknowledges a deed: $5.00.
Example 2 — Multiple acknowledgment names. Four signers acknowledge the same mortgage: $5 (first) + $2 + $2 + $2 = $11.00.
Example 3 — Affidavit with two signers. Two people sign and swear to one affidavit (a verification on oath). The fee is per individual making the declaration, so the maximum is $10.00 ($5 + $5), not $7 — the $2 additional-name rate is for acknowledgments only.
Example 4 — Witnessing three signatures. Witnessing/attesting is per signature: 3 × $5 = $15.00.
Example 5 — Remote online notarization. A RON acknowledgment may add the technology fee: $5 base + up to $20 = $25.00 maximum.
Charges Outside the Schedule
The Department does not regulate clerical, administrative, and travel charges — copying, postage, mileage, or telephone time. A notary may bill these separately so long as they are customary and reasonable for the area and service, disclosed in advance, and itemized. The 2026 regulations require an itemized receipt for all fees charged, and travel/clerical charges must be listed apart from the regulated notarial fee so the signer can see what is statutory and what is not.
Acts That May Not Be Charged
A notary may not collect a fee for certain acts even though work is performed. The Department prohibits charging for notarizing the supporting affidavit for an Emergency Absentee Ballot or the affidavit of a person needing assistance to vote by absentee ballot (4 Pa. Code § 167.3(d)), and no fee may be charged where other law forbids it. A notary also earns no fee for refusing a notarization — no completed act, no charge.
Receipts, Disclosure, and Posting Fees
The 2026 regulations tighten transparency. A notary must provide an itemized receipt for all fees charged, breaking out the regulated notarial fee from any clerical or travel charge. Disclosure happens before the act so the signer can decline or shop elsewhere; a hidden or after-the-fact surcharge is a violation. Unless the fee is waived, the notary must either display the fees in a conspicuous place of business or provide them on request (57 Pa.C.S. § 329.1(c)); posting the schedule at your station satisfies that duty and prevents disputes.
A related conduct rule: the notary fee is paid for the notarial act only. A notary who is not an attorney may not charge for legal advice — selecting a certificate, drafting documents, or advising on a transaction is the unauthorized practice of law, not a billable notarial service. The fee covers verifying identity, administering any required oath, completing the certificate, and applying the seal — nothing more.
Electronic and Remote Fee Mechanics
The $20 electronic/remote ceiling is an additive maximum, layered on top of the base act:
| Scenario | Base Act | Tech Fee | Maximum Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person paper acknowledgment | $5 | $0 | $5 |
| In-person electronic acknowledgment | $5 | up to $20 | $25 |
| Remote online acknowledgment (RON) | $5 | up to $20 | $25 |
| Remote online jurat (verification) | $5 | up to $20 | $25 |
The technology fee exists because electronic and remote online notaries must license tamper-evident platforms, pay credential-analysis and identity-proofing vendors, and store audio-visual recordings. Even so, the $20 is a cap: a notary may charge less. A notary who has not registered with the Department to perform electronic or remote acts may not charge the technology fee at all, because they cannot lawfully perform those acts.
What does the 2026 regulation require a Pennsylvania notary to give a signer regarding fees?
A verbal estimate only, with no written record needed
An itemized receipt separating the regulated notarial fee from any clerical or travel charge
A flat-rate invoice that combines all charges into one undivided total
Nothing, because fee disclosure is left entirely to the notary's discretion
Under Pennsylvania's fee schedule, what is the maximum fee for taking an acknowledgment from a single individual?
$2.00
$5.00
$10.00
$20.00
A notary takes a verification on oath (affidavit) signed and sworn by two people on one document. What is the maximum fee?
$5.00, because a verification is billed as one flat act regardless of the number of signatures
$7.00, charging $5 for the first signer plus $2 for the second
$10.00, charging $5 per signer
$20.00, the electronic-act ceiling
Which statement about Pennsylvania notary fees is correct?
The Department of State sets a minimum fee a notary must collect for each act.
A notary may charge any amount agreed to in writing by the signer.
The schedule is a maximum; a notary may charge less or waive the fee entirely.
Travel fees are set by the Department at a fixed per-mile rate.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.