5.1 Notary Fees

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 323 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

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 a flat $5 regardless of how many signatures appear on that one document — the $2 “additional name” rule 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). Because the act is billed flat, the maximum is $5.00, not $10 — a frequent exam trap.

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 an emergency or absentee ballot affidavit or an affidavit for a voter needing assistance, 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. Many practitioners post the fee schedule at their station, which both satisfies disclosure 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:

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.