At some point in your life, everyone will need a notary's services. Whether it's buying or refinancing your home, creating your estate planning documents, buying or transferring a vehicle, adopting a child or putting a power of attorney in place, you never know when the need will arise.
Have you ever wondered why the pricing of notary services may vary from a notary shop to utilizing a mobile notary service like Blue Ink Notary? Prices may vary even from one mobile notary service to another. What does a mobile notary service cost in Reading, PA and what goes into those fees?
Let's take a look...
Most States Set Notary Fees:
To begin, the Pennsylvania Department of State sets the maximum fees notaries may charge for notarial acts throughout the state, whether you visit a notary shop or a mobile notary visits you. These fees can be seen here. Notaries may charge any amount UP TO those fees but not higher!
Administrative/Travel Fees:
Unlike a notary shop, Blue Ink Notary travels to meet you wherever you are at a time and place that fits your schedule. This ensures convenience and flexibility for you. Pennsylvania allows notaries to charge administrative or travel fees for notary services. These fees are not set or regulated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania but should be reasonable and should be disclosed to you when scheduling services. Travel expenses may vary based on the distance traveled. Like all businesses have, notaries have costs in providing its services to the community. Some of these costs include:
State required training, application & exam fees
County fees for filing notary commission paperwork
Background checks
Notary bond to protect you, our customers, from financial losses
Errors & omissions insurance to protect ourselves
Notary journals & stamps and ink
Office supplies
Office & travel costs
You can probably now better see and understand how the $5 fee that the state sets covers very little of our expenses! Whether using a notary shop or a mobile notary service like Blue Ink Notary, you should expect to pay some amount of administrative fee over and above the state allowed notarization fee.
The Number of Notarial Acts:
Multiple documents may require one or more notarizations on each document. Each of these may count as a separate notarial act. For instance, if a document requires two signatures from two different signers, that could be two separate notarial acts. If there are multiple signers, each with multiple signatures, the number of notarial acts—and subsequently, the fees—rise accordingly.
Document Complexity:
The size and complexity of your documents also plays a role. Lengthy contracts, intricate legal forms and specialized documents like real estate or estate planning documents may require additional time and attention to ensure accuracy and compliance. Notaries may take special certifications to learn the nuances of and how to properly complete some of these documents.
Early/Late Night Hours and Special Locations:
Like many businesses, most notaries have normal working hours. When a client requests notary services outside of those normal hours, some notaries may charge an additional fee for such requests. Appointment requests for notarizations in places like a hospital or a prison may also be subject to a higher fee than normal due to the additional time, detail and effort that goes into providing services for a client in either of those types of locations.
Printing, Scanning and Mailing Fees:
Sometimes, a client may ask me to print documents, scan a copy of the documents after signing or handle mailing services on their behalf. These additional services could incur additional charges.
Bundled Fees:
For real estate transactions or estate planning document packages, several of the above mentioned factors usually apply: multiple signers & notarizations, travel to the signing location, printing, scanning as well as shipping. In such a case, all of these services are included into one fee for the assignment.
Affordable Mobile Notary Services in Reading, PA:
Blue Ink Notary will travel to your home, work or another location of your choosing to assist you with your documents. Some notaries charge hefty fees for this service; I believe my fees are competitively priced in the middle of the pack. For 1 signer and 1 notarization, fees currently start at $50 for mobile service anywhere in Berks County. Online notary services start at $30. While I aim to provide exceptional service at competitive rates, the total cost of your notarial needs may vary based on the various factors I discussed above.
Rest assured - my commitment to professionalism, reliability, and convenience remains constant no matter what type of documents you need to have notarized and where the notarization takes place.
Feel free to reach out for a personalized quote based on your specific document needs. I'm here to make your notarization process seamless and stress-free!
Blue Ink Notary, based in Greater Reading and serving Berks County as well as Lancaster, Montgomery, Chester, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Lebanon counties, has been helping numerous Pennsylvania residents and businesses get their documents notarized since 2019. I am generally available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm but am also available for emergency early morning, evening & weekend appointments to help you with your documents, so contact me any time with questions.
To discuss your notary needs:
📲 Call or text 484-509-1405
📩 Email brian@blueinknotarypa.com
🖥️ Visit online at blueinknotarypa.com and message us in our chat box in the lower right corner of your screen or visit the Contact Us page.
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