How To Make Money As A Notary In 2024 (Step-By-Step)

Setting up a notary business is a great idea for those with the relevant qualifications, as there is a wide range of potential clients to draw from.

Notary services are ideal for part-time and full-time work, whether working with local businesses or real estate planning attorneys.

Read on, and we’ll break down how to make money as a notary, from getting your notary business up and running to finding the best clients.

What Is A Notary?

A notary is a legal professional who can perform various duties and assist with a wide variety of legal processes.

These duties include the ability to verify signatures and witness written legal documents, as well as taking Depositions and Proofs of any kind.

Depending on their location, some notaries are expected to undergo the relevant legal training to qualify for the position.

Once they meet the relevant requirements, they can serve as impartial witnesses and be able to notarize documents.

Like other popular solopreneur business ideas, starting a notary business can be accomplished from home, allowing for flexible remote working.

The role is in high demand, and a notary can earn money from a wide variety of sources, from real estate closings to passport and visa verification.

Notary Vs Notary Public: What’s The Difference?

The distinction between a notary and a notary public is fluid, and both terms are frequently used interchangeably in the United States.

With that said, the most common distinction describes a notary public as a publicly commissioned official who has been appointed by a state government.

For example, a governor, lieutenant governor, or secretary of state will appoint a notary public to serve the public interest as an impartial witness.

As the role of a notary public is related to the state, their duties may vary depending on their location in the United States.

This means that a notary public may be barred from performing the notary business outside of their state if they don’t have a commission there as well.

How To Make Money As A Notary In 2024 (Step-By-Step)

Becoming a notary requires researching local and state laws and gaining the qualifications to launch a successful business.

Now that we’ve outlined a basic overview of what a notary business aims to accomplish, let’s explore the various ways you can make money as a notary.

So, with that said, here’s everything you need to know to make money as a notary in 2024:

Step 1. Check State Requirements

The legal requirements and documentation can vary when setting up notary services depending on which state within the US you’re planning on operating.

This means you’ll need to check these requirements in advance when registering your company to ensure it doesn’t contravene any laws.

Most states require notarization professionals to be a resident of the country or their given state and have no felony convictions.

This means passing a background check and, in some cases, undergoing training and testing through a notary association or community college.

Step 2. Get Your Notary Commission

Once you’ve completed any required training and education and passed the background checks, you’re ready to receive a notary commission.

After receiving your commission certificate, you’ll need to file any relevant paperwork with your state’s notary official before you can begin working.

Depending on the state’s rules, this could also include being sworn in at the county clerk’s office following the receipt of the notary commission.

Step 3. Get Notary Supplies

With your notary commission finalized, it’s time to acquire the necessary notary supplies you’ll need to perform your role effectively.

There are a few essentials you’ll need to pick up, including an official notary journal in which you can record your notary acts for reference.

You’ll also need a notary stamp to stamp documents with an official seal that states your name, state of commission, and commission expiration date.

For in-person notary services, you should purchase a fingerprint pad and other items to aid ID verification, such as a UV penlight.

If you’re working in remote online notarizations, you can register fingerprints electronically and notarize important documents online.

Lastly, for general notary work and administration, there are plenty of great tools for freelancers to help you manage your daily office tasks.

Step 4. Set Up Business Structure

When setting up notary services, the next step is to outline your business structure, including the types of clients you’re serving and other details.

This includes your regular business hours, methods for maintaining accurate records, and your marketing and client acquisition approach.

It can also cover setting up your online presence with a website builder and creating a social media presence to generate leads with potential clients.

Step 5. Create A Notary Business Plan

A notary business plan is a comprehensive overview that covers all aspects of your notary services and your short—and long-term goals.

It should cover the full range of notary services you plan to offer, breaking down your rates, experience, and business mission statement.

A notary business plan should also include a website design timeline and explain how this can be used to drive traffic directly to your target market.

Search engine optimization, advertising spending, and other aspects of your promotion approach should be outlined in detail with accompanying costs.

Step 6. Build Online Notary Presence

Whether you’re setting up a local notary public business or mobile notary services, you’ll need to establish and build an online presence.

Many website-building services offer a selection of suitable website templates for setting up an online presence.

This site should be linked to your social media channels, allowing you to push your business to a broader audience through ad campaigns.

All major social media channels allow for professionally branded pages, with LinkedIn and Twitter among the most popular for notaries.

Step 7. Expand Your Network

With a website and social media presence established, you can expand your network and reach potential clients interested in your services.

As with a great brand manifesto, your online presence should encapsulate what sets you apart from other notaries in your field of expertise.

Your approach to network expansion should also cover interactions with local businesses, reaching out to business owners, and explaining who you are.

Keeping in touch with previous clients is also a good way to attract repeat business and expand your network through word of mouth.

Step 8. Offer Specialized Notary Services

Another way you can expand your revenue streams through your notary services is by offering specialized services for niche interests.

Some examples of how notary services deliver this specialization for their clients include:

• Immigration Forms Specialist. This type of notary signing agent helps people complete immigration forms and assists with referring attorneys to deliver legal representation.
• Apostille Specialist. Apostille specialists obtain and help to notarize documents from a Secretary of State’s office and return them to the client.
• Loan Signing Agent. Notaries can become loan signing agents by passing the relevant qualifications and working with real estate planning attorneys and on closings.
• Wedding Officiant. Notaries are allowed to perform as wedding officiants in certain states, with licensing requirements varying from one state to the next.
• Form I-9 Services. Form I-9, also known as an Employee Eligibility Verification form, is a requirement for all employees, and notaries can complete it on their behalf.

Spend some time researching what other notaries have to offer and see if there are services you can offer that capitalize on your experience.

Step 9. Market Your Services Effectively

As with any type of business, ongoing marketing and promotion is the key to success, and setting up a thriving notary service is no exception.

This means setting up a press page to include any favorable media coverage and updating your website with glowing testimonials from clients.

You should also set aside a budget to use for paid promotions and ad campaigns, both through online platforms and in local newspapers or magazines.

Step 10. Go Remote With RON

With the rise in remote working, many notaries offer their services across the country to maximize their potential revenue stream and client base.

This can be achieved through remote online notarization, which any traditional notary can apply for in a few easy-to-follow steps.

You’ll need a reliable internet connection, a secure audio and video communication platform, and access to appropriate identity-proofing technology.

Once you’ve notarized documents remotely, you can then log the process in your notary journal and other record-keeping methodology.

Ways To Make Money As A Notary In 2024

We’ve explored the key steps you need to consider when setting up a business as a notary signing agent and promoting your services.

Now, let’s examine how you can make money as a notary, whether you’re after a side hustle to pay off debt or a full-time profession.

Start A Blog Or Social Media Channel

Professionals of all types often supplement their income by blogging as a side hustle, and notaries can join the action by sharing their insights.

Combined with setting up a social media channel to engage with followers, this can be a powerful tool for promoting notary services to a broad audience.

Regularly posting articles that are keyword-optimized will also improve your website’s overall visibility and increase its reach to local businesses.

Once your blog attracts regular traffic from people interested in what you say, you can monetize the site for additional income.

This makes blogging a potentially lucrative way to channel your notary expertise across a range of viable revenue sources to earn more money.

Conduct Workshops Or Training

If you’re a qualified notary, particularly one with in-depth legal experience, you can make money as a notary through workshops and training courses.

This course could relate to specific notary services you have extensive experience in or a broader introduction to the concept for newcomers.

You can set up in-person courses in your local area to work with aspiring notaries hoping to work with local business owners or individuals.

Alternatively, there are many great opportunities to work exclusively online and run digital workshops for students around the world.

Pricing can vary depending on the type of course you’re planning on offering, with venue courses typically costing more than online courses.

For the latter, all you need is a good internet connection, and your students can participate in the course using video conferencing tools such as Zoom.

Notarization For Academic Documents

In education, some successful notary professionals work exclusively with universities to assist with the notarization of academic documents.

This typically relates to authenticating diplomas and other documents relating to university education from institutions in the United States for use abroad.

The process involves drafting a notarial certificate that confirms that certain documents are a true copy of the original certificate.

Passport & Visa Documentation

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide require notarizing their visas and passports to allow them to travel internationally.

This provides a great opportunity to earn money as a notary by marketing to this target audience and offering your notary services.

State laws vary when it comes to notarizing documents such as passports and visas, so make sure you check to see what rules apply in your area.

Medical Documentation

Certain types of medical documents are eligible for notary signing agent services and can be another source of income when setting up your business.

You can contact people who are running a medical transportation business to help with the process and verify the relevant documentation.

Alternatively, individuals with medical conditions often need the services of notaries when working outside of the United States or applying for a visa.

As a notary, you can help them get their Health Certificates notarized, authenticated, or apostilled by the Secretary of State.

Additional services include getting a health certificate legalized at the embassy of the country the client plans to move to or work in.

Mobile Notary Services

As the name implies, mobile notary services involve traveling to various locations to perform their duties in various capacities.

This is most often focused on performing services such as real estate and mortgage transactions since these are the most impacted by location.

As such, mobile notary services are ideal for people with flexible schedules and the means to travel within their local or state vicinity.

It requires having good interpersonal skills, meeting clients face to face, verifying the signer’s identity, and witnessing document signing.

Mobile notary services are also used when signatures from multiple parties are required for transitions on various documents.

In addition to real estate-related documents, mobile notary services are also frequently used for medical documents, wills, custody agreements, and deeds.

Banks & Financial Institutions

Financial institutions such as local and national banks frequently hire notaries to assist with their daily tasks.

Notaries help with many different types of documentation for banking institutions, ranging from signature witnessing to acknowledgment and copy certification.

While signature witnessing is the most common use of notaries by banks, they are sometimes required to assist with other types of documentation.

This includes performing jurat on affidavits and depositions, affirming that the statements contained within the documents are accurate.

Individual bank account holders can use their bank’s notarization services for free, while the banks offer consistent work for notary professionals.

The arrangement is typically flexible, with notaries not expected to work in-house and instead attending the bank only when their services are required.

Likewise, arrangements with banks and financial institutions are flexible, and notaries can sign short—and long-term contracts.

Real Estate Closings

Closing notaries, sometimes referred to as notary signing agents, are a core fixture of the real estate and mortgage industry that validates legal documents.

In many states, qualifications in the field are required to work in this capacity, and a surety bond and real estate notary certification must be purchased.

The tasks expected of a closing notary vary depending on the situation and can include reviewing documents to verify the identity of the signer,

It can also require administering oaths to ensure that any false declaration from any involved party is classed as perjury in a court of law.

Loan Signing Agent

Working as a loan signing agent is another popular way to use your notary experience to earn money through a range of clients.

With the average American debt continuing to increase, there’s no shortage of potential clients looking to take advantage of such services.

As a loan signing agent, you’ll be expected to follow your state’s notary laws and any federal regulations relating to the loan agreement.

This includes the authentication of relevant documents and the individuals endorsing the documents, ensuring everything is in order.

To work as a loan signing agent, you may need to undergo additional training and licensing to clarify the correct procedures expected from lenders.

Summary

Becoming a notary signing agent is a great way to use your legal qualifications for ongoing work that can be suited to a flexible schedule and remote working.

Following the advice in this article, you can customize your notary services to match your legal experience and commitment to the work.

As you gain more experience and acquire more clients, you can expand your services and increase your rates according to your expertise.