How to Become a Mobile Notary (And Why It’s a Great Side Hustle)

A mobile notary or traveling notary is someone who travels to an individual’s home, office, or another location to provide notarization services. They’re basically on-call notary officials (also known as “notary publics”) who offer quick and convenient services to people who don’t want to (or can’t) go to a notary office.

Like traditional notaries, mobile notaries are public officials who have been appointed by a state government to perform notarial acts that benefit the public and prevent fraud.

What does a mobile notary do?

As a mobile notary, you may perform any of the following tasks:

• Travel to various locations to meet clients
• Be a legal witness to the signing of documents
• Verify a signer’s identity
• Ensure that signers understand the purpose and implications of signing particular documents
• Confirm that a signer isn’t being coerced or manipulated into signing a document
• Sign and stamp documents

It’s important to fully understand and accept your responsibilities as a notary public. You can be called into court if a document you notarize is ever called into question.

You also need to be well versed in notary laws in your state and also keep up to date on changes in notary law.

Why do people use mobile notary services?

There’s a huge demand for mobile notaries right now, and it’s no wonder why. Mobile notarization services have several big advantages over traditional services.

The most obvious advantage to hiring a mobile notary is not having to visit a notary office. If there are multiple signers who can’t all meet together, then a mobile notary can also travel to each person’s location separately.

Additionally, mobile notaries can work outside of regular business hours and take urgent assignments with very little notice, making them much more flexible and readily available than traditional notaries.

Each state in the US has its own laws and regulations for who can be a notary public and the requirements you need to meet first.

Most commonly, to become a notary, you need to be:

• A US citizen or lawful permanent resident
• A resident of the state you live in
• At least 18 years old
• Able to read, write, and understand English
• Able to get to different locations using your own vehicle (with auto insurance)

Bear in mind that some states have restrictions that can prevent you from performing certain tasks. For example, some require you to be a licensed attorney or possess a professional license to handle loan closings. 1

Becoming a mobile notary might seem complicated or confusing, but it’s easier than it looks from the outside. You can quickly start earning serious cash by starting your own mobile notary business (which is worth doing even if you plan on only pursuing this as a part-time side hustle).

All you need to do is follow the steps below.

1. Become a notary public in your state

Check the legal requirements for notary officials in your state to make sure you’re eligible and find out what you need to do to become one.

According to the National Notary Association (NNA), here are the steps you need to take to become a notary public: 2

• Complete an application form: You can find the notary application form on your state government’s website.
• Pay your state’s filing fee: This is a mandatory and nonrefundable fee that varies according to your state, but it’s usually pretty small. For example, the filing fee is $10 in Colorado and $25 in Montana. 3 4
• Get training from a state-approved education vendor (if applicable): Some states require you to undergo professional training before you can become a notary public. Information about how to sign up for and complete this training should be available on your state government’s website.
• Pass a state-administered exam (if applicable): Some states also require you to pass an exam (and sometimes also a pre-assessment exam) to demonstrate your knowledge and competence. 5
• Complete fingerprinting and a background check (if applicable): You may be required to complete a criminal background check to provide notarization services. This should take only a few days to complete.
• Get a notary surety bond (if applicable): You may have to get a surety bond, often in the range of $1,000–$25,000, from a licensed insurer or bonder in your state.
• Purchase notary supplies: In most states, you’ll need to purchase a notary stamp, notary journal, and inkless thumb printer to become a notary. It’s also wise to get other office supplies you can take with you on your notary trips, like pens, a stapler, and a calculator.
• Receive your commission certificate from the state: Depending on how you submitted your notary application, you could receive your notary commission certificate by mail or electronically (by email).
• File your commission paperwork with your notary regulating official: You’ll need to submit your surety bond and notarized oath of office form to your local notary official (e.g., your state secretary or county clerk) and register your signature. Many states impose a time limit of around 30–45 days in which you need to do this before your commission is nullified.

After you’ve completed these steps, that’s it! You’re all set to offer mobile notary services. Bear in mind that if you change your mind at any point and no longer want to be a notary public, you may need to formally relinquish your notary commission by contacting your local notary regulating official.

2. Create a business plan

Next is the part that will determine how much you can earn as a mobile notary: coming up with a business plan. This will help you pick realistic short-term and long-term goals and provide a basis for coming up with financial projections.

Your business plan should include the following information:

• What services you’ll offer: Are you planning on doing a mix of administering oaths, solemnizing marriages, and attesting to document photocopies, or do you plan to focus on providing one particular type of service?
• What geographical areas you’ll serve: Will your notarial power extend only to the city level, or will you also be a registered notary public at the county or state level? How far are you willing to travel to provide notary services?
• Who your target clients will be: Are you hoping to do business for real estate agents, lenders, schools, law firms, or some other type of client?
• What strategies you’ll use to market your services: How are you going to attract clients? Will you build a website or simply rely on personal or professional connections?

Part of creating a good business plan is calculating the cost of setting up your mobile notary business. To get you started, your likely expenses are listed below:

Costs of Starting a Mobile Notary Business

Sources: Notary cost estimates are based on Texas, Florida, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, and Michigan estimates; E&O insurance cost estimate is from Pogo.

The exact cost of starting your mobile notary business will depend on where you live. Check the fees in your state or jurisdiction for an accurate estimate.

Your business plan should also include a schedule that specifies when you’ll review your costs vs. earnings to identify areas for improvement in your strategy.

3. Register your business

In many cases, you’ll need to register your notary business with your local, county, or state government. This is an important step, and skipping it could cost you.

When checking your local regulations for whether you need a license or permit to operate your notary business, you should also check for any additional legal requirements you need to meet, such as buying insurance and registering for taxes.

Even if you’re not technically required to register your business, it could be worthwhile if you’re serious about making money as a mobile notary public. Operating as a corporation, sole proprietorship, or limited liability company (LLC) can protect your personal liability and finances if something goes wrong down the line.

4. Get E&O insurance

Technically, you don’t need to get errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. However, you definitely should.

E&O insurance, also known as professional liability insurance, provides crucial protection in the event anyone files a claim against you for mistakes or oversights you made while providing notarial services. This insurance will cover your court costs and legal fees.

5. Set your rates according to state regulations

Each state has its own limits for how much you can charge for notary services. Check the maximum notary fees in your state and come up with a pricing plan for your business.

Most states set the threshold somewhere in the range of $2–$15 for each notarial act. Many appointments involve multiple notarization acts, allowing you to easily rack up $100 or more from just one appointment.

Fortunately, you can get away with setting your rates fairly high as a mobile notary because of the convenience you’re offering to your customers, although you may be able to get more clients (and repeat customers) if your prices are lower.

The real gold mine for mobile notary work is in the travel fees, which are additional fees you can charge your clients to offset the cost of reaching their chosen location. The regulations for these travel fees (and whether you can charge them at all) vary by state, so be sure to do your homework to make sure you’re charging a fair (and legal) amount.

6. Advertise your services

Once you’ve got your mobile notary business all set up, you’ll need to find some work. Since you’re working for yourself, you’ll need to do all the marketing for your business on your own. But don’t worry—we’ll give you a few pointers on how to get your first mobile notary jobs.

Build your own website

Creating a website is a key step in every new business venture. This is your space where you let potential clients know who you are, what you do, and why they should hire you over competitors.

On your website, include the name of your business, a list of the services you offer, and a contact page providing your business phone number, email address, and any other contact information you can think of.

Use social media

Social media can be a powerful tool for finding work. Create professional business profiles on major social media platforms to promote your services. You can also join Facebook groups to stay up to date on new job opportunities.

Additionally, you can post advertisements on these platforms or even use LinkedIn to reach out to professionals who you think might be able to use your services.

Try cold outreach

While this is often the marketing approach most dreaded by new business owners, cold outreach can pay off when done well. Offer your services to local businesses in your area. Try these companies:

• Banks
• Car dealerships
• Law firms
• Insurance companies
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes

Try setting a goal for yourself to contact a certain number of companies per day. You can do this by email, but you’ll probably have more success if you reach out by phone or even in person.

Gather testimonials

Referrals will help you transition from a couple of small gigs here and there to a thriving business. Consider asking some of your customers to provide testimonials that you can feature on your website.

Alternatively, you can set up a business page on Yelp or Google where people can rate your services. Even if your reviews aren’t all positive, prospective clients will feel more confident choosing you as their mobile notary if they can see a track record of the work you’ve done in the past.

The most obvious benefits to being a mobile notary are the sky-high earning potential and lack of formal requirements. But a mobile notary side business can also have the following advantages:

• Other job opportunities: Notary publics have a reputation for being responsible and professional, and this reputation can open doors to plenty of other high-paying side gigs you can do remotely or from various locations, like bookkeeping, fingerprinting, and serving as an authorized representative for businesses.
• Complements other side hustles: If you’re juggling multiple side jobs, it can be tough to find another income source that you can fit into your schedule. But since mobile notary work involves traveling to different locations, you can easily pair it with travel-based or remote side hustles like ridesharing or mystery shopping.
• Quick payment: Some jobs require you to wait weeks to get paid, whereas mobile notaries are often paid immediately after providing notarial services. This allows you to quickly pick up extra cash whenever you need it.

With that said, there are certainly downsides to being a notary public, the biggest being the hefty responsibility that comes with the role (and the serious legal implications of making a simple mistake).

Still, as long as you’re careful and professional, working as a mobile notary can be an incredibly lucrative and easy side hustle you can do with no qualifications or experience.