Mobile notary FAQ

California caps the notarial fee at $15 per signature notarized (Government Code 8211). A mobile notary charges a separate travel fee for coming to you, which is not regulated but must be disclosed and agreed before the appointment. In Southern California, travel fees commonly run $25-$75, more for long Inland Empire drives, late nights or weekends. If a document needs four signatures notarized, that is 4 × $15 plus one travel fee.

Yes. It is a private agreement between you and the notary. Ask for the all-in total when you call, and ask whether it changes for evenings, weekends or waiting time.

A current government-issued photo ID: California driver's license or ID card, US passport, foreign passport, US military ID, or another ID that satisfies California Civil Code 1185. It must be unexpired and the name must match the document being signed. Credible-witness identification is possible in some situations — ask the notary in advance.

No. The notary must witness your signature (for a jurat) or confirm you acknowledge it in their presence. Bring the document unsigned unless the notary specifically tells you otherwise.

A general mobile notary handles everyday documents — powers of attorney, healthcare directives, affidavits, travel consents, title transfers. A loan signing agent is a notary with additional training in mortgage document packages: they present a full lender package in the right order, know which pages require notarization, and return scan-backs to escrow. For a refinance, purchase or reverse mortgage, use a loan signing agent.

Hospitals and care homes, yes — it is routine, and several listed notaries offer 24-hour availability for it. The signer must be conscious, understand what they are signing and be able to communicate their intent. Jails and detention facilities require advance coordination with the facility; ask the notary whether they do them.

No. Notaries are prohibited from giving legal advice or choosing documents for you, and a California notary may not act as an interpreter for the notarization itself — the notary must communicate directly with the signer. Bilingual notaries are listed with their languages, which is why the language filter exists.

Use a notary who speaks the signer's language. Under California rules the notary must communicate directly with the signer, so a family member cannot interpret for the notarization. Filter by language on the browse page — Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Arabic speakers are listed.

No. Find My Notary CA is free for clients — no booking fees, no service fees, no accounts. Notaries pay a flat monthly listing fee, which is why we never take a cut of your job or mark up a travel fee.

It means we checked the notary's commission number against California Secretary of State records before the listing went live, and it was active. It is not an endorsement of their work, and it does not replace your own judgement — read reviews and ask questions.

Some notaries hold a current third-party background screening (often through the National Notary Association, which many lenders require). We display the status exactly as it is, including “not submitted”. It is information, not a verdict.

Find My Notary CA is new. The six listings currently shown are fictional examples marked “Sample profile” so you can see how the directory works while we onboard real notaries in each city. Sample listings and their reviews are illustrative only — we would rather label them clearly than pretend to be bigger than we are.

Same-day is normal across most of Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego if you call in the morning; outlying Inland Empire areas often need a day's notice. Filter for “Available today” and call rather than email.

Notarization is the first step; the apostille itself comes from the California Secretary of State and has its own fee and processing time. Several listed notaries prepare and courier apostille paperwork — ask when you call.

Start on the For Notaries page. Free listings are welcome; Pro is $29/month and Premium $79/month. Founding notaries get Pro free for 90 days.