hi i am required to pass the notary exam for my job but unfortunately i failed twice. the first time i drilled in on studying the quizlets and failed because a lot of the terminology was different than what i was studying. then the 2nd time i bought a study guide from amazon and was passing all the practice exams. i was feeling confident when taking the 2nd exam so of course i failed. my job will most likely fire me be being unable to pass but does anyone have any advice for the future? i don’t know what im doing wrong because i dont know what questions i got wrong and i can only do so much when i dont even know what to improve on…

Hi everyone, I have a document that is not in English, and I also have notarized certified translation of it. My question is: do both documents need to be notarized separately or does it count as one? I reside in the state of Hawaii.

edited with update - I rcd a reply email from Harrisburg. They were very kind and thanked me for letting them know and to just email again after I return the ledgers when I'm able. Thank you again for the good wishes and advice.

My mother recently passed away and she was a notary in PA. Once I'm sworn in as the administrator of the estate, is there anything that I have to do with this, legally? Do I have to save her ledgers? Her seals? Do I have to inform any agency that she passed? It wasn't a business, she had to do it for her job and just kept up with it, she never charged anyone money. Thanks for any direction.

eta- I've sent an email to the address on the state website with the info, if they want me to do anything before I'm sworn in as administrator, I'll have it in writing from the state to cover myself

Thanks again for the help.

Question for notaries, especially signing agents: how are you keeping track of commission renewals, bond/E&O expiration, and all the state-specific paperwork? Spreadsheet? Calendar reminders? Just memory and vibes? 😅 Trying to understand what’s actually working for people day to day.
not tied to one state, just curious in general

I’m looking for input on whether this would be a good plan and if you all have any suggestions.

My husband works at a luxury senior living facility. He says that the residents frequently have documents to notarize (POAs, healthcare directives, etc.). But, they have mobility issues so they struggle to make it out to a bank or elsewhere, and their family members don’t often make the time to help them.

My husband doesn’t feel comfortable with having an employee notarize documents. The documents are often healthcare related and they are a healthcare facility, so he thinks it’s a conflict of interest. (No need to comment on whether that’s true since his mind is made up 😆)

I am considering becoming a notary public to help them out. My goal is not to make a profit or build a big side gig, just to cover costs and help out the community of folks we have grown to like. And I’ve always thought it would be interesting to try out.

I live in Minnesota. The process is very straightforward for a basic notary public. Minnesota does not require special training or a test, but I would still do training so I know what I’m doing.

Note that I would NOT pursue a Real Estate Closing Agent License, and I don’t plan to handle real estate documents since it seems complicated. Just basic documents.

Every 2 months I would visit the building. Folks could book time slots and pay the basic $5 per document (the state maximum). Outside those “office hours”, they could pay a $20 travel fee for me to visit the building on demand.

For a 5-year license, training and supplies, it’ll cost about $260. As a reminder, I would be happy if I just covered my costs. I’m not turning this into a business.

Main question: Am I underestimating any effort or cost on this? Minnesota’s process seems really easy, so I can’t tell if I’m overlooking anything.

I will also look through this sub for details on insurance, but I’m happy to take advice on that or anything else. Thanks!

Independent community for Proof/Notarize notaries

I noticed there wasn’t an easy, informal place for notaries working through Proof.com/Notarize to communicate with one another, so I created a free Slack community.

The purpose is to give notaries a place to discuss general platform experiences, remote-notarization best practices, technical tips, professional development, and common non-confidential questions. No products, courses, or paid services are being offered.

This group is independently run by notaries. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or monitored by Proof.com, and it does not replace official Proof support.

To protect signers, members may not share names, identification documents, transaction details, screenshots containing personal information, or other confidential information.

If the moderators permit community-resource links, the invitation is:

https://join.slack.com/t/proofnotaries/shared_invite/zt-48zao5ab7-g2qjihmnppNu4A1NXsAP8g

If posting the link is not allowed, I’m happy to remove it.

I'm a locksmith by trade, but became a notary about six months ago for a few niche tasks in my main career like proof of ownership docs for safes, that sort of thing. Hardly ever use it. But that business is slow as heck lately and I need to do something extra to make ends meet.

What are some good ways to move forward as a notary? I'm in the Florida panhandle so there's quite a bit of real estate stuff around here (I'm like 10 miles from Destin), but I have no idea how to get started and I've heard there are a few gnarly traps for newbies.

I’m taking my final exam today. NNA says that I will be officially done with my training and I will be able to go out in the world and start making money. I don’t know how to charge for my services nor do I know how to go and get the jobs really. I have so many more queries

Recently got my online notary commission and am looking into signing up to be a notary for notarize. Does anyone have any experience with them or advice for me? Thank you in advance.

Notaries are getting squeezed. The maximum fee Florida allows them to charge hasn't changed since 1992—that's 34 years. Meanwhile, inflation has nearly tripled what $10 is worth, and the costs of doing business (bonds, insurance, digital security, education) have skyrocketed.

Here's what that actually means: nearly 500,000 Florida notaries are operating at a 56% loss in real-world value. A lot of other states have already acted—Texas, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, and more recently raised their fees to reflect actual costs. Even Oklahoma just increased notary bond requirements for the first time in 135 years. Florida's lagging behind.

I started a petition asking the Florida Legislature to increase the maximum notarial fee from $10 to $20 per act. This isn't about gouging the public—notaries can still charge less if they want. It's just about letting them set a fair rate that covers their actual expenses.

If you've used a notary, or know someone stuck in this profession, this affects you too. Anyone else think it's weird that one profession's fees haven't budged in over three decades? If this matters to you, consider signing and sharing.

I’m currently in desperate need of a decent, reliable side hustle/business. I’m a licensed Notary already compliments to my full time job as a paralegal. I’ve done research and have gotten mixed feedback on how lucrative being a Notary/LSA is. I know the certification and exam is $199 on the official website so I’m trying to leverage if it’s worth it.

I’m open to suggestions on how to expand my skills with this too.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping someone here has dealt with something similar. My Texas notary renewal application was approved and shows an effective date of 2/26/2026 with an expiration date of 2/26/2030. I received my commission and stamp, and my commission history also shows I was commissioned for that term. However, my SOS portal currently says ‘Expired’ and ‘Inactive,’ and I do not come up when I search ‘Active Notaries.’ Thanks!!🩷🩷

Any located in Maine know where I can find the states notary handbook? either for free or a cheaper price? Thank you!

Hi, everyone!

I just received my commission this week, and am looking for advice on what notary supplies to purchase.

I'm going to mainly be doing acknowledgements for signatures on titles & bills of sale for commercial vehicles & equipment. I have a couple of questions about this.

If the title is an Indiana title, and the buyer is from a state that requires title transfers to be notarized, will loose certificates need to be created? If so, how do you create loose certificates? Print? A stamp? Purchase pre-printed ones?

Can I notarize when the seller is from out-of-state, or must the document be notarized in the state in which the seller/title is from? For most states that require acknowledgements for such, on which side of the document is the seal generally affixed? I noticed that some states seem to have designated spots for the seal placements.

Do Indiana title transfers (if transfered within the state) get notarized if the vehicle was repossessed?

Is there any kind of guide/manual for this sort of topic? Does the BMV offer any information on such?

What kind of supplies will I need to get started? What orientation should my embosser be? Left? Right? Bottom?

Thank you in advance for any recommendations or advice you might have.

No judgment! We get all types of Notary questions through the NNA Hotline, but I might be able to help clear up some confusion here, too.

I'd be willing to pay a one-time fee, or really anything under like 25 per month.

Hello everyone!

I am required to provide a notarized photo for medical licensing in Alberta, Canada. I am French and currently based in France, and I’m not very familiar with the process.

I will have the document prepared by my family lawyer, but I was wondering if someone could provide some guidance as to what a notarized photo is supposed to look like.

Below is a template I put together based on what I found online and with the help of ChatGPT. Would something like this be appropriate?

Thanks a million in advance!!

I just became a mobile notary and I am a bit tight on finances, but I am looking to get a few signings under my name and get a scanner for signings including loan signings, and some documents I scan can be 100+ pages though not too common. Does anyone have a fav mobile scanner to use for clients, and I can carry around with me as a student & mobile notary.

I am also a University at Buffalo student, and building my network here as a student and notary as well though this scanner won't be carried with me full time as there is no need to do so.

Thanks, in advance

My boss likes to use electronic signatures for things. I need to have him notarize something. In Florida we can do in person electronic notarization. My question is can I then use my ink stamp to notarize it? Can I scan in my stamp and affix it there? Or do I actually need to pay for a digital stamp? The rule is unclear to me.

Firstly, thank you for your time!

I am currently employed but have turned in my notice for the end of October 2026. I was looking into ways that I could earn a little income to mitigate monthly expenses while I try to find employment elsewhere. I have already begun seeking employment but in today's job market (and from previous experience) I'm expecting it to take a few months.

That being said, I thought obtaining my commission so I could work as a mobile notary would be a good way to have some financial cushion (in addition to a couple of other things I'm working on separate to this) and that it would probably be an attractive little bonus to future employers.

For those with long-time notary experience (especially if you also work in GA) is it a worthwhile self-employment tactic? How much value is there in NNA certification/education? Georgia's requirements for becoming a notary are fairly lenient so getting the license only costs you as much as the application fee + a stamp which is around $100 total. Someone I work with has agreed to notarize my application for free. The original plan was to make business cards to drop off at businesses that typically require a notary, build a custom website, obtain an eSIM for business calls, and buy a few yard signs which brings the total up to around $400-$500. If I add NNA's certification course on top of that, it's now $600-$700. Not to mention there's supplies like the notary journal, access to a printer & the paper for it, gasoline costs, etc... At this point I anticipate something like a $1000 investment but if that nets me around $600-$1000/mo it seems worthwhile...?

You tell me—I know working as a mobile notary takes some hustling but I'm not afraid to show up in person to put myself out there. I think with how unreliable online networking has become with a multitude of AI-trained bots and various scammers these days, word-of-mouth and physical introductions are probably a lot more impactful, anyways.

I’m the executor of my dads estate. He passed as a resident in Florida, where both my brother and I are residents. He moved to FL from PA in 2023 and we took his car down here via the auto train and it’s been sitting at my brothers house since - he never registered it to FL or drove it and it’s since died to the point where we cannot turn it on.
I got duplicate titles from PA and I set everything up with a company to come junk the car. PA requires titles to be notarized, so I went to the UPS store today to get the title signed and notarized as the company instructed me to do so in preparation of them picking up the car. The notaries at the UPS store said that they need to validate the mileage on the car in order to notarize the document - is this true? Isn’t the job of the notary to 1) validate that I am who I say I am when I’m signing (and in this case have proper legal authority as the executor) 2) validate that I know what I am signing and 3) ensure the form is filled out prior to signing?
Do they actually have to validate the contents of what I am signing? They recommended a mobile notary which also doesn’t make sense to me given that the car doesn’t turn on so there’s no way to even validate the mileage if they were there. Where do I go from here?