Fees
$15 per signature is the maximum a notary may charge.
This is a ceiling, not a set price. A notary may charge less, or nothing at all. It applies per notarized signature.
Cal. Gov. Code §8211
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
California
Guide liveEvery claim below carries its citation and the source it was checked against. Sections still in verification say so rather than guess.
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Fees
Fees · Travel
Travel fees are not capped by statute and are recorded separately.
The $15 cap covers the notarial act itself. Travel is a separate charge and gets its own line in the journal.
Cal. Gov. Code §8211
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
Fees · Free acts
Two notarizations must be free: a veteran's benefit claim, and vote-by-mail or other voting materials.
Those are the two that apply to any notary. Three narrower exceptions exist, and two of them turn on who the notary is rather than what the act is.
Cal. Gov. Code §8211(d), (f); §6107
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Notarial acts
Acts · Jurat
A jurat must be signed in the notary's presence.
This presence rule applies to jurats specifically. Acknowledgments follow their own rules.
Cal. Gov. Code §8202
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Signer ID
Identification
A signer without ID can be identified by credible witnesses.
If one credible witness is used, the notary must personally know them. If two are used, each just needs to present their own ID.
Cal. Civ. Code §1185(b)
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Journal & seal
Journal
A power of attorney requires the signer's thumbprint in the journal.
One of the journal entries California specifically requires for powers of attorney and certain deeds.
Cal. Gov. Code §8206(a)(2)(G)
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Online (RON)
Online Notarization
California signers may use online notaries commissioned in other states.
California's own remote online notarization won't operate until the Secretary of State certifies its technology. Until then, online notarizations performed by notaries in other states are recognized here.
Cal. Gov. Code §8232.1
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Apostille
Apostille
Apostilles are issued by the California Secretary of State.
The notary handles the notarization. The apostille itself comes from the Secretary of State's office.
CA Secretary of State
Cross-checked · CA Secretary of State, Request an Apostille
Apostille · Cost
An apostille costs $20 per document from the Secretary of State, separate from anything the notary charged.
In person there's also a $6 handling fee for each different public official's signature. The notary's own fee is separate from both.
California Secretary of State
Cross-checked · CA SOS Apostille FAQs (worked fee examples)
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Becoming a notary
Becoming a notary
You must be 18, a California resident, complete a six-hour course approved by the Secretary of State, and pass the state exam.
The course only counts if the Secretary of State approved that vendor. After the commission issues you have 30 days to file the oath and a $15,000 bond with your county clerk — until then it isn't in effect.
Cal. Gov. Code §8201(a); §8204; §8212; §8213(a)
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook
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Complaints
Complaints
If the notarial portion exceeds the cap, the Secretary of State is who takes complaints about California notaries.
The Secretary of State disciplines notaries — it can't recover your money or undo a document. Fraud or forgery goes to local law enforcement or the district attorney instead.
Cal. Gov. Code §8214.1; §8220
Cross-checked · 2026 CA Notary Public Handbook; CA SOS complaint process
Straight answer · What these guides are
Reference, not legal advice.
These guides explain how notarization works: the fees, the acts, the process. They won't tell you which document your situation needs, and neither will any notary. Notaries public are not attorneys and cannot give legal or immigration advice. For that, talk to a lawyer.
The same rule that governs our directory governs these pages: we publish what the state publishes, cite it, and stop there.