How To Become A Notary Public

If you are the head of your household, then it can be expensive to run a home. A job is not enough for paying mortgage, utilities, buying groceries and paying for car note. It helps to have several streams of income. Read on to find out how to become a notary public.

Serves The Public

A notary public is a state government appointed official that carry out certain acts in legal affairs. This professional has to witness signatures on legally binding documents. Every document does not require this service. However, you would need a notarized signature for real estate contracts and student loan agreements. These documents need a notary’s signature to make it complete and binding under the law.

How To Get Paid

The government does not pay people in this profession. You usually have a job and provide the service as extra income. Some notaries work as independent agents and charge their own fees for this service. For example, loan officers provide notary services. The bank usually pays the loan officers for getting the training. It allows the banks to perform all the services in house when processing mortgages.

Meet The Requirements

The exact requirements, depends on your state. However, you must be 18 years, have no criminal record and a legal resident of the state. Applicants also are required to read and write English.

To become a notary, you have to file an application and pay filing fees. The application filing fee can be from under $100 to several hundreds depending on the state. It covers notary training, background screenings, exams, supplies and your bond cost.

After you get your certification, you have to keep it up-to-date to provide the service. You also have to keep a watch for laws that tells notaries how to do their job. It can be a lot of work keeping up with certifications. However, you end up with a unique skill that makes you extra money.