The fees for notaries public for all notarial acts are set by the Department of State by regulation. A notary public must not charge or receive a notary public fee in excess of the fees fixed by the Department.
| Notarial Act | Maximum Fee |
|---|---|
Taking acknowledgement (per name of first individual making acknowledgment in certificate) | $5 |
Taking acknowledgement (per each additional name in same certificate) | $2 |
Administering oath or affirmation (per individual taking oath or affirmation) | $5 |
Taking verification on oath or affirmation (per individual making declaration) | $5 |
Witnessing or attesting a signature (per signature) | $5 |
Certifying or attesting a copy or deposition (per certified copy) | $5 |
Noting a protest of a negotiable instrument (per page) | $3 |
In addition to the fees authorized above, electronic notaries public and remote notaries public may charge a fee in an amount not to exceed $20 per notarial act performed with respect to electronic records or using communication technology.
A notary public may not charge any fee for notarizing the supporting affidavit required in an Emergency Absentee Ballot or the affidavit of a person needing assistance to vote using an absentee ballot, nor may a notary public charge a fee when other applicable law dictates that no fee may be charged.
The fees of the notary must be separately stated. A notary public may waive the right to charge a fee. If a notary charges fees, the notary must display the fees in a conspicuous place in the notary's place of business or provide fees, upon request, to any person utilizing the services of the notary. If a notary charges fees, the notary must provide an itemized receipt for all fees charged by the notary public.
Notary fees are presumed to be the property of the notary public and do not belong to or be received by the entity that employs the notary public, unless mutually agreed by the notary public and the employer.
Notaries public may charge a clerical or administrative fee for services they have provided related to the notarial act, such as copying documents, postage, travel and telephone calls. These clerical or administrative fees are not set by the Department. Such clerical or administrative fees must be customary and reasonable for the geographic area and for the service rendered. Customers should be informed prior to the notarization of a document if a clerical fee is being charged in addition to any notarial fees. The customer's receipt should itemize all fees charged by the notary. Clerical and administrative fees, if charged, must be separately itemized in the notary journal and included on the receipt.
Guidance on Receipts
The notary regulations at 4 Pa. Code §167.3(c) state: “A notary public shall provide an itemized receipt for all fees charged by the notary.” In the preamble to the final regulations (56 Pa.B. 1672), the Department explained that this section of the regulation is intended to clarify 57 Pa.C.S. § 329.1(c)(1), which dictates that ''fees of the notary public shall be separately stated.'' If clerical and administrative fees directly related to the notarization are charged, being reasonable and customary based on the geographic location and practice setting of the notary, they should be separately itemized in the journal and on any receipt provided.
If the notary does not charge any fees related to the notarization, no receipt is necessary.
If the notary does charge fees related to the notarization, a receipt is required.
The receipt should separately itemize the fees charged under 4 Pa. Code §167.3(a) and (b), relating to the maximum fees that notaries public may charge for notarial acts and for notarial acts performed with respect to electronic records or using communication technology. The receipt should also itemize any clerical and administrative fees directly related to the notarization. These include copy and travel fees.
The regulation requires that the notary public always supply a receipt where fees are charged. There is no exception to this rule – the Department intends that receipts are part of the notarial process, when fees are charged. This is intended to protect the consumer. The customer may discard the receipt if they do not want or need it.
The Department also notes that the notary public is not required to keep a copy of receipts issued to customers for the notary’s own records.
April 6, 2026