Choosing a Career as a Notary

In the first place, make sure that you are someone who can become a notary. Each state has different requirements for the job and if you want to practice in your state, you should look them up. However, there are a few general guidelines that you should keep in mind. For instance, you do generally need to be at least 18 years old and you need to live and work in the state that you want to practice in. You should be someone who does not have any felony arrests or convictions and in many cases, you will need to provide a reference of character, usually in the form of a letter. California and a few other states have requirements where background checks need to be performed by a state agency or even the FBI. In a small number of states, you may also need several hours of formal training. If you become a notary, you will find that your term is generally limited to three to five years, though the position can be renewed indefinitely.

When you are thinking about becoming a notary public, you'll discover that there is a lot of paperwork to fill out. You will need to provide the basic information, including things like your name, address, and Social Security Number. In addition to that, you will need to remember that you should buy your own seal. Interestingly enough, in the old days, the notary's seal was actually a formal press that could be used to imprint a document. For the most part, though you'll discover that you can by your own seal simply by having a rubber stamp made. When you are looking to become a notary public, remember that you will usually need some sort of character affirmation. Though it might sound like something that is complex and difficult, the truth of the matter is that usually it can be something from a friend, who will simply fill out a generic affidavit. You may or may not need to provide them with a small photo for their records.


When you become a notary, you'll discover that the biggest expenses that you have to pay are usually involved with getting bonding or insurance against cases of malpractice or neglect. This is something that usually falls into the range of 100 dollars and there are many different programs that might be offered, depending on what state you are in.

As a notary public, there are quite a few duties that you are going to need to consider. For the most part, you are going to be empowered by the state to verify signatures and to administer oaths. Depending on the state, you might also find that you are empowered to do marriages. In general, though, the job that you are going to do has a lot to do with verifying the signatures on important documents.

In general, you cannot make a living by being a notary and most states even place a monetary limit on the amount that you can charge for your services. On the other hand, if you are a secretary, a paralegal or a document preparer of some sort, this can create some great extra income for you. There are many retail outlets, particularly those that work with packing and shipping that will provide notary services for a small additional fee, and this can be a place to apply as well.

Take some time and really consider what your needs are. This is a great decision for you to make.