California Notaries should be allowed to charge higher fees for their services because of the important role they play in fighting fraud, according to a candidate for state Senate who spoke at the NNA May 20.
Republican Steve Fazio, a candidate for California’s 27th Senate District, supported a recent bill to raise fees California Notaries may charge. In April, Kentucky eliminated its fee schedule, allowing Notaries to set their own fees for their services. And several other states have proposed increases to Notary fees this year.
Fazio told students at a Notary training class at the NNA’s Chatsworth headquarters on May 20 that he believes California’s fee schedule is outdated and should be raised to reflect the important duties Notaries perform.
“You are all part of the public safety apparatus, making sure people don’t have to deal with identity theft or fraudulent documents,” Fazio said. But at the same time, he added that many Notaries regularly deal with multi-million dollar transactions, yet can only charge a maximum fee of $10 for each notarization.
“I want to support the values you hold to, and make sure you get paid appropriately for your work,” he said. After the class broke for lunch, Fazio stayed to speak one-on-one and take questions from attendees.
David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.