The National Notary Bulletin

4 steps to become a mobile Notary

By NNA Staff on December 9, 2020

Updated 10-30-23. If you're looking to start your own businesses — or make money on the side — becoming a mobile Notary is a good place to start. It is simple, the start-up cost is fairly low and you can work either part-time or full-time.

Mobile Notaries travel to signers’ locations to notarize documents. They earn money by charging a fee for the notarization up to the limit allowed by their state’s law. Some states also permit Notaries to charge a travel fee.

The 4 steps for becoming a mobile Notary are as follows:

Step 1: Become a Notary (if you aren’t one already)
Step 2: Create a business plan
Step 3: Create an internet presence
Step 4: Market yourself

The difference between a mobile Notary and a Notary Signing Agent

Being a mobile Notary is not the same thing as a Notary Signing Agent (NSA). An NSA required extra certification and training in order to perform mortgage signing assignments for title companies. Someone who works only as a mobile Notary does not automatically possess these additional qualifications. However, you can perform both general mobile Notary work and mortgage assignments if you are a certified NSA. In fact, this can be a good way to earn income when there are fewer loan signing assignments available.

Step 1: Become a Notary

The requirements for becoming a Notary vary from state to state. At a minimum, you will be required to fill out an application and pay a filing fee. Depending on your state, you also may be required to:

Complete a training course
Pass an exam
Undergo a background check
Purchase a surety bond
Purchase supplies such as a Notary seal and journal

While no state requires you to have Notary errors & omissions insurance, it is advisable for any self-employed Notary to have an E&O policy.

Step 2: Create a business plan

A business plan helps you map out where you want to accomplish and how you expect to accomplish it. It does not have to be complicated, but it helps get and keep you on track. Among other things, it should include:

What services you offer
How far you’re willing to travel (or the geographic area you plan to serve)
Where you expect to find business (such as healthcare facilities, schools, small law firms, banks and military installations)
How you plan to market your services

Step 3: Create an internet presence

No business, no matter how small, can expect to thrive without an internet presence. Most potential customers will search the internet to find a mobile Notary. At a minimum, you should have a website that includes:

Your business name and contact information
The services you offer (including services other than notarizations)
The geographic area you serve
Any other pertinent information

It’s also a good idea to create profiles on various Notary forums and set up social media pages for your business. You want to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to find you.

Step 4: Market yourself

This is the key to your success. The more effort you invest in marketing your services, the more business you’ll get.

Again, your internet presence is important. Regular social media posts about your business will help get you noticed. That can include short videos on YouTube and shared links on Facebook.

Apart from the internet, person-to-person networking is invaluable. Your community will have a variety of businesses and organizations that often need a Notary, and your business plan will identify many of these entities. Circumstances permitting, make the rounds of these organizations to drop off your business card, then periodically revisit so potential customers get to know you.

Final thoughts

Once you get your mobile Notary business up and running, consider ways to expand your offerings. You could add non-Notary services, such as I-9 services and apostille services. You also can consider becoming an NSA to take loan-signing signing assignments.