Act now: Support raising Notary fees and protecting consumer access to notarial services in California through Assembly Bill 1597

California state flag with Notary Public seal, representing Assembly Bill 1597 to raise Notary fees and protect access to Notary services.

The NNA is urging California Notaries to weigh in on important legislation to increase the maximum fees Notaries can charge and protect access to notarial services.

Assembly Bill 1597 would raise the maximum fees a California Notary may charge for notarial acts from $15 to $20 per signature or act. The bill is awaiting a hearing date in the state’s Assembly Judiciary Committee, but before that, lawmakers will review public input, making this a critical moment for California Notaries to voice their support.

What California Notaries can do to support AB 1597

Legislators give significant weight to public comments while a bill is under committee consideration. When Notary fees were last raised, California Notaries wrote over 1,400 letters of support. The National Notary Association urges California Notaries and supporters of AB 1597 to act now by submitting a letter of support before the end of February through the California Notaries Action Center at: https://www.calnotaries.org/action-center.

Why AB 1597 is needed for Notaries and consumers

The current maximum Notary fee of $15 has been raised only once in California since 1994 and has not changed since January 1, 2017. Inflation has increased by approximately 33.5 percent in the past 9 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the costs of commissioning, compliance, insurance, and transportation have continued to rise.

Updating the fees California Notaries can charge is essential to preserving consumer access to notarial services. California Notaries face some of the highest regulatory and operational costs in the nation, one of the factors contributing to a decline of more than 22,000 active Notaries since 2017. This loss has reduced access to notarial services for seniors, individuals with disabilities, wildfire survivors, and residents of rural and outlying areas who rely on accessible notarial services for mortgage, healthcare, legal, and financial transactions.

AB 1597 adjusts only the maximum fees a Notary may charge. It does not require Notaries to charge higher fees, or prevent Notaries from reducing or waiving fees, thus preserving market competition. The bill also preserves the existing prohibition against charging fees for notarial acts related to veterans’ benefits.

Taking a few minutes to participate can help ensure that essential notarial services remain accessible to the communities and industries that depend on them.

Brooke Merritt is the Director of Government Affairs & Policy Planning at the National Notary Association.

173 Comments

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Cathy Narvaez

08 Mar 2026

$20 is not enough when you consider fast food workers get $20/hr., the cost of gas to drive to and from appointments and the often low fee signers want to pay.

Sergio Moran

I support this bill.

I support this bill!

Patricia E Haddock

06 Mar 2026

I support the bill

Francine Levin

I support the Bill

garrettwiseman1@gmail.com

05 Mar 2026

Sharon D. Robinson

Yes, I support the bill.

Alicia Hernandez

I support the bill.

Umar Khan

04 Mar 2026

I support this bill

Sonia Rossiter

02 Mar 2026

I support this bill AB 1597

Priscilla Lopez

Yes I support the bill.

Charles Conner

Yes, I Support the Bill.

R. PERRY SR.

01 Mar 2026

I support this bill AB 1597 100% !

Emily

27 Feb 2026

Yes I support this Bill

K. Bruno

Notaries are a huge help in fraud prevention. In addition to the inflation issue. This increase is small and needed. I support this bill.

Marta Montes

26 Feb 2026

Yes, I support this bill.

B. Hogan

Gurman Khairah

25 Feb 2026

Giselle Dugo

K Riley

Yessssss, it’s been a long time coming.

G. M. Koch

I Support The Bill!

Cherry Maurice

I support the raise of the notary fees.

I support the raise of fees.

Vik bhalla

I can support this!

Eunice Esparza

Betty Guerrero

Yes I support this Bill, this is increase is very much needed!!!

Claudia

24 Feb 2026

Please click on the blue link above to send letter for the bill to pass

Cheryl

This is a necessity given our current economic climate and is long overdue.

Laura S

Elaine F. Hernandez

RE: Support for [Insert Bill Number, e.g., AB 1597] – Notary Public Fee Increase Dear [Representative/Senator/Assemblymember Last Name], My name is [Your Name], and I am a commissioned Notary Public residing in your district at [Your Address]. I am writing to strongly urge your support for [Bill Number], which would modernize the maximum fees notaries can charge for their services. I have served the public as a notary for [Number] years. I take my role as a public official seriously, ensuring that legal and financial documents—such as loan signings, healthcare directives, and estate planning documents—are executed properly and securely. However, the current maximum fee, which was last updated in [Year of last update], has not kept pace with inflation, rising fuel costs, and the cost of business insurance and supplies. As a result, my ability to continue providing these essential services to the community is being compromised. Supporting [Bill Number] will: Protect Consumer Access: Ensure that notaries can afford to stay in business and continue providing services to seniors, rural residents, and small businesses. Ensure Fair Compensation: Recognize the professional, trained nature of notaries. Modernize Regulations: Bring our state's fee structure in line with current economic realities. I am a constituent in your district and ask that you support this crucial legislation. Please help protect small business owners and ensure the public continues to have access to notary services. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Elaine F Hernandez

Haikanoush Petrossian

Rudy

I support the increase. Please also create updated articles to explain how notaries may charge travel fees and/or under what circumstances fees can be charged or waived.

National Notary Association

Please see this article for more information: https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2021/07/notary-travel-fees-across-united-states

Isabel B.

I strongly support AB 1597 because notary fees have not kept pace with inflation, rising fuels, and increasing compliance requirements.

Theresa Hernandez

I support CA AB1597.

Chantal von Wetter

I support assembly bill 1597 to increase the notary fee.

Wilson Ruiz

increase needs to be at minimum $25 per signature

SAUNDRA LEE ALLMAN

I SUPPORT THIS BILL, ABSOLUTELY!

Mauricio Rivera

Yes. This bill will help notary public with some of the costs of running a business.

Ana M. Maya

Yes to AB1597

Maria Rebecca Hurtado

Please pass this bill!! It has been too long given current allowable charge limits!

Vickie Austin

I support this bill. AB1597

Nancy

I support the increase. Please pass AB 1597.

Christina Kirk

Y. Velardez

This increase surely would help.

Jamie Larson

Current notary fee is less that state minimum wage.

Heidi Clair-Elfstrom

Please pass this bill! It has been too long given current charge limits.

Linda Carlson

I support the raise in fees.

Stephanie Storey

Please pass this. We need to be paid for our services.

Blanca Ruiz

I support AB 1597, it's about time!

Ann Raineri

I support this increase.

Mike Mahfouz

It's about time, minimum wage is increasing every year, but not for Notaries.

Rochelle Gaskey

23 Feb 2026

Yes, this would be fantastic!

Lyn Russo

NNA- I think you need to Fact Check your statements. You choose to say in 2017, 22,000 notaries numbers were decreased. Please check the current number of notaries in the state, like time I checked there were over 300,000 notaries in CA. We are suffering any shortage of notaries. Ask any notary in CA… they can confirm they are facing substantial/increased number of notaries. With more notaries, they watch their income decrease; because new notaries will work for less than minimum wage made by Fast Food workers; naively believing they will be independent business owners… Many notaries are not working for “each individual notary fee- but for a Flat rate for a fixed set of documents, for example refinance loan packages. They are not even getting $15/signature, but a flat fee for printing out 300+ pages, driving 1 hour round trip to the client, spending 1 hour with the clients, then required to scan the documents back to the lender and get the docs in FedEx by 3pm—please be honest wirh new notaries.

Maria Cardenas

I support bill AB 1597…please pass this bill… inflation has affected the cost of renewing for Notaries.

Deborah Albert

PLEASE PASS RON ASAP. California needs to get up to speed ASAP🙏🌹🙏

Theresa Pike

I suppose the bill.

BRUNO

I think is just right

Pravin Patel

I support the bill to increase the fee

Lynn Dalton

Please PASS this bill !!!

Maria Maribel Aguilar

I support the raise

Quila

Yes raise it

Fred Tabsharani

I support this.

Paul Grace

I’m in support of raising the notary fees

Josephine Velasco

YES!!! Please Allow this bill to pass

Tami Harelson

Mearl

I am all in!!! Let's do this...

Renata Mcphaul

I support this new law.

Barbara Luhrs

I support raising the fee to $20. Notaries need to cover the costs associated with keeping a commission current by renewing every 4 years. There are classes, testing, bonds and supplies that all cost money.

Sandra L. Mizer.

I support AB1597

Elizabeth Torres

I support raising the fees 20.00 per signature at least

Nathan Booker

I agree notary fees should be increased according to the increasing rate of inflation.

Paul Ollen

If you are in favor of raising the minimum, please make sure you submit a letter of support linked above.

Fumilayne Santos-Perillo

You have my support on this.

JULIE HAMMOND

Yessss! Definitely needed!

Louise Saitta

I support this it needs to pass

Yes we need this

Rosa Loya

Raise the fee per signature and please lower the fees to become a Notary. At $15 per signature I have never been able to recover the costs involved with becoming a Notary.

Maria C. Flores

Yes, it is time!

Marvina

Totally agree with the rate increase.

Joanne C

Yes, the increase is desperately needed.

Diana Wade

I support the increase

Ellen Richardson

Please raise the notary fee to $20 per signature.

Avtar Dhami

It’s time to change , Im in support of changing the fee per signature

Gil Esquer

It took nearly 73 years to raise the fee from $10.00 per signature to $15.00 per signature. The majority of us are not full time Notary Publics, we have primary jobs and use the NP as a supplemental income. I support a rate increase, but seriously $5.00 is not going to make or break me. People need to relax and quit getting so excited over the small stuff.

Elsa Gagetta

I support the Bill.

Pamela Garcia

I agree.

Erlinda

I support the increase!

ERIKA ZECCA

I support to rise the price to $20. It is time!

Kim Dang

Yes! It's about time we raise the fee due to inflation. Thank you!

Winokur

The public expects an increase of products and services. Why should we expect less

Julien

Arezoo H. Zangeneh

Definitely support the increase

Rosemary Wilhite

I support AB 1597. Yes, please raise the fee to $20.00

Rhonda souza

I support raising the fees to $20 per signature.

Denise Dee

I support AB 1597.

Cheryl Williams

Please increase the Notary Fee. Long time overdue. I support this bill.

Alma Salcido

Lynn Bradley

Inflation has hit Notaries hard in the past 10 yrs. I support AB1597.

Maryann Johnson

Please pass this! There is a lot of responsibility involved each time we notarize a document.

Michelle Trayer

I agree and support the bill 100%

Amber-Nichole Hess

Please pass this!!!!! Especially since we CA notaries are not allowed to perform RON, which other notaries are now doing and clients are willing taking business no longer locally sourced.

Catherine Ostrom

Yes, raise the fees. Even my clients think it's too low now. Many notaries in my area have quit.

MANDEEP SINGH SANDHU

THE NOTARY FEES NEED TO BE INCREASED.

Aristotle F Elkaddoum

I fully support this initiative that brings us closer to perform our public duties under a fair fee

Kristen Weiss

All in - done! And, I have shared with my community with my vendors, clients, friends, and family to also submit their letter! We need everyone's support to help all notaries and small business owners like myself.

Giavonni Kenyatta

I support raising notary fees to $20 per signature.

Melissa Hill

I do not agree with much of what California does....but this I can get behind!!

Rhonda Waddell

I support the raising of the fee.

Stacy Calvin

I support AB 1597!

Doris C Perez

Notary fees should be made in accordance with COL. Rates should be increased incrementally every 4 years. Some Notaries can make a living of this and allow for flexible working hours.

Tiffany R

Yes, please pass this bill.

Mrs T

It should absolutely be increased- as state commissioned public officials, our services are essential and this increase is long overdue! Praise the LORD for increases!

Vanessa

This is way overdue.

E Galindo

I support the AB1597 bill a 100%.

KIMBERLY C. MAUS

I am in favor of this increase.

Tracy

I was surprised to see this: It does not ...prevent Notaries from reducing or waiving fees, thus preserving market competition. I thought the current law was everyone charged or no one charged to be ethically fair; to not exercise favoritism.

Richard Ackley

I have been asked by customers recently about my fees. They seemed to think and believe that with the prices of everything going up, why was it that I would not raise my fees also. I stated that California law stipulates what should be charged per signature , per stamp. I always thought that $15.00 was cheap and that it should have been higher than that, but abiding by the laws, I had to leave the prices as they were and just keep taking care of the customers as it is.

Michelle Bracco

We are overdue for an increase in our fees!

Jennifer Koslow

With rising inflation, $15 barely covers the cost of being a notary. It’s not like we are doing 4 signatures an hour. There’s a lot that goes into being a notary, bonds, tests, classes, stamps, books. If this becomes financially infeasible how can we sustain the practice of notarization? Frankly, $20 is still very cheap.

Xochilt Esqueda

I think it's fair.

Leticia Valencia

I support raising the fee.

J.L

Get rid of the signing service companies. They're taking money from notaries, while the notary is doing all of the work. Title companies and Lenders should only hire notaries directly and not through a 3rd party signing service.

Tamara Waters

I am definitely in favor of raising the minimum fee allowed for Notary Public services. Long time overdue!!

Sadie Ferguson

In favor of raising Notary fees.

Maria Llamas

I support it, raise the fee from $15 to $20 per signature and stamp

Liliana Palacios

Done!! Letter submitted 👍🏻

Anna Aoun

Yes, it needs to be raised because of inflation

Stacie L. Maxwell

I support Assembly Bill 1597 100%!!!

Marina Krum

Signing companies doesn’t care that!

Francis Centeno

100% IN FAVOR OF IT.

Madelyn Martinelli Lake County, CA

It cost me $900. to renew my commission...We should have a raise to cover our expenses

Penny Dorschel

I am in support of AB 1597! There has not been a raise in our fee for many years. It would help us immensely during this high inflation period. Thank you!

Sudha Chadalavada

I support assembly bill 1597 to increase the notary fee

Ester

I am supporting this raise, it’s so hard to work for $15 per signature.

Agnieszka W.

I fully support the raise of notary fees ($20) in support of the inflation we all face.

Magdalene King'ori

I support raising the Notary fee to $20 a signature to reflect inflation and the time. Everything else, namely gas, toll fees, printing paper, and office supplies, have been going up.

Lisa Dagne

Please pass

Jill Cresap

I support the increase due to inflation

Inez Taylor

I strongly support increasing the notarization fee to $20.

Debbie J. Calderon

YES Please pass this. It would help with growing my business.

Erron Hollyfield

I do condone for this

Dawn Baker-Lencek

I agree 100%

Rhonda Blankenship

I am in favor of the increase especially in keeping in the market competition.

Brenda

I 100% support AB 1597.

Spencer Sausser

I absolutely support raising the fee to $20 per signature!

Alma Chavez

1 100% agreed we need to charge more for signature thank you that will help a little on these days where everything is too expensive

Maria isbell

Yes, it is necessary that this is passed, I would almost dare to say that it should be raised according to life of living.

Lorrain Jaramillo

Yes!!! Raise it even though $20 is more than 15. It should be raised to at least 25 to 30. It’s hard to make a living being a notary at $15 for signature with the cost of living through the roof

Rafael Velasquez

I support this bill and I totally agree that a increase is needed!!!

Jannet Osorio

I support the increase.

Maria L. Robles

Yes! we need this. Traveling is hard and inflation is high. It's time!!

Jasmine Iranpour

I support $20 increase

Rosenda M Quintero

I support passing the bill for increased rates

Ronald E Terry Jr

I am in support of this bill

Maria Del Carmen Patricia Montano Gomez also known as Patricia Montano

I am in favor of raising the minimum fee allowed for Notary Public services.

Cynthia Deacon Daniels

Passing the bill is much needed as a professional service to the community

Robert Langston

I support the passage of this bill and more open communication with the Secretary of State’s office.

Navita Sohal

Please pass this!!!!!! We need this!

Brenda Barrett

When I became a notary 34 years ago at 5.00 Maximum , I have only seen 2 increases since then 10.00 and 15.00. I believe its time to increase again..

Roxana Benseman

It IS time!

Rhonda Araiza

Yes, it should be increased.

Nobody can be a full time public notary with $15 per signature.

Deepali Desai

I am in favor of increase in notary fee, per signature.

Anthony Montero

Dhaval Brahmbhatt

Madellynn P. Agoncillo

Karina Hamilton

I 100% support AB 1597. We deserve a raise for notarial acts. Inflation is high and traveling is also not easy.

Kathryn Tong

It needs to be raised due to inflation.

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