How much does a notary cost in Illinois?
Most "notary cost" pages are run by an online-notarization platform or a notary supplier — each answering with its own product. This one isn't. Here's what it actually costs in Illinois, all your options compared fairly — including the one where your bank does it for free.
The two prices, separated
1 · The notarial fee
State-capped. This is the official act — verifying you, witnessing the signature, applying the stamp. It's the same amount whether you drive to the notary or they drive to you.
2 · The travel / convenience fee
No statutory cap on travel/convenience fees, but 5 ILCS 312/3-104 requires notaries to provide itemized receipts on which the notarial fee appears 'separate and distinct from any other charges assessed' — so a travel fee is permissible only if itemized separately from the $5/$25 notarial fee. Failure to keep such fee records creates a presumption of wrongdoing in complaint proceedings. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.
Your options, compared honestly
Illinois specifics
Fee schedule: Illinois caps a notary's fee at $5 for any non-electronic notarial act (acknowledgment, jurat, oath, and copy certification all fall under the single $5 cap), while electronic and remote online notarial acts are capped at $25 per act under 5 ILCS 312/3-104.
Travel fees: No statutory cap on travel/convenience fees, but 5 ILCS 312/3-104 requires notaries to provide itemized receipts on which the notarial fee appears 'separate and distinct from any other charges assessed' — so a travel fee is permissible only if itemized separately from the $5/$25 notarial fee. Failure to keep such fee records creates a presumption of wrongdoing in complaint proceedings.
Itemized-receipt rule: the notarial fee must appear on a receipt 'separate and distinct from any other charges assessed' (e.g., travel or copy fees), and notaries must keep fee records — failure creates a presumption of wrongdoing in a complaint proceeding.
The $5 cap applies per notarial act regardless of act type (acknowledgment, jurat, oath/affirmation, copy certification) — there is no higher first-signature-vs-additional schedule.
Electronic notarial acts (including RON) are capped at $25 per act, and require a separate electronic notary commission plus a $30,000 bond.
Mandatory notary journal since June 5, 2023: every notarial act must be logged (date/time, act type, document description, signer name and signature, ID method, and fee charged); paper or electronic.
Immigration-related notary services carry their own separate capped fee schedule (roughly $3–$75 by service type) and heightened consumer-protection rules; notaries may not charge for homeless-status certification forms.
Remote online notarization: RON · Live in-state — RON is authorized AND operational in Illinois. A notary must hold an electronic notary public commission, register the technology/vendor with the Secretary of State (only SOS-approved providers may be used), and carry a $30,000 bond. As of the check, SOS-approved platforms include BlueNotary, Clear Sign, DocVerify, eNotaryLog, Pavaso, and SIGNiX. Electronic/remote notarial acts are capped at $25 per act. Legal basis: 5 ILCS 312 Article VI (Notarial Acts and Forms) and Article VI-A (Electronic Notarial Acts and Forms), with remote acts under Section 6-102; provisions became operational when the SOS adopted its administrative rules effective June 5, 2023, with full modernized-Act implementation January 1, 2024. Interstate recognition: Illinois follows a RULONA-style framework and recognizes notarial acts validly performed under the authority of other U.S. states; Illinois RON notaries may serve signers located outside Illinois.
Official source: Illinois General Assembly — Illinois Notary Public Act, 5 ILCS 312/3-104 (official state statute; administered by the Illinois Secretary of State) →Before you pay
- Ask to confirm the notary's commission is current (a mobile notary should be happy to show it).
- Get the total quoted upfront and itemized — the $5 per notarial act notarial fee separate from any travel/convenience fee.
- Ask for a receipt.
- For online/remote notarization, confirm the party receiving your document accepts it.
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Figures on this page are sourced to Illinois General Assembly — Illinois Notary Public Act, 5 ILCS 312/3-104 (official state statute; administered by the Illinois Secretary of State) (5 ILCS 312/3-104), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.