How much does a notary cost in Louisiana?
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 Louisiana, 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
Louisiana imposes no statutory notary fee schedule at all, so travel/mobile fees for notarial acts are neither capped nor subject to a mandated written-disclosure statute — they are negotiated between notary and client. Best practice (and what a signer should insist on) is agreeing the travel fee in advance. Narrow exception unrelated to travel: in motor-vehicle consumer-credit sales, La. R.S. 6:969.18 caps notary fees a seller/creditor may pass to the consumer at $15 in the aggregate per transaction. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.
Your options, compared honestly
Louisiana specifics
Fee schedule: Louisiana sets no statutory maximum notary fee — the notary sets the fee; confirm the amount in advance.
Travel fees: Louisiana imposes no statutory notary fee schedule at all, so travel/mobile fees for notarial acts are neither capped nor subject to a mandated written-disclosure statute — they are negotiated between notary and client. Best practice (and what a signer should insist on) is agreeing the travel fee in advance. Narrow exception unrelated to travel: in motor-vehicle consumer-credit sales, La. R.S. 6:969.18 caps notary fees a seller/creditor may pass to the consumer at $15 in the aggregate per transaction.
Louisiana notaries are civil-law notaries — they can draft legal instruments and must pass a rigorous state exam, a broader role than notaries in the other 49 states. The 'no statutory fee cap' is real, but a Louisiana notary is not equivalent to a notary elsewhere; fees reflect that expanded role.
No state-set fees: Louisiana is the rare state with NO maximum notarial fee — the notary quotes and negotiates their own price, so a signer should confirm the fee in writing before the appointment.
Louisiana notaries have quasi-attorney authority (they draft and pass authentic acts — sales, mortgages, wills, matrimonial agreements), so quoted fees for document work ($200–$2,500+) are far higher than a simple acknowledgment ($5–$15) and are not comparable to per-stamp fees in other states.
No statute mandates an itemized receipt or a posted fee schedule for notarial acts — there is no fee-posting requirement to rely on; ask for the fee up front.
RON carve-outs: testaments/codicils, trust instruments, donations inter vivos, and matrimonial agreements cannot be notarized remotely even though RON is otherwise live.
Motor-vehicle consumer-credit exception: La. R.S. 6:969.18 caps notary fees a seller/creditor may charge the consumer at $15 in the aggregate per transaction — a signer buying a vehicle on credit should not be charged more than $15 in notary fees for that deal.
Remote online notarization: RON · Live in-state — Remote Online Notarization is authorized AND operational. Permanently authorized by 2020 HB 274 (Act 254), with registration opening and the program becoming operational on February 1, 2022 (La. R.S. 35:621 et seq.; procedure at La. R.S. 35:627). The notary must be physically located in Louisiana while performing the act; the signer may be anywhere. Notaries pay a one-time $100 RON registration fee to the SOS (this is not a per-session charge to the signer, and no statute caps what the notary charges the signer per remote act). Certain instruments cannot be done by RON: testaments/codicils, trust instruments, donations inter vivos, and matrimonial agreements (and acknowledgments/modifications thereof). Interstate recognition: because a LA notary must be in-state, out-of-state signers are served remotely by LA-commissioned notaries; Louisiana generally gives effect to lawful notarizations performed in other states.
Official source: Louisiana Secretary of State — Notary & Certifications, Notary Frequently Asked Questions →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 No statutory cap 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 Louisiana Secretary of State — Notary & Certifications, Notary Frequently Asked Questions (No general statutory notary-fee section exists (confirmed by La. SOS Notary FAQ). Narrow fee cap: La. R.S. 6:969.18 (motor-vehicle consumer-credit; $15 aggregate per transaction). RON authorization/procedure: La. R.S. 35:621 et seq., specifically La. R.S. 35:627 (procedure for performing remote online notarization).), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.