How much does a notary cost in Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts, 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
Massachusetts notary law (M.G.L. c. 222) and the Secretary of the Commonwealth do not cap or otherwise regulate travel/mobile-notary fees; because standard notarial-act fees themselves are uncapped, mobile notaries set travel charges by private agreement. No mileage formula or disclosure statute exists for notaries. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.
Your options, compared honestly
Massachusetts specifics
Fee schedule: Massachusetts sets no statutory maximum notary fee — the notary sets the fee; confirm the amount in advance.
Travel fees: Massachusetts notary law (M.G.L. c. 222) and the Secretary of the Commonwealth do not cap or otherwise regulate travel/mobile-notary fees; because standard notarial-act fees themselves are uncapped, mobile notaries set travel charges by private agreement. No mileage formula or disclosure statute exists for notaries.
No statutory maximum for standard notarial acts (acknowledgments, jurats, oaths/affirmations, copy certifications) — the notary sets the price, so a signer will see market rates rather than a state-fixed fee (commonly $5–$20 per signature in-office).
The only fees Massachusetts law caps are for protesting dishonored financial instruments under M.G.L. c. 262, § 41: $1 for a bill/draft/check/note of $500 or more (50 cents if under $500), 50 cents for recording the protest, 75 cents for noting non-acceptance or non-payment, and 25 cents per notice to liable parties — total not to exceed $2.00 ($500+), $1.50 (under $500), and noting costs capped at $1.25.
Statutory no-charge acts: a notary may charge no fee to notarize a signature on an absentee-ballot identification envelope or other voting materials, or on any application/claim by a U.S. military veteran for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance, or other veterans' benefit.
Commissioning is unusual: the notary is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Governor's Council; the $60 commission fee is collected by the Secretary of the Commonwealth only after approval, and the term is 7 years.
A journal/record book is recommended (Governor's Executive Order 455) rather than strictly mandated for all notaries by older statute — signers should not assume every Massachusetts notary keeps a formal journal, though best practice and the newer c. 222 framework encourage it.
RON is on the books but a MA notary legally cannot perform it yet — a signer seeking online notarization in-state will be turned away until the state's training and notification system launches.
Remote online notarization: — RON is authorized in statute (M.G.L. c. 222 remote-online-notarization provisions, enacted 2023, effective Jan 1, 2024) but is NOT yet operational: per the official Secretary of the Commonwealth RON page, the required training course and the notification form a Massachusetts notary must file before performing RON are still not available, so notaries cannot legally perform RON as of 2026-07-14. The law requires the notary to be physically located in Massachusetts and to identify a remotely-located individual by personal knowledge, credible-witness affirmation, or at least two identity-proofing processes; wills, codicils, and electoral-process records may not be notarized via communication technology. No RON per-session fee cap has been established (consistent with MA's general no-cap posture). Interstate recognition: Massachusetts accepts notarial acts (including RON) validly performed under other states' laws; MA-commissioned notaries simply cannot yet originate RON acts in-state until the training/notification framework launches."
Official source: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Commissions Section (Notary Public), William F. Galvin →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.
Need a notary to come to you in Massachusetts?
Smoothquill books vetted mobile notaries market-by-market. Leave your ZIP and we'll email you when your area opens.
No spam. Your ZIP tells us which market to open next.
Figures on this page are sourced to Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — Commissions Section (Notary Public), William F. Galvin (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 262, § 41 (notary protest fees — the only notarial fee cap in Massachusetts law; standard notarial acts under M.G.L. c. 222 have no statutory fee cap)), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.