Can a notary charge more than $5 per notarial act in Minnesota?

For the notarial act itself, no — Minnesota caps it at $5 per notarial act. A mobile notary may add a separate travel/convenience fee, which is not the notarial fee and must be disclosed and agreed to in advance. Always ask for it itemized.

Will my bank notarize for free in Minnesota?

Often, yes — many banks and credit unions notarize documents free for their account holders during branch hours. Call ahead: not every branch has a notary on duty, and some won't handle every document type.

Notary cost · Minnesota

How much does a notary cost in Minnesota?

Q: What ID do I need to get something notarized in Minnesota?

A current, government-issued photo ID is the standard requirement; the exact list of acceptable IDs is set by Minnesota. Check Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17, notary fee schedule); notary program administered by the Minnesota Secretary of State before your appointment for the authoritative list.

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 Minnesota, all your options compared fairly — including the one where your bank does it for free.

per notarial act — that's the notarial stamp, capped by Minnesota. Getting a notary to you (the trip) is a separate, market-set charge. Minnesota caps most notarial acts (oaths, jurats/affidavits, common paperwork) at $5 each under Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17, and remote online notarization is authorized and operational with RON acts now subject to that same $5-per-act cap after the former $25 RON fee provision expired January 1, 2023.

The two prices, separated

1 · The notarial fee

$5 per notarial act

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

Not capped by Minnesota

Minnesota's fee statute (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17) sets only the per-act notarial fees and contains no travel-fee cap, mileage formula, or disclosure requirement; travel/convenience fees for mobile notary service are not addressed by statute and are negotiated between the notary and signer. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.

Your options, compared honestly

Option	What you pay	When it's the right call
Bank / credit union	Often free for account holders	Simple documents, during branch hours, when you can get there. Call first — not every branch has a notary.
Walk-in (UPS-type)	Up to $5 per notarial act + the store's own convenience fee	You're already out, no account at a bank, need it now. You travel to them.
Mobile notary	$5 per notarial act act fee + a travel fee (a base rate plus mileage, set by the notary)	Hospital, homebound, after-hours, real-estate or multi-signer signings — when the trip is worth paying for. Ask for the travel fee itemized upfront.
Online / RON RON · Live in-state	$5 per session	You can notarize by video without leaving home. Confirm the receiving party accepts a remote notarization.

Minnesota specifics

Fee schedule: Minnesota caps most notarial acts (oaths, jurats/affidavits, common paperwork) at $5 each under Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17, and remote online notarization is authorized and operational with RON acts now subject to that same $5-per-act cap after the former $25 RON fee provision expired January 1, 2023.

Travel fees: Minnesota's fee statute (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17) sets only the per-act notarial fees and contains no travel-fee cap, mileage formula, or disclosure requirement; travel/convenience fees for mobile notary service are not addressed by statute and are negotiated between the notary and signer.

The listed fees are statutory MAXIMUMS, not mandatory charges — a Minnesota notary may charge less or nothing.

Acknowledgments of deeds do NOT have a fixed dollar figure: clause (6) caps them at 'the legal fees allowed other officers for like services,' so the $5 headline does not literally govern deed acknowledgments.

Affidavits/unspecified papers (clause 4) and recording of instruments (clause 7) are charged '$5 per folio' — per folio, not per document — plus $1 per folio for copies; a multi-folio document can therefore exceed $5.

The old $25 RON fee cap (Minn. Stat. sec. 358.645, subd. 3(c)) expired January 1, 2023; remote acts now use the same $5-per-act sec. 357.17 schedule.

No statutory travel-fee regulation — mobile/travel fees are unregulated and negotiated with the signer.

A notary journal is not legally required in Minnesota but the Secretary of State strongly recommends keeping one.

Remote online notarization: RON · Live in-state — RON authorized and operational in Minnesota since January 1, 2019 under Minn. Stat. sec. 358.645; former $25 RON fee cap (subd. 3(c)) expired January 1, 2023, so RON acts now use the general $5-per-act sec. 357.17 schedule.

Official source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17, notary fee schedule); notary program administered by the Minnesota 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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Notary costs in every state Compare all 50 states + how notary pricing actually works Minnesota notary guide Curious what notaries here can charge — or thinking of becoming one? How online (remote) notarization works What RON is, where you can use it, and what your document must accept

Figures on this page are sourced to Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17, notary fee schedule); notary program administered by the Minnesota Secretary of State (Minn. Stat. sec. 357.17 (notary fees); RON: Minn. Stat. sec. 358.645), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.