How much does a notary cost in Montana?
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 Montana, 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
Under 1-5-626(2), MCA, a fee charged for travel must be equal to or less than the standard mileage rates allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Travel is a separate charge from the per-act fee and must be agreed to by the requester in advance. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.
Your options, compared honestly
Montana specifics
Fee schedule: Montana caps notary fees at $10 for each notarial act (all act types alike); there is no statutory RON fee cap, but any electronic/remote-technology surcharge must be disclosed as not set by law and agreed to in advance, and travel fees may not exceed the IRS standard mileage rate.
Travel fees: Under 1-5-626(2), MCA, a fee charged for travel must be equal to or less than the standard mileage rates allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Travel is a separate charge from the per-act fee and must be agreed to by the requester in advance.
Fee-posting requirement: a notary who charges fees must display, in English, a list of the fees the notary will charge (1-5-626(4), MCA).
Single flat $10 cap covers every notarial act type — acknowledgments, jurats, signature witnessing, copy certification, etc. — with no per-act-type schedule and no first/additional-signature tiering.
Electronic and remote (RON/IPEN) surcharges are NOT set by statute: the notary must tell the requester the extra fee is not fixed by law, and the requester must agree to the amount in advance.
Travel fees are permitted but statutorily capped at the current IRS standard mileage rate — a signer can verify the mileage math against the published federal rate.
Charging a fee is optional; the $10 is a ceiling, not a required charge.
Remote online notarization: RON · Live in-state — Remote online notarization is authorized AND operational in Montana. Enacted by HB 370 (2019), effective October 1, 2019, and later revised; the notary must be physically located within Montana while the signer may be anywhere. RON, remote, and IPEN acts are performed via live two-way audiovisual communication using state-approved technology providers. No statutory per-act or per-session RON fee cap exists — the notary may charge an additional, mutually-agreed technology fee that is expressly 'not set by law' (1-5-626, MCA). Montana notarizations are valid across state lines under standard interstate recognition; the signer's location does not affect validity.
Official source: Montana Secretary of State — Notary & Certification Services (Notary Laws & Rules) →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 $10 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 Montana Secretary of State — Notary & Certification Services (Notary Laws & Rules) (1-5-626, MCA (Fees for notarial acts -- collection of fees)), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.