Notary cost · South Carolina

How much does a notary cost in South Carolina?

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

$5
per notarial act (per signature) — that's the notarial stamp, capped by South Carolina. Getting a notary to you (the trip) is a separate, market-set charge. South Carolina caps a traditional notarial act at $5 per signature (or per person/certificate) under S.C. Code Ann. § 26-1-100, and caps in-person electronic notarizations at $10 per signature under § 26-2-70; the state has no remote online notarization (RON) law, so there is no RON session fee cap.

The two prices, separated

1 · The notarial fee

$5 per notarial act (per signature)

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

disclosure-required

South Carolina does not cap travel, mobile, or after-hours fees, but under § 26-1-100 such charges are separate from the statutory act fee and may be collected only if agreed upon in advance with the signer. The $5/$10 act cap covers the notarization itself only. It only applies when a notary comes to you — a bank or walk-in counter doesn't charge it.

Your options, compared honestly

OptionWhat you payWhen it's the right call
Bank / credit unionOften free for account holdersSimple 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 (per signature) + the store's own convenience feeYou're already out, no account at a bank, need it now. You travel to them.
Mobile notary$5 per notarial act (per signature) 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 · No in-state lawn/a in-stateNo in-state RON law — an out-of-state remote notary may still work if your document and receiving party accept it.

South Carolina specifics

Fee schedule: South Carolina caps a traditional notarial act at $5 per signature (or per person/certificate) under S.C. Code Ann. § 26-1-100, and caps in-person electronic notarizations at $10 per signature under § 26-2-70; the state has no remote online notarization (RON) law, so there is no RON session fee cap.

Travel fees: South Carolina does not cap travel, mobile, or after-hours fees, but under § 26-1-100 such charges are separate from the statutory act fee and may be collected only if agreed upon in advance with the signer. The $5/$10 act cap covers the notarization itself only.

Fees are statutory maximums, not mandatory — a notary may charge less or waive the fee entirely.

In-person electronic (IPEN) notarizations cost up to $10 per signature (§ 26-2-70), double the $5 traditional cap.

The act fee is charged per signature (acknowledgments, jurats, signature witnessing), per person (oaths/affirmations without signature), or per certificate (verification of fact) — three affidavits at one visit = $15.

Travel/mobile fees are unregulated in amount but are separate from the act fee and must be agreed in advance.

No RON: the electronic-notary law still requires the signer to physically appear before the notary; SC honors valid out-of-state RON.

Bill 3190 (2025-2026 session) would raise the traditional cap from $5 to $10 per act, but as of 2026 it remains pending in the House Committee on Ways and Means and is NOT law.

Remote online notarization: RON · No in-state law — South Carolina has NOT authorized remote online notarization (RON) by audio-video technology. Its only electronic-notarization law, the S.C. Electronic Notary Public Act (Title 26, Chapter 2; 2021 Act No. 85 (S.631), eff. May 18, 2021), authorizes in-person electronic notarization (IPEN) — § 26-2-50(A) still requires the principal to 'appear in person before the electronic notary public at the time of notarization.' Interstate recognition: an online notarization validly performed by a notary commissioned in a RON-enabled state is recognized and enforceable in South Carolina. ron_session_cents is null because no in-state RON fee is set; the applicable electronic-act cap for IPEN is $10 per signature (§ 26-2-70).

Official source: South Carolina Secretary of State →

Before you pay

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Notary costs in every state Compare all 50 states + how notary pricing actually works South Carolina 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 South Carolina Secretary of State (S.C. Code Ann. § 26-1-100 (fees for traditional notarial acts); § 26-2-70 (fees for electronic notarial acts)), verified 2026-07-14. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm specifics with the official authority.