How to set your own signing fee

Your minimum signing fee is your costs for the order plus your target hourly rate times the hours the order takes. Costs are printing, mileage, shipping and anything else you pay. Hours include prep, driving, the appointment, scanbacks and drop-off. Any offer at or above that figure meets your target.

Signing fees are different. State statutes cap fees for notarial acts. The fee a signing company or title company pays you for handling a loan package is negotiated between you and that company, order by order. We don't publish “standard” or “average” signing fees; work out your own with the calculator.

Step 1: List your costs for one order

• Printing: pages × sets you print × your cost per page.
• Mileage: round-trip miles × your cost per mile (your own vehicle cost, or the IRS standard rate for the year if you use it).
• Shipping or drop-off: courier labels you pay for, parking, tolls.
• Other: anything else the order costs you.

Step 2: Count every minute

Confirming and printing, driving both ways, time at the table, scanbacks and paperwork, and the drop-off trip. Agents often count only the appointment; the rest is still your time.

Step 3: Pick a target hourly rate

This is your number, based on your expenses, taxes and what your time is worth to you. Nobody else can set it for you, and fee-setting among competing agents raises antitrust concerns (NNA).

Step 4: Calculate your floor

Minimum fee = total costs + (target hourly rate × total hours)

Hypothetical example, for the arithmetic only (not a typical or recommended fee): $36 of costs, 170 minutes (2.83 hours), $40/hour target → $36 + $40 × (170 ÷ 60) = $149.33.

Step 5: Compare, counter or pass

If the offer is below your floor, you can counter with a short factual note (the calculator writes one for you) or decline. If it's above, accept and log the invoice the same day (invoice template).

Common questions

Should I charge the same fee for every order?

Orders differ in pages, distance and time, so the same fee pays very different hourly rates. Running each order through the formula shows the difference.

Does travel go into the signing fee?

For loan signings, travel is usually part of what you negotiate. Some states also regulate separate travel fees for notarial acts; see travel fees by state.

Sources

• National Notary Association, The truth about Notary Signing Agent fee discussions — checked Oct 28, 2026

This page is general information for notaries, not legal or tax advice. Laws change; check the linked statute or your state's commissioning office before relying on a figure.

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