The Mysterious Contents of a Traveling Notary’s Bag

The bag or briefcase carried to appointments by a brand new traveling notary is usually a lightweight and slim model. It contains very little--a few pens, a notarial stamp, notary journal, and a pocket for carrying documents. However, once notaries begin traveling and having experiences with signers, they learn to be ready to accommodate a multitude of situations. Soon, the traveling notary bag is bulging at the seems, a zipper breaks, or the thing won't shut at all! It must be upgraded to a larger size. As the miles click by and notary journals fill up with signatures from appointments, a notary's bag selection leans to something bigger and more capable of organizing gear. Some notaries eventually graduate to an elaborate...

May 2, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Notarization, Notary Business, Supplies, Traveling5 CommentsRead more...

Hospital Marketing Strategies for Mobile Notaries

On April 17, I found myself driving from home to a community hospital 150 miles away. I had to be there to help my 86-year-old mother stay near the bedside of the love of her life, a gentle and kind man named Warren who, at age 84, suffered a massive heart attack. For a couple of days, I fretted about Warren's health, the impact it was having on my mother, and about not being at home and able to work or write this article, and I had not decided on a topic before I left my house. However, on the third day, while prowling around the hospital campus, I could not stop thinking about ways to market notary services effectively...

April 24, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Marketing & Advertising, Notarization, Notary Business, Travelinghospital notary, notary advertising, notary marketing, traveling notary0 CommentsRead more...

Should You Become a Remote Online Notary?

Today's article should not be considered an endorsement of remote online notarization (RON) or an opposing viewpoint. It is a simple summary of what I have observed since gaining my “boots on the ground” perspective. I will describe how I got set up and some of the issues that must be overcome. Although, I am in Texas, other states’ notaries will undoubtedly have the same challenges that I had here. In fact, some states are using Texas online notary laws as a model and tweaking them to fit their needs. Others states have patterned theirs after the Revised Uniform Law on Notary Acts.

Nuts and Bolts of Typical RON Legislation

Below are the high points of remote notarization laws in layman...

April 18, 2019By Brenda StoneeNotary, Featured, New Laws, News, Notarial Law, Notarization, Notary BusinesseNotary, Remote Online Notarization, RON, webcam notary10 CommentsRead more...

Four Last Minute Tax Tips for Notary Business Owners

Greetings! There are only a few days left until April 15, 2019. Social media and forums are buzzing this week as frantic new notary business owners sort out their first tax seasons. Just like in previous years, legends and myths flourish about how to treat notary income on tax returns. The most dangerous statements go something like this: “Notary income isn’t taxable.” Hold on, friends! That’s not exactly true, and that's why we are talking about this today. The focus of today’s article is notary public income. This article is not meant to provide tax advice, but to help you identify resources to help move your tax return forward. If you have waited until the last minute to collect your tax information, you may have noticed that...

April 9, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Notary Businesstaxes0 CommentsRead more...

Avoiding Discriminatory Practices as a Notary Public

Hello, notary colleagues!

Do you wonder if by saying "No" to a notary request or an assignment scheduler, you are discriminating toward a client? That's what we'll talk about today. (Please bear in mind that neither I, nor Notary.net gives legal advice; this is for general discussion purposes only.)

What is discrimination?

In the context of being a notary public, the general principle is that no person shall be excluded from receiving notarial services because a notary is biased against a person who belongs to a protected class. To exclude someone from receiving notarial services because you don't like something about that person is probably discrimination if it relates to one of the protected classes listed in the next section. (On the...

March 27, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Notarization, Notary Businessdiscrimination5 CommentsRead more...

New to the Notary Business? A Simple Plan to Start You Off

Did you become a notary so that you could use your notary commission to develop a business? Are you having trouble sorting out all that you need to learn? If you are feeling overwhelmed and need to know where to start, this article is definitely for you! I know this is much longer than our usual articles, but I want to reach out to new notaries who are looking for a pathway to starting a notary business. I read your comments in the virtual notary hangouts and realize that one problem you are having is that you heard about this great opportunity, but have no clue where to start. I have observed: New notaries are spending far more than I ever...

March 19, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Notary Business, Training3 CommentsRead more...

Six Key Facts to Collect for your Notary Journal

Even if you aren’t required by law to maintain a notary journal, noting a few key facts about the documents you are asked to notarize may some day save a relationship with a favorite client or vindicate you if you are accused of wrongdoing as a notary public.

What facts should you collect for your notary record book?

If your state’s notarial laws require you to keep a record of your notarial acts in a notary journal, notary log, notary register or notary record book; you must collect the information that your state requires. However, you might want to add six mental prompts to your notary routine so that you know that you have identified clearly the act and the...

March 5, 2019By Brenda StoneNotarization, Notary Business, Notary Journal1 CommentRead more...

Rainbow of Colorful Notary Stamps and Ink

There's a notary myth that rolls around in forums and on social media from time to time about notary stamp ink color. It goes something like this: the majority of notaries believe that seal ink must be black. Many believe colors may be blue or black. The truth is that only one-fourth of the 50 states have laws that require notaries to select a certain color. All of the other states can choose from any color of ink that can be reproduced darkly on a copier or when scanned. Notaries who are not restricted to a certain color may select from blue, purple, red, blue, or green in addition to black or blue. If you are not sure what color you...

February 27, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, News, Notary Business, Notary Public, Notary Stamp, SuppliesInk colors, Notary Stamp0 CommentsRead more...

How to “Notarize” Copies – The Certified Copy Dilemma

Many new notaries have contacted me over the years to ask how to produce correctly "notarized copies" of important identification documents such as driver licenses, government-issued identification cards, foreign or U.S. passports. Let's first discuss what the term "notarized copy” actually means. The citizen is referring to the act of certifying a copy of an original document as being an exact copy of the original. Suppose a fictional notary named Tom Teller has been approached by a citizen requesting a notarized copy of a U.S. Passport. The citizen, another fictional character named Mrs. Lola Longmire, knows what she wants and she intends to have it her way: Lola Longmire expects Tom to make a copy of her ID and stamp the copy with...

February 20, 2019By Brenda StoneFeatured, Notary Business, Notary Public, Trainingcertified copies, certified copy, copy certification, document custodian7 CommentsRead more...

What does it mean to be a Notary?

A Notary Public is an important public official who helps with the authentication of documents.

It’s likely you’ve had an opportunity or situation that requires the services of a Notary Public. But, what if you want to become a Notary yourself? Here are a few advantages to becoming a Notary Public. If you would like more information on becoming a notary, please find your state here. We currently offer state-specific online notary training throughout most of the country. We have notary training available in 46 states and Washington D.C., including mandatory education states of California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

A Source of Income

While Notaries are appointed by their states and serve as public officials, they charge their clients directly...

June 5, 2017By Andy JohnsonNotary Business, Notary Publicadditional income, California notary, mandatory education states, notary training, online notary training0 CommentsRead more...

How To Become A Loan Signing Agent

What is a Loan Signing Agent?

Signing agents are notaries public, who usually have experience and/or training concerning the proper execution of loan documents and are hired as independent contractor by mortgage companies, escrow companies, title companies, and signing services to identify loan documents, obtain the necessary signatures, and in some cases deliver the documents to the borrower.

What Kind of Training Does a Loan Signing Agent Require?

Loan Signing Agent course

What Are the Benefits of Becoming A Loan Signing Agent?

Signing agents are notaries public, who usually have experience and/or training concerning the proper execution of loan documents and are hired by mortgage companies, escrow companies, title companies, and signing services to identify loan documents,...

March 2, 2017By Andy JohnsonLoan Signing Agent, Notary Business, Notary Public, Trainingloan signing agent, notary business, Notary Public, Training0 CommentsRead more...

Notary Bond vs Notary E&O Insurance

Notary Bonds and Errors and Omissions Insurance

What is the difference between a notary bond and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance?

A notary bond is a financial security document underwritten by a surety licensed in the state that requires it. Translated, the bond is there to protect the public in the event of financial damages caused due to improper notarization. A notary bond is not insurance for the notary. If you are forced to pay damages due to a notarization that you performed, the bonding company will pay up to the bond value amount, but the next thing the bonding company will do is come after you for the money. They are very efficient at collecting, which is why the...

February 15, 2017By Andy JohnsonBond, E & O, Insurance, Notarial Law, Notary Business, Notary Publice&o policy, insurance, notary bond, Notary Public0 CommentsRead more...