Terms & Conditions

By booking or accepting an appointment, you agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of this Mobile Notary Services Agreement set forth below.

1. Services

The Notary agrees to provide mobile notarization services as requested by the Client, which may include notarizing signatures, administering oaths, and certifying copies of documents ("Services"). The Notary will travel to a location designated by the Client within the service area described in Section 4.

2. Fees & Payment

2.1 Notarial Act — Definition

A "notarial act" is any official act performed by a California Notary Public. Each signature line requiring a notarial certificate counts as one notarial act. Common notarial acts in California include:

• Acknowledgment — The signer personally appears before the Notary and declares they signed the document voluntarily and for its stated purpose.
• Jurat — The signer personally appears, signs in the Notary's presence, and swears or affirms under oath that the contents of the document are true.
• Certified Copy of Power of Attorney — The Notary certifies that a copy of a Power of Attorney is a true and correct copy of the original.
• Copy Certification by Document Custodian — The custodian of a document personally appears, swears or affirms under oath that a copy is a true and accurate reproduction of the original document, and signs the affidavit in the Notary's presence. This act is used for documents that California law does not permit the Notary to certify directly. The Notary notarizes the custodian's signature on the affidavit — the Notary does not certify the underlying document.

The Client is responsible for knowing which notarial act their document requires. The Notary does not determine, advise on, or select the appropriate notarial act for any document. If you are unsure which act your document requires, please consult the document's issuing authority, preparer, or a licensed California attorney prior to your appointment.

2.2 Notarial Act Fee

The Notary charges a flat rate of $15.00 per notarial act, the maximum permitted under California Government Code § 8211. This rate applies uniformly to all notarial acts regardless of the number performed in a single appointment.

2.3 Travel Fee

The travel fee is determined by driving distance from Fremont City Hall (3300 Capitol Ave, Fremont, CA 94538), as follows:

• Up to 15 miles: $50.00 flat travel fee
• 15–25 miles: $65.00 flat travel fee
• 25 or more miles: $65.00 flat travel fee, plus additional mileage beyond 25 miles (one way) at the then-current IRS standard mileage rate (currently $0.725 per mile), which is subject to change annually
• Urgent or emergency appointments (less than 2 hours' notice): $100.00 flat travel fee in place of the standard distance-based rate, plus additional mileage beyond 25 miles (one way) at the IRS standard rate where applicable

2.4 Appointment Availability

The following schedule governs appointment availability. There are no additional time-of-day fees — the travel fee described in Section 2.3 is the same regardless of the day or time of the appointment, other than the urgent/emergency rate described above.

2.5 Payment

Payment in full is due at the time services are rendered. Accepted forms of payment: Cash, Venmo, Zelle, Apple Cash, PayPal, or Debit/Credit card (subject to an additional $1.50 fee).

2.6 Returned / Failed Payments

A fee of $35.00 will be charged for any failed or reversed digital payments.

3. Cancellation, Rescheduling & Waiting Time

3.1 Client Cancellation: The Client may cancel or reschedule an appointment with at least 24 hours' notice at no charge. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice will be subject to a flat $35.00 cancellation fee.

3.2 Notary Cancellation: The Notary will provide as much advance notice as possible in the event of a necessary cancellation and will make reasonable efforts to reschedule at a mutually convenient time.

3.3 Waiting Time: If all signers are not present and ready at the scheduled appointment time, the Notary will attempt to contact the Client by both phone call and text message at the 10-minute and 15-minute marks past the scheduled time, with the time of each attempt documented. Following a 5-minute grace period after the 15-minute contact attempt, if the appointment still cannot commence, the appointment will be treated as a no-show. The Notary is not obligated to wait beyond 20 minutes past the scheduled appointment time.

3.4 No-Show: If the Client is not present and ready at the designated location within the waiting time described in Section 3.3, a flat $35.00 no-show fee will be charged, and the appointment may be rescheduled at the Client's request.

4. Service Area

The Notary provides mobile services within a 25-mile driving radius of Fremont City Hall (3300 Capitol Ave, Fremont, CA 94538), which includes both the standard service area (up to 15 miles) and the extended service area (15–25 miles) described in Section 2.3. Travel requests beyond 25 miles are subject to availability and the additional mileage fee described in Section 2.3.

5. Identity Verification Requirements

All signers must present satisfactory evidence of identity as required under California Civil Code § 1185. Acceptable forms of identification include, but are not limited to:

• A California driver's license or identification card issued by the DMV
• A United States passport or passport card
• A foreign passport
• A U.S. military identification card
• A valid consular identification document
• A tribal identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government
• Any other form of identification constituting satisfactory evidence of identity as defined under California Civil Code § 1185

All identification must be current or have been issued within the past five years. Temporary licenses and temporary identification cards are not acceptable under any circumstances. If a signer cannot produce acceptable identification, the notarial act cannot be performed and the applicable travel fee will remain due.

6. Notarial Journal & Record Keeping

The Notary is required by California law to maintain an official notarial journal of all notarial acts performed. The journal is the exclusive property of the Notary and is confidential. The Notary will record each notarial act in the journal as required under California Government Code § 8206. Clients may request a copy of a journal entry for a specific transaction; however, the Notary reserves the right to redact information pertaining to other parties or transactions as required by law.

For any Power of Attorney document, California law also requires the signer to place their right thumbprint in the Notary's journal (California Government Code § 8206(a)(2)(G)). If the right thumb is unavailable, the left thumb or another available finger will be used and noted in the journal.

7. Remote Online Notarization (RON)

This Agreement governs in-person mobile notarization services performed using traditional paper-based methods. Remote Online Notarization (RON) — in which the signer and Notary interact via audio-visual technology without being physically present together — is not currently available in California. The Notary does not perform RON services. Clients seeking remote notarization should be aware that no California-commissioned notary is currently authorized to perform RON under California law.

8. Parking & Access Fees

Parking fees, tolls, garage fees, gated community access fees, or similar costs of $10.00 or less are included in the travel fee and will not be separately charged to the Client. Where such fees are anticipated to exceed $10.00, the Notary will obtain the Client's pre-approval before incurring them. If the Client declines to approve fees exceeding $10.00, the Notary reserves the right to cancel the appointment, in which case the applicable travel fee will still apply.

9. Indemnification & Limitation of Liability

9.1 Indemnification

The Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Notary from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) the content, accuracy, or legal sufficiency of any document presented for notarization; (b) any misrepresentation made by the Client or any signer; or (c) any breach of this Agreement by the Client. This indemnification shall not apply to claims arising directly from the Notary's own gross negligence or willful misconduct.

9.2 Limitation of Liability

The Notary's role is ministerial in nature as defined under California law. The Notary does not provide legal advice, review documents for legal sufficiency, or verify the accuracy of document content. The Notary shall not be held liable for the content, validity, or enforceability of any document notarized. The Notary's total liability arising from any claim related to the Services shall not exceed the total fees paid by the Client for the specific appointment giving rise to the claim.

10. Client Responsibilities

10.1 The Client is responsible for ensuring all signers are present, possess valid government-issued photo identification, are of sound mind, and are signing willingly and without duress.

10.2 The Client must ensure all documents are complete and ready for signing prior to the appointment. The Notary will not notarize incomplete documents.

10.3 The Client is responsible for providing a suitable signing environment with adequate lighting, table space, and privacy.

11. Right to Refuse Service

The Notary reserves the right to refuse or discontinue services at any time if, in the Notary's professional judgment:

• A signer lacks valid, satisfactory identification as required under California law
• A signer appears to be acting under duress, undue influence, or lacks capacity to sign
• The document or transaction appears fraudulent, unlawful, or in violation of California notarial law
• The requested notarial act is one the Notary is prohibited from performing under California law

In such cases, the applicable travel fee remains due and payable.

12. Confidentiality

The Notary agrees to maintain the confidentiality of all documents and personal information encountered during the performance of Services, except as required by applicable law. For certain transactions, such as loan signings, the Notary may take photocopies or electronic scans of documents as required by the transaction. Such copies will be securely destroyed once no longer needed, in accordance with applicable law.

13. Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed from the Agreement if modification is not possible. The remaining provisions of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.

14. Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under this Agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Alameda County, California.

15. Entire Agreement

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior discussions, representations, or agreements. This Agreement may only be amended in writing signed by both parties.