Mobile notaries usually travel to a client's home or office to notarize a specific document or a set of documents and sometimes they charge additional travel fees.
Some notaries and clients are confused about the travel fees.
Are notaries allowed to charge travel fees?
If yes, how much they can charge?
In DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area, it varies.
1. In the District of Columbia and Virginia, the laws set the maximum amount notaries may charge to travel.
DC and Virginia do not set an actual fee, their laws only allow Notaries to charge the actual and reasonable expense of travel (CDC 1-1231.23[b], and COV 47.1-19[D]). For example, if a Notary in one of these jurisdictions spent $10 total on fuel or other travel expenses while traveling to a notarization, the Notary cannot charge the signer more than that amount for a travel fee.
2. In Maryland, it bases the travel fee on mileage rates set by federal agencies.
Unlike states that set their own fees, these mileage rates can change from year to year when the rate for travel increases or decreases. Notaries in Maryland should always confirm the current authorized mileage rate before charging a travel fee. Maryland indexes the travel fee to the Internal Revenue Service per mile rate for business travel plus an additional $5 (ACM St. Gov’t 18-107[b][1]) (COMAR 01.02.08.02D).
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