How to Find a Notary

Co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD

Last Updated: February 11, 2023 References

Notaries public are state-certified individuals who witness and verify the signing of official documentation. Many documents, such as a mortgage agreements, bank transactions, or wills, must be notarized. Knowing how to find a notary in your area is essential if you plan to use or rely on any type of legal documentation.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Looking for Notaries at Common Locations

1
Check banking and financial institutions. One of the simplest ways to find a notary is to ask at your bank. Finding notaries during regular business hours at a bank is quite simple. Most banks do not charge fees for notary service if you are one of their customers. Even if you do not have a bank account or are not near your normal bank, you can typically use a notary service at a bank for a small fee.
- TD Bank and Wells Fargo are just two of the many banks that claim to have notaries on staff during most business hours.^{[1]
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2
Contact your local town hall, city hall, or county courthouse. Ask anyone in the office if he or she know of any notaries you can utilize. These local institutions will usually allow their notaries public to assist citizens. Some may charge a fee for this purpose.

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3
Try to find notaries at nearby printing and shipping businesses. Many of the biggest printing stores and shipping firms keep notaries on staff. Though FedEx recently stopped providing notary services, competitors such as UPS and Postal Annex continue to employ notaries at most locations on weekdays.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Locating a Notary When They Are Hard to Find

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Research your local notary options through online notary directories. There are a large number of notary directories that are now easily accessed online. You should be able to find a notary in most locations through these directories. Among the best are:
- notarypublicdirectory.com/
- notaryrotary.com^{[5]
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- asnnotary.org^{[6]
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  American Society of Notaries
  Non-profit organization providing education, training, and supplies to notaries in the United States.
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Find notaries on your college campus. If you are a student, you may have free access to a notary. Schools such as the University of South Florida and Texas A&M have free notary services available for their students.^{[7]
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Look for notaries on your military base. Some military bases have come to offer free notary services. This option is only available for military personnel (and occasionally their families). The majority of bases that currently list available notary services are either Air Force bases or joint Army and Air Force bases, though some naval installations also offer them.^{[8]
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Have the notary come to you. If you cannot find a notary near you, some will come to your address. They will charge substantially more than the typical nominal fee most notaries charge, but it may be worth considering if you do not have time to travel. Some of the notary directories listed above also allow you to search just for mobile notaries. If you are not in a rush, you may want to contact a few to determine their travel fees.^{[10]
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