Professional Notary Public Services in New York
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Mobile and Online Notary Services
Professional notary services throughout the Empire State Our certified notaries provide same-day mobile notary services and secure online notarization throughout New York.
About Notary Services in New York
How New York commissions and trains its notaries
New York runs one of the country's largest notary corps, and the rules sit in NY Executive Law Article 6 (§§ 130 through 142-a). The Secretary of State commissions notaries for a four-year term under § 130. There is no surety bond. Applicants must be at least 18 and either a resident of New York or have an office or place of business in the state. That place-of-business pathway lets a New Jersey or Connecticut commuter working in Midtown qualify on the same footing as a Brooklyn resident. New York does not mandate a training course for traditional notaries. The knowledge gate is a written exam: 40 multiple-choice questions, one-hour limit, 70% to pass, $15 fee, administered by the Department of State Division of Licensing Services. NY-admitted attorneys in good standing are exempt from the exam under § 130, as are court clerks of the Unified Court System who reached their position through a civil service promotional examination. Notaries who want to perform remote acts file a separate Electronic Notary Public registration with the Department of State under the 2022 Electronic Notary Public Act (Chapter 104 of the Laws of 2022, codified at NY Exec. Law § 135-c). A New York notary is also expressly forbidden from giving legal advice or drafting legal papers, a rule the Department of State enforces seriously given the unlicensed document preparer market in parts of the city.
Where notaries work in New York
New York's notary demand has more shapes than almost any other state. Manhattan finance and law concentrate the heaviest signing volume: corporate authorizations, fund formation paperwork, M&A signature pages, Section 16 filings, and private placement subscription docs flow through Midtown and FiDi every business day. The UN and consular corridor in Turtle Bay drives a steady international document pipeline (translations, vital records bound for apostille, foreign-court affidavits) tied to clients in LATAM, the EU, MENA, and East Asia. NYC residential real estate splits roughly half-and-half between condominium and cooperative ownership, which adds the co-op proprietary lease assignment and the co-op board package to the document mix in a way no other US market replicates. Westchester, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley carry high-net-worth estate planning year-round, with the Hamptons running a sharp summer spike in trust restatements and family-compound transfers. Upstate, Buffalo and Rochester sit on cross-border commercial flow with Ontario. Syracuse and Albany handle state-government and university work. The Hudson Valley wine, conservation, and small-farm sector runs its own steady book of easements, leases, and succession documents.
Remote online notarization in New York
Remote online notarization in New York runs under NY Exec. Law § 135-c, added by Chapter 104 of the Laws of 2022 (S.7780 of 2021, signed by Governor Hochul on February 24, 2022). The full statutory framework went operational January 31, 2023, with implementing regulations at 19 NYCRR Part 182 effective January 25, 2023. New York adopted RON several years after Virginia (2012), Texas (2018), and Florida (2019), and the program is now mature enough for routine use. A New York notary who wants to perform RON files a separate Electronic Notary Public registration with the Department of State under § 135-c(3) and uses an audio-video communication platform that meets the regulatory standards in 19 NYCRR §§ 182.5 through 182.7. The notary retains the audio-video recording plus the notarial record for at least ten years (§ 135-c(2)(b), 19 NYCRR § 182.9(b)). She must be physically located in New York at the time of the act, but the signer can be located outside the state and, in narrow cases involving US-jurisdiction matters or US-located property, outside the country. Electronic notarial acts are capped at $25 each by regulation under 19 NYCRR § 182.11, inclusive of the notary's costs.
What notaries can charge in New York
The fee schedule in NY Exec. Law § 136 is among the cleanest and tightest in the country. Two dollars for an oath or affirmation and certificate. Two dollars per person for an acknowledgment or proof of execution, plus two dollars for each additional signer and two dollars for each witness sworn. The $2 cap on traditional acts is the lowest of any large state, well below California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Electronic notarial acts under § 135-c carry a higher cap of $25 per act, set by regulation at 19 NYCRR § 182.11 and inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary. New York notaries do not have general statutory authority to certify copies of vital records, public records, or other government-issued documents. Birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses come from the issuing agency, not from a notary. Travel and after-hours convenience fees are not capped by Article 6 but must be agreed to in writing before the notary heads to the appointment.
What this page covers
This page covers what New York requires of its notaries, what you will actually pay, the documents NY notaries can and cannot handle, and the questions New York signers ask before booking. The directory below covers Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, White Plains, Garden City, and Albany. Filter by city, borough, ZIP, capability, and same-day availability to find a New York notary near you.
Notary Services in New York
State Regulations
New York requires notaries to be commissioned by the Secretary of State with no surety bond requirement.
Average Pricing
Notary services in New York typically range from $25-$75 for a typical mobile appointment including travel.
Service Features
- Mobile notary services available
- Financial district specialists
- Real estate transaction services
- International document services
- Multi-language capabilities
New York Notary Requirements
Statutory requirements for becoming and operating as a notary public in New York.
Commission Term
4 years
Renewal required before expiration. Recommissioning application opens up to 10 weeks before the term ends.
Surety Bond
Not required
New York does not require a surety bond to obtain a notary commission.
Training & Exam
Required
New York does not require a statutorily mandated training course for traditional notary applicants. The state-administered written examination serves as the knowledge gate. Electronic notaries (those registered to perform remote notarial acts under NY Exec. Law § 135-c) must separately register the capability with the Department of State and meet the technology and recordkeeping standards in 19 NYCRR Part 182. A 40-question multiple-choice examination administered by the Department of State, with a one-hour time limit and a 70% passing score. Examination fee is $15. NY-admitted attorneys in good standing are exempt from the exam under NY Exec. Law § 130, as are court clerks of the Unified Court System who were appointed after a civil service promotional examination in the court clerk series.
Minimum Age
18+
Residency
Resident or in-state work / business
Out-of-state applicants may qualify if they have a regular place of work or business in New York.
Remote Online Notarization
Legal since 2023
Senate Bill S7780 of 2021, signed by Governor Hochul on February 24, 2022 and codified as Chapter 104 of the Laws of 2022, added NY Exec. Law § 135-c (Electronic Notarization). Implementing regulations at 19 NYCRR Part 182 took effect January 25, 2023, with the statutory effective date for full RON activity set as January 31, 2023. A NY notary must hold an active commission and separately register the capability to perform electronic notarial acts with the Department of State (§ 135-c(3)). The notary must be physically located in New York at the time of the act. Audio-video conference recordings and the notary's records must be retained for at least 10 years under § 135-c(2)(b) and 19 NYCRR § 182.9(b). Remote ink notarization (RIN) under § 135-c is a separate authorized variant alongside fully electronic notarization.
Source: New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, Notary Public Unit. Last verified 2026-05-14.
New York Notary Fee Schedule
Statutory maximum fees for notarial acts performed in New York.
| Notarial Act | Maximum Fee |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgment, verification, or proof (paper) | $2.00 per signature |
| Jurat (paper) | $2.00 per signature |
| Oath or affirmation (no signature) | $2.00 per person |
NY Exec. Law § 136 caps the fee at $2 for administering an oath or affirmation and certifying the same. The same statute caps acknowledgments and proofs of execution at $2 per person, with $2 for each additional person and $2 for swearing each witness. The $2 cap is among the lowest in the country. Electronic notarial acts performed under § 135-c carry a separate fee of $25 per electronic notarial act, set by regulation at 19 NYCRR § 182.11 and inclusive of all costs incurred by the notary. New York notaries do not have general statutory authority to certify copies of public or vital records: birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and similar records must be obtained from the issuing government agency. Travel and after-hours convenience fees are not capped by Article 6 but must be agreed to in writing before the notary travels.
Statutory maximums set by New York. Travel and convenience fees may apply for mobile services and are negotiated separately between the notary and the signer.
Documents Commonly Notarized in New York
The document types that drive most New York notary appointments, with practical notes on what to expect.
New York Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney
The New York Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney under N.Y. General Obligations Law § 5-1501 through § 5-1514 was substantively reformed in 2021 (effective June 13, 2021). The principal's signature must be acknowledged before a notary public in the same form required for the conveyance of real property, and the agent's later acceptance signature must also be notarized when executed. The reformed law also requires two qualifying witnesses, one of whom can be the notary. Bring the form unsigned, a current government-issued photo ID, and the second witness if the notary is not double-counting.
Healthcare Proxies and Living Wills
New York's Health Care Proxy under N.Y. Public Health Law Article 29-C, § 2981 requires the principal's signature in the presence of two adult witnesses (the agent and alternate cannot serve as witnesses). Notarization is not required by statute, but many hospitals and care facilities request a notarized signature for cleaner downstream acceptance. New York has no single statutory living will form, which makes the executed document's signing formalities especially important. Many estate planning clients in Manhattan, Westchester, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley have a notary present for the proxy, the living will, and any related MOLST or surrogate documentation in one appointment.
Revocable Living Trusts and Trust Amendments
Revocable trust volume in New York runs heavy across Manhattan, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties, the Hudson Valley, and the Hamptons. The trust instrument, any restatement, and any later amendment all need the trustor’s notarized signature. Many signers handle the funding deed (a bargain-and-sale or quitclaim deed transferring co-op shares, condo units, or upstate real property into the trust) at the same appointment as the trust signing itself.
New York Real Estate Deeds and NYC Transfer Tax Documents
New York real estate gets conveyed by bargain-and-sale deed, quitclaim deed, or warranty deed depending on the transaction. Each must be notarized to be recordable in the county clerk's office, or the City Register in the five boroughs. NYC closings carry a heavier document load than most US markets because state and city transfer taxes are filed separately. The RP-5217NYC equalization form, the New York State TP-584 (Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return), and the NYC RPT (Real Property Transfer Tax Return) all sit alongside the deed itself. Notarization touches multiple parts of that stack.
Co-op Proprietary Lease Assignments and Board Packages
Roughly half of NYC residential ownership is cooperative rather than fee-simple. A co-op sale moves through a proprietary lease assignment and a stock power transferring the underlying shares, both of which require notarized signatures, plus a board package that often includes notarized financial affidavits, employment-verification statements, and reference letters. Co-op recognition agreements between the borrower, the lender, and the corporation are also notarized. Brooklyn Heights, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Park Slope, and Forest Hills generate the heaviest co-op signing volume.
Condo Offering Plans and Sponsor Closing Documents
NYC condo transactions, especially in Manhattan, Long Island City, Williamsburg, and DUMBO new construction, generate their own notarized document set. Sponsor closing documents, condo board waivers of right of first refusal, and unit deed transfers all run through a notary. Bulk-sale and sponsor-unit transactions add notarized affidavits about offering plan compliance, often executed under tight timing tied to filing windows with the New York Attorney General’s Real Estate Finance Bureau.
Documents Bound for Apostille
The New York Department of State runs apostille services from both New York City and Albany. Volume is heavy. Corporate authorizations and powers of attorney move to LATAM, EU, MENA, and East Asia destinations. Foreign adoption documents head to Buenos Aires or Bogotá. University credentials follow alumni to overseas employers. Consular filings tied to dual citizenship in Italy, Ireland, or Israel run through the same pipeline. The notarization on the underlying document comes first. The Department of State then certifies that the notary's signature is authentic.
UCC-1 Financing Statements and Article 9 Security Documents
Commercial lending volume out of NYC, downstate small business activity, and upstate manufacturing all generate steady UCC-1 and security agreement signings. While the Article 9 financing statement itself does not require notarization to be filed, the related security agreement, personal guaranty, and continuing guaranty are typically notarized. SBA-backed loans, asset-based credit lines, and equipment financings run through Article 9 documentation that mobile notaries handle in offices, warehouses, and after-hours kitchen tables across the five boroughs and Long Island.
Loan Signing Packages
Mortgage refinances, HELOCs, jumbo mortgages (common in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Westchester), reverse mortgages, loan modifications, and short-sale packages make up steady New York signing-agent work. The directory has notaries with active loan-signing experience across the five boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk counties, Westchester, Rockland, Erie, and Monroe counties, plus full-time mobile notaries who run packages in the Hudson Valley, the Capital Region, the Southern Tier, and the North Country.
Wills, Codicils, and Self-Proving Affidavits
New York wills under N.Y. EPTL 3-2.1 require the testator's signature and two attesting witnesses. The will itself does not require notarization, but the self-proving affidavit signed by the witnesses (and often by the testator) is notarized so that the will can be admitted to probate without compelling the witnesses to appear later. Mobile notaries handle a steady stream of self-proving affidavits at law offices, hospital bedsides, assisted-living facilities, and home appointments across the state.
How to Find a Notary in New York
Finding a notary in New York comes down to two things: what you're signing and how soon you need it. For most NY signers in 2026, the answer is a mobile notary at your location, booked through this directory. New York also runs a remote online notarization program, operational since January 31, 2023, and that path is the right call for a wide range of signings. A few specific cases route differently. Most don't apply to most signers.
Mobile notaries are the workhorse of the New York directory. Book one and they come to you: your loft in Tribeca, your office in Midtown, your kitchen table in Bay Ridge or Forest Hills, a hospital room at NewYork-Presbyterian, a hotel lobby in FiDi, a marina slip on the North Shore. NY mobile notaries on this directory work evenings, early mornings, weekends, and holidays. Tribeca estate planning client signing a revocable trust amendment at her loft Tuesday evening before a Wednesday partners' meeting? Same-day booking. Brooklyn Heights co-op seller signing a proprietary lease assignment and the notarized pieces of her board package the night before her closing? Common ask. Astoria small business owner signing UCC-1 financing statements and personal guaranties for an SBA loan on a Saturday morning? Book it the same day. White Plains commuter signing healthcare proxies for both elderly parents during her lunch hour at her office? Routine. Hudson Valley winery owner signing a conservation easement deed at the property the afternoon before harvest weekend? Same answer. Filter the directory by city, borough, and capability to find one near you.
Remote online notarization is the other path, and it works well now. Sign from anywhere with a phone or laptop, evenings and weekends, often same-day for time-sensitive transactions. New York's RON program runs under NY Exec. Law § 135-c, added by Chapter 104 of the Laws of 2022, and has been fully operational since January 31, 2023. The state was a deliberate late mover here (a decade behind Virginia and several years behind Texas and Florida), but the platforms and the registered notary pool have matured into routine availability for most asks. To perform RON, the notary holds an active New York commission and a separate Electronic Notary Public registration with the Department of State under § 135-c(3). The notary uses an approved audio-video platform, retains the audio-video recording for at least ten years under § 135-c(2)(b), and is capped at $25 per electronic act under 19 NYCRR § 182.11, separate from any platform fee the technology provider charges. Filter the directory to the RON view to see online-capable New York notaries.
Real estate is the special case worth calling out. For a New York purchase closing routed through a title company and closing counsel, those parties will usually arrange the notary at the closing table. New York is an attorney-closing state for most downstate residential transactions, and that pattern holds across the five boroughs and the lower Hudson suburbs. Everything else around New York real estate, you source. Refinances where the borrower picks the notary instead of the lender's vendor. FSBO closings outside NYC. Co-op proprietary lease assignments, recognition agreements, and the notarized pieces of the standard NYC co-op board package. Condo sponsor closing documents and condo board waivers in Manhattan, Long Island City, and Williamsburg new-construction deals. NYC RPT and NY State TP-584 transfer tax forms when the parties want a notary to walk through the affidavit pieces. Jumbo refis in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and lower Westchester where the borrower picks the closer. Vacant land deeds upstate and in the Hudson Valley. Hamptons estate-planning packages signed at the family's summer house in East Hampton or Southampton. Hudson Valley conservation easement deeds tied to the wine and small-farm corridor. The directory has notaries with active loan-signing experience across the five boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Erie, and Monroe counties, plus mobile notaries who run packages routinely outside the major metros.
One last option to mention. Some New York institutions provide in-branch notary as an account-holder courtesy. That works when you have a single-page document, are an account holder in good standing at a branch close enough to actually visit, can wait until banking hours, and the branch happens to have a commissioned notary on staff that day. Outside that narrow stack of conditions (multi-document signings, after-hours, anyone who cannot easily get to a branch, anything mobile, anything time-sensitive, anything online), the directory is the right tool.
New York notaries on this directory are commissioned by the New York Department of State under NY Exec. Law § 130 and capped at $2 per traditional act under § 136. Electronic acts under § 135-c run at $25 per act under 19 NYCRR § 182.11. Every NY notary on the directory keeps records of every act for at least ten years under 19 NYCRR § 182.9. The directory is filterable by city, borough, ZIP, and capability. Most New York signings booked through the directory get done the same day.
New York Notary FAQs
Answers to the questions New York residents most often ask before booking a notary.
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