For anyone who may be interested in having an extra source of income or know of anyone who might want to persue it… becoming a Florida Notary can be a good choice. There are benefits from becoming a Florida notary, you can be your own boss, work on your own time and have additional income. For over 17 years I have provided this services through DCM Services Center and it has been a rewarding experience.
As a notary it’s critical for the person to know the importance of honesty and competence. And is the responsibility of the Notary to work independently and responsibly and always perform the duties with integrity. If a notary wants a higher income they will have to diversify their services. There fore they will have to learn the laws and research on the services they wish to provide.
The self criteria for a Florida Notary is as follows:
Be at least 18 years of age
Be a legal resident of Florida
Be able to read, write and understand English
Not have been convicted of a felony unless civil rights have been restored
Not hold any offiec of emolument under any foreign government, or civil office of emolument under the United States or any other state
The total investment to become a Florida Notary rages between 95-135 dollars and you renew your notary bond every 4 years. For new Florida notaries you have to first take a 3 hours course. This requirement may be satisfied by completing the course offered by the Florida Department of State. After completing the course, you will receive an individual certificate of completion which can be submitted with the application and then you get bonded and purchase insurance.
There are a lot of organizations who do all of these for you. My suggestion is that you take the course on the department of state site which offers the course at no cost then you apply with one of the bonding agencies who can provide the bond, insurance andsupplies. You can purchase the supplies such as your seal, notary book, and notary law book, from these organizations and cou can also purchase marriage and fingerprint kits which have all the details and things you need to provide the services.
Florida is one of only three states (the other two are South Carolina and Maine) who authorize their notaries public to “solemnize the rites of matrimony.” Some examples of what services you can provide are: You can perform civil ceremonies, be the witness in loan closing, take fingerprints , certify copies of original documents and certify translations. As a notary, we often notarize documents that contain acknowledgements, oaths or witnessing a signature.
If you don’t get error and omissions insurance you may be personally liable to pay damages as a result of unintentional negligence. If you work for someone else – Your employer’s insurance may not protect you. The insurance limits in legal defense cost depend on what you choose to purchase. I suggest getting informed and purchasing an insurance policy because we are all exempt from making mistakes and this is a good way to make sure that if there are any errors in a notary performed the notary is covered. So we have to constantly make good efforts in keeping up to date on new laws passes in our state that have to do with notarial acts. There have been cases in which notaries have been in trouble for certifying a document with out the signer present, using a seal when they are not commissioned, post dating or back dating documents etc..http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/case-sheds-light-on-notary-practices/article_26ec5756-568d-53f8-96fe-3f89d0774676.html
You can join organizations such as national notary association and Florida mobile notary association and participate in their events, you can also get certified as a signing agent and be recognized by the lenders and banks who need your services for loan closings. Becoming a notary is rewarding because an individual can earn some income, get recognition and make a career out of it.
