AR Notary AR-Notary Notary Public Fees and Charges 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Arkansas law, what is the maximum fee a notary public may charge for performing a standard notarial act?
- $5.00 (Correct answer)
- $10.00
- $2.00
- $15.00
Correct answer: $5.00
Arkansas Code § 21-6-309 caps the fee for a notarial act at $5.00.
Question 2: A client asks an Arkansas notary to notarize four separate signatures on four separate documents. What is the maximum the notary may charge?
- $20.00, because each notarial act may be charged separately (Correct answer)
- $5.00 total, regardless of the number of documents
- $10.00, a flat limit per client visit
- Whatever amount the client agrees to pay
Correct answer: $20.00, because each notarial act may be charged separately
The statutory cap applies per notarial act, so four acts may each be charged up to $5.00.
Question 3: Is an Arkansas notary public required to charge a fee for performing a notarization?
- No, charging a fee is optional and the notary may perform acts for free (Correct answer)
- Yes, the statutory fee must always be collected
- Yes, but only for acknowledgments
- No, notaries are prohibited from charging any fees
Correct answer: No, charging a fee is optional and the notary may perform acts for free
Arkansas notaries may charge up to the statutory maximum but are never required to charge anything.
Question 4: An Arkansas notary knowingly charges $12.00 for a single acknowledgment. What is the most likely consequence?
- Disciplinary action by the Secretary of State, including possible commission revocation (Correct answer)
- Nothing, because fee limits are only suggestions
- Automatic felony prosecution
- A mandatory increase in the notary's bond amount
Correct answer: Disciplinary action by the Secretary of State, including possible commission revocation
Charging more than the statutory maximum is official misconduct that can lead to suspension or revocation of the commission.
Question 5: Which of the following is TRUE about travel fees for Arkansas notaries?
- Travel charges are not set by the fee statute, so any travel fee should be agreed upon with the client in advance (Correct answer)
- Travel fees are capped at $5.00 by statute
- Notaries may never charge for travel
- Travel fees must be paid to the Secretary of State
Correct answer: Travel charges are not set by the fee statute, so any travel fee should be agreed upon with the client in advance
Arkansas statute caps only the notarial act fee, so separate travel charges should be disclosed and agreed to beforehand.
Question 6: A signer disputes a fee after the notarization is complete, claiming she was never told about it. What best practice would have prevented this?
- Disclosing all fees, including any travel charge, before performing the notarization (Correct answer)
- Collecting payment only in cash
- Charging the fee only after the signer leaves
- Adding the fee to the notarial certificate wording
Correct answer: Disclosing all fees, including any travel charge, before performing the notarization
Disclosing fees up front prevents disputes and protects the notary from misconduct complaints.
Question 7: An Arkansas notary employed by a bank notarizes documents for customers during work hours. Who may keep the fees collected?
- The employer may keep the fees if the notary and employer have agreed to that arrangement (Correct answer)
- The fees always belong to the notary personally, and no agreement can change that
- The fees must be sent to the county clerk
- The fees must be split equally with the Secretary of State
Correct answer: The employer may keep the fees if the notary and employer have agreed to that arrangement
Fee ownership between an employee-notary and employer is a matter of their employment agreement.
AR Notary AR-Notary Notary Public Fees and Charges 2
Under Arkansas law, what is the maximum fee a notary public may charge for performing a standard notarial act?