Notary Compliance in Pennsylvania

Notaries public commissioned in Pennsylvania must follow Pennsylvania state law. Core requirements: maintaining a $10,000 surety bond, holding a valid Pennsylvania notary commission (renewed every 4 years), 3-hour course required, and charging no more than the Pennsylvania fee schedule ($5 per notarial act). Pennsylvania also requires notaries to keep a sequential journal of every notarial act.

A compliant Pennsylvania mobile notary will present a state-issued commission certificate on request, carry their official seal, keep a valid $10,000 surety bond on file, and never charge more than the Pennsylvania statutory maximum ($5 per notarial act). Always confirm the commission expiration date before signing.

Pennsylvania notaries can perform acknowledgments (confirming a signer's identity and willingness), jurats (administering an oath that a document's contents are true), copy certifications, and — where the state has authorized it — remote online notarization (RON) through an approved platform.

No. Mobile notaries in Pennsylvania operate under the standard Pennsylvania notary public commission — there is no separate "mobile notary" license. Loan signing agents often add voluntary certification through the National Notary Association (NNA) or the Signing Professionals Workgroup (SPW), which title companies frequently request for mortgage signings.

Frequently notarized Pennsylvania documents include real estate deeds and mortgage packages, powers of attorney, affidavits and sworn statements, trust and estate paperwork, vehicle title transfers, and international documents needing an apostille. Loan signings for purchases and refinances make up a large share of mobile notary work across Pennsylvania.