Originally Posted by rdpeters40
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Ah, the notary thing, something else that I have wanted to do. Helps to make extra $$$ and to connect the service with your VA business. I'm sure a lot of leads can come thru this avenue.
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Dena,
They definitely do intertwine well. I really enjoy it. You just have to be willing to put out the investment...especially in California. If you haven't started the process yet, get in touch with me and I'll point you to the right providers and tell you how to get it done right. Do NOT go through the NNA... just don't.
For California notaries, you're looking at an initial outlay of upwards of $500 or more, depending on what you do. But... the work will easily pay for itself. You just have to remember that you'll pay that out every four years.
If you haven't lloked int to it much (and this is only for California) here's a brief overview of the process...which can take from 2-6 months and YOU pay for it all.
-Mandated education, can be online or in person
-application fee and state exam
-if you pass the exam, you go get fingerprinted for both CA DOJ and FBI background checks
-if you pass that, the state will issue your commission
-once you receive your commission, you have 30 days to post a $15,000 bond and take your oath with your county clerk (don't miss that deadline...else you have to start all over with the background check again)
-You have to order your seal, journal and other supplies
-you SHOULD buy E&O insurance to at least cover your bond... likely more. $25K is the minimum you should go I think... but $100K is probably best. E&O is not a requirement... but it's a really good idea.
-then you look for work...
-if you want to do loan signings, that's a whole different ball game and requires additional training or knowledge if you don't already have it
Because of the law changes in 2005, and the new FBI background checks in 2008, the number of Notaries in California is dropping like crazy. It's more complicated and expensive to be a notary, and a lot of employers are not willing to take on the cost or liability anymore. That's my I'm getting more calls lately... and the story is similar at a lot of these offices. They say, "So-and-so was our in-house notary, but his commission expired last month and our employer wouldn't pay to renew it," or "Our Notary's commission expired but she can't get a new one because she has a felony in another state and she failed the FBI check."
Failing teh FBI check is becoming VERY common. It used to be that if you have a criminal record in another state, but not in CA, you could be a notary. Not anymore...not since the State started requiring the Federal checks.
If you aren't in CA, the process might be much easier. In some areas, all you need to do to become a notary is prove that you're over 18 and breathing. Of course, those states also may not be very profitable to be a notary, either. California allows us to charge more... and rightfully so. It's a great deal of liability we take on, and people don't realize that. People complain that I charge them $10 "for a rubber stamp" - but it's so much more than that!
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