Notary Public vs. Signing Agent: What's the Difference?

What a Notary Public Does

A notary public is a state-commissioned official authorized to perform a limited set of legal acts, primarily witnessing signatures, administering oaths, and certifying copies of certain documents. In California, becoming a notary public requires completing a six-hour state-approved education course, passing a written exam administered by the Secretary of State, passing a background check, and obtaining a surety bond. Once commissioned, a California notary can notarize virtually any type of document — from affidavits and powers of attorney to contracts and consent forms. However, being a notary public does not require any specialized knowledge of the documents being signed. The notary verifies identity and willingness, not the content of the document.

What a Loan Signing Agent Does

A loan signing agent — also called a notary signing agent — is a notary public who has received additional training specifically in mortgage and real estate closing documents. The signing agent's job is not just to notarize signatures but to guide borrowers through the entire loan document package, ensuring that every page is signed, initialed, and dated correctly. This is a critical distinction. A typical loan package contains 100 to 150 pages and includes documents like the closing disclosure, promissory note, deed of trust, and numerous compliance disclosures. If a single signature or date is missing, the package gets sent back to the title company for corrections, which can delay the closing by days. Signing agents are trained to prevent these errors.

Training and Certification

While any California notary public can legally notarize loan documents, most title companies and signing services require their signing agents to hold additional certification. The most widely recognized credential is the NNA (National Notary Association) Certified Notary Signing Agent designation. Earning this certification involves completing a specialized training course on loan documents and passing a rigorous exam that tests knowledge of the signing process, document identification, and error prevention. Some signing agents also carry certifications from the Loan Signing System or the Notary2Pro program. I hold my NNA certification and keep it current because it is effectively a requirement for working with reputable signing services and title companies in the Bay Area.

When You Need a General Notary Public

For most everyday notarization needs, a general notary public is perfectly sufficient. If you need a power of attorney notarized, an affidavit sworn, a consent form witnessed, or a copy certification completed, any commissioned notary can handle the job. General notarization is also what you need for documents headed to another country that require an apostille, estate planning documents like trusts and wills (though California does not require wills to be notarized, it can help), and various business or personal legal documents. If the document does not involve a mortgage or real estate loan closing, you most likely need a general notary, not a signing agent.

• ●Power of attorney documents
• ●Affidavits and sworn statements
• ●Medical and healthcare directives
• ●Travel consent forms for minors
• ●Business contracts and agreements
• ●Immigration and visa documents
• ●Vehicle title transfers

When You Need a Signing Agent

You need a signing agent specifically when you are closing on a real estate transaction that involves a mortgage loan. This includes purchases, refinances, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and reverse mortgages. The title company or escrow officer coordinating your closing will typically arrange for a signing agent, but in some cases you may need to find one yourself. If your lender or title company asks you to schedule a notary for your loan signing, make sure you book someone who is a trained signing agent, not just a general notary. The difference matters — a general notary unfamiliar with loan documents can slow down the signing, miss required initials, or fail to return the package correctly, all of which can delay your closing.

Cost Differences

General notarization tends to be less expensive than a loan signing appointment. For a mobile notary handling standard documents, you are typically looking at $15 per signature plus a travel fee of $25 to $75 — so roughly $50 to $100 for a typical appointment. Loan signing fees are higher because the appointment takes longer (usually 45 minutes to an hour), involves more documents, and requires specialized expertise. Signing agent fees typically range from $100 to $200 per appointment, depending on the complexity of the loan package and the location. In the Bay Area, $125 to $175 is a common range. The important thing to know is that for purchase and refinance transactions, the signing agent fee is usually paid by the lender or title company as part of the closing costs — meaning the borrower does not pay out of pocket.

Can One Person Be Both?

Absolutely, and in fact most mobile notaries who work in the real estate space hold both roles. I operate as both a general notary public and a certified loan signing agent. When a client needs a power of attorney notarized at their home in Berkeley, I function as a general mobile notary. When a title company assigns me a refinance closing in Palo Alto, I function as a signing agent. The commission is the same — it is the additional training, certification, and insurance that differentiate the signing agent work from general notary work. This dual capability is one of the advantages of working with a full-service mobile notary.