We, the undersigned Florida Notaries and concerned citizens, formally request a legislative amendment to Florida Statute § 117.05(2)(a). The current law, which caps the fee for a notarial act at $10.00, has remained stagnant since 1992. A Statute that was originally designed to ensure fair compensation for a vital public service. In the 34 years since this limit was established, the value of that fee has been eroded by inflation, while the regulatory and operational costs of maintaining a notary commission have skyrocketed. 

To understand the current economic burden on Florida Notaries, we must look at the objective data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator, $10.00 in 1992 has the equivalent buying power of **$23.55** today.

Notaries now face significantly higher costs for mandatory education, transportation, professional infrastructure, surety bond premiums, Errors and Omissions insurance premiums, high-security seals, and the modern technology required for digital record-keeping, identity verification software, and encrypted data protection. By maintaining a fee structure from 1992, nearly 500,000 Florida notaries are operating at a 56% loss in real-world value.

Florida is increasingly an outlier as other states act to restore the economic viability of the notary office. The following legislative actions demonstrate a clear national trend toward adjusting fees to match modern operational costs.

• Rhode Island (§ 42-30.1-20.1): Effective January 1, 2024, increased the maximum fee from $5.00 to $25.00 per act. This was the first increase in 31 years (previously set in 1993).
• Washington State (WAC 308-30-220): Effective June 22, 2024, increased the maximum fee from $10.00 to $15.00. This was the first increase in 18 years (previously set in 2006).
• Texas (HB 255 & SB 693): Effective September 1, 2023, increased its maximum fee for acknowledgments and oaths from $6.00 to $10.00. This ended 28 years of stagnation (previously set in 1995). Crucially, the law now requires the Secretary of State to adjust these fees every five years based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), ensuring fees keep pace with inflation automatically. Furthermore, Senate Bill 693 (effective January 1, 2026) introduces mandatory education and increased record retention (10 years), justifying these higher professional fees.
• Colorado (SB23-153): Effective May 17, 2023, increased its maximum fee from $5.00 to $15.00 per document. This was the first increase in 24 years (previously set in 1999).
• Nevada (AB 72): Effective January 1, 2026, implemented a new Code of Professional Responsibility (AB 72). This follows a major fee modernization on July 1, 2021 (AB 245), which increased the maximum fee for a jurat from $5.00 to $15.00 and acknowledgments to $15.00. This 2021 update ended 22 years of stagnation (previously set in 1999) and included a provision to increase allowed travel fees to combat rising fuel and operational costs.
• Virginia (HB 986): Effective July 1, 2024, increased the maximum fee from $5.00 to $10.00. This was the first increase in 19 years (previously set in 2005).
• North Carolina (HB 776): Effective July 1, 2023, increased the maximum fee from $5.00 to $10.00 per signature. This modernization ended 18 years of stagnation (previously set in 2005). Most notably, the bill authorized a separate travel fee for the first time in state history, a direct legislative response to the rising fuel and vehicle maintenance costs faced by mobile notaries.
• Oregon (ORS 194.400): Effective February 18, 2021, updated the administrative fee schedule (previously set in 2013) to a $10.00 flat fee per act and explicitly protected a notary’s right to negotiate separate travel fees.
• New Hampshire (RSA 455:11): Effective February 6, 2022, adopted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, increasing the maximum fee from $5.00 to $10.00 per act. This was the first update in 19 years (previously set in 2003) and was designed to better align with the professional nature of the commission.
• California (AB 1597): Introduced January 16, 2026, to increase the maximum fee from $15.00 to $20.00. This follows a previous modernization (AB 2217) effective January 1, 2017, which raised the fee from $10.00 to $15.00. That 2017 change ended 24 years of stagnation (previously set in 1993). The current 2026 bill acknowledges that even the 2017 increase has been eroded by a 30% rise in the cost of living over the last nine years.
• Oklahoma (SB 1028): Effective January 1, 2026, increased the mandatory notary bond from $1,000 to $10,000 (the first adjustment in 135 years). A cost absorbed by notaries. This modernization of "costs" is a primary driver for notaries nationwide to seek corresponding fee increases.
• Pennsylvania (HB 25): Effective March 28, 2026, adopted comprehensive new regulations to fully implement the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA). This update increased the mandatory notary bond from $10,000 to $25,000—the first adjustment in 24 years (previously set in 2002). A cost absorbed by notaries. While the Department of State currently maintains a $5.00 fixed fee, the 2026 regulations formally recognize the significantly increased legal responsibility and "modernization of costs" required to protect the public in a high-fraud environment.
• South Carolina (H. 5140): On February 25, 2026, this bill passed the House and was referred to the Senate Committee on Family and Veterans' Services. If enacted, it will increase the maximum fee from $5.00 to $10.00. This follows a previous modernization (SB 356) that took effect in 2014.
• Connecticut (Raised Bill 262): Introduced February 19, 2026, this legislation proposes to increase the maximum fee from $5.00 to $10.00, effective October 1, 2026. If passed, this will end 26 years of stagnation (previously set in 2000). Supporters of the bill have testified that the current $5.00 fee is an "economic impossibility" that fails to cover the labor and liability costs of modern business.
• New York (S6268 / A3360): Active in the 2025–2026 Legislative Session (referred to Finance on March 7, 2025; reintroduced January 7, 2026), this bill seeks to increase the maximum fee from $2.00 to $5.00. This would end 35 years of stagnation (previously set in 1991).

We urge the Florida Legislature to sponsor a bill to:

1. Amend F.S. § 117.05(2)(a) to increase the maximum notarial fee from $10.00 to $20.00.
2. Ensure Fair Compensation that allows Florida's nearly 500,000 notaries to cover professional expenses.

Raising this cap does not mandate a higher price for the public; it simply allows Florida's professional notaries to set a fair, market-based rate that ensures this essential public service remains accessible and professional for all Floridians.