Notary signing agent FAQ

What is a notary signing agent?

A notary signing agent is a notary public who is trained to walk a borrower through a mortgage closing package and notarize the documents that require it. They travel to the signer — home, office, hospital or a coffee shop — and return the completed package to the title company or lender.

The notarial act itself is what the state commissions them to do. Everything around it — the appointment, the travel, the package handling — is the signing agent service that title and escrow companies hire.

What is the difference between a notary public and a notary signing agent?

Every notary signing agent is a notary public, but not every notary public works loan signings. The commission comes from the state and covers the notarial act. The signing agent part is a specialization: knowing a closing package, presenting it in the right order, and meeting the standards title companies and lenders ask for.

That extra layer is usually a background check and a certification from a private body such as the NNA, not a second state license.

How much does a mobile notary signing agent charge?

The signing agent sets the fee, not this platform. A loan signing fee is negotiated between the agent and the company placing the order, and it covers travel, the appointment and the return of the package — the per-signature notarial fee is a small part of it and is capped by state law in most states.

Dr. Signing does not set, suggest, collect or take a cut of that fee.

Do I need a certification to work as a notary signing agent?

You need an active notary commission from your state, and most title and escrow companies additionally want a current background check and a signing agent certification. Those last two are industry requirements set by the companies hiring, not by the state that commissions you.

Requirements for the commission itself vary widely — term length, bond, exam and education all differ. Your state's commissioning authority is the only current source for that.

Can a loan signing be done online?

In many states, yes — remote online notarization lets a commissioned online notary complete the act over live audio and video. But authorization varies by state, the lender and title underwriter have to accept it for that particular file, and some states do not permit it at all.

Each state page on this site notes where remote online notarization stands in that state.

How do I find a notary signing agent near me?

Search the directory by city or by distance and you get every signing agent whose own coverage radius reaches that address, with credentials, languages and signing types on each card. No account is needed to look. Placing the order takes a free account, which takes four fields and no card.

What does Dr. Signing cost a title or escrow company?

Nothing. There is no per-order fee, no minimum, no contract and no card — the free company account is a whole account rather than a trial, and it does not expire. Unlimited orders are included in it.

An office that wants more than one person signed in can add Team for $39/month. That buys extra seats and reporting; it does not make ordering cost anything.

How does a company assign a closing to a signing agent?

Two ways. Send the order directly to one signing agent you have chosen, or open it to every agent whose coverage area reaches the address. Agents apply, and you pick from everyone who did, with their credentials in front of you.

You can change your mind until one hour before the scheduled time, or reopen the order with a new time.

How quickly can a signing agent be booked?

That depends on your county and the notice you give. An open order reaches every covering agent the moment you post it, and applications start arriving immediately — a standard refinance appointment usually happens within a day or two of the package being ready.

Who can open a company account?

Title companies, escrow offices, signing services and closing attorneys. The account is free, the orders are unlimited, and every milestone is tracked on a timeline both sides can read.

Is listing on Dr. Signing free?

Yes, permanently. A free profile is a real public page that search engines index, it appears on the map, and it ranks in the directory exactly the same as a paid one — position is by distance, never by plan. No card is asked for at signup or afterwards.

The free plan lets you go after five closings a month. That is the only limit.

What does Pro cost, and what does it change?

Pro is $59 a year. It removes the five-closings-a-month cap entirely, shows you open orders ten minutes before free accounts can see them, and puts a Verified badge on your directory card with your map pin in the brand color instead of grey.

What it does not buy is a better position in search results. Ranking is by distance for everyone.

Does Dr. Signing take a percentage of my signing fee?

No. The fee you agree with the company is yours in full — the platform never touches the payment, takes no commission and adds no per-order charge. Its revenue is the optional $59 Pro subscription and the optional company Team plan, and nothing else.

What counts against the five closings a month on the free plan?

Applying counts, whether or not the company picks you. An open signing you apply to is counted from that moment, so five is five attempts rather than five completed jobs. The counter resets each calendar month, and Pro removes it with no fair-use clause and no overage charge.

How do I get more signing work?

Set your coverage radius honestly and keep the profile complete: the languages you sign in, the closing types you handle, and a current commission. Coordinators search by distance and filter by those fields, so an incomplete profile is invisible to the filter even when it is the closest one.