How pricing works

They are starting prices, and for most jobs they are the whole price. What moves a number is the things that genuinely cost more: a second hour inside a correctional facility, a certified copy that has to be ordered before an apostille can be issued, or a document that routes through Washington rather than Sacramento. You hear the full number on the phone before anything is booked.

No. Travel is already included in my prices, so there is no separate trip charge and nothing to work out at the door. The only time the price changes is for appointments after business hours, or on Sundays and holidays.

California law caps most notarial acts at $15 per signature, and that's the maximum. Nobody can charge more for the notarial act itself. Government, county, and consular filing fees are set by those agencies, and I bill them at cost with no markup.

A $25 deposit confirms most appointments, and for some services the deposit is arranged by phone once we've agreed on the work. Fingerprinting at a school or any group booking of more than three or four people also takes a deposit, because that is a reserved block of time. Correctional facility signings are the exception in the other direction: no deposit, paid in full up front.

They are paid in full before I go, and payment is non-refundable. There is no deposit option for them. The reason is simple: lockdowns, transfers, medical holds, and count times cancel signings after I have already driven there and cleared security. The trip is made whether or not the facility produces the signer, and you'll be told that before you pay, not after.

No. Telling you whether your document needs an apostille or consular legalization, or which office issues it, costs nothing. I'd rather spend ten minutes on that than take money for the wrong service.

Credit, debit, and cash. Mobile and correctional appointments are paid ahead, usually through a payment link sent to your phone.