UPS Notary Cost

In the United States, the number of notaries as of 2022 totaled 4.4 million. This number helps ensure that enough notaries are available to cater to document signers nationwide.

Did you know that you can also have your documents notarized at the United Parcel Service (UPS) Store?

With more than 5,000 locations to handle your notarization requirements, UPS helps ensure you have convenient access to its stores to make things easier.

But how much does UPS charge for notarizing your documents? What benefits does notarization provide? What documents need to be notarized?

This article discusses these questions and explores the types of documents UPS accepts for notarization. This article also discusses how to prepare for a visit to The UPS Store for your needs and how to schedule a notary appointment.

If you have notarized documents that you must send by mail, FindPostOffice.org can help you locate a post office near you.

You can also learn about other couriers besides UPS, such as the United States Postal Service (USPS) and Federal Express (FedEx), through the FindPostOffice.org website.

How Much Does UPS Charge for Notary Services?

The UPS.com website does not reveal how much the company charges for notary service.

The reason for doing so is that notary fees vary significantly between states and even counties and can range from $0.25 to $25.

If you’re a walk-in customer, you may pay an average of $30. If you have an appointment, you may only need to spend $10 to $15 to notarize your document. However, you may find it challenging to get free notary services.

These prices are only estimates and are not guaranteed prices.

In other words, UPS does not have a standard price for its notary public services. So if you wish to have a document notarized through UPS, you must visit a local UPS facility and inquire about its notary fees.

In addition to the price variation between states and counties, the UPS facility’s location can also affect notary fees.

Furthermore, how much the notary charges can affect the costs to notarize a document. For example, some notaries prefer to charge per signature, whereas others can charge per document notarized.

The table below shows the estimated rates as of 2023 for notarial services like acknowledgments and jurats (statements indicating when, where, and before whom an affidavit was made) in some U.S. states:

State	Acknowledgments	Jurats
Alabama	$5	$5
Arizona	$10	$10
California	$15	$15
Colorado	$15	$15
Delaware	$5	$5
Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.)	$5	$5
Florida	$10	$10
Hawaii	$5	$5
Michigan	$10	$10
Montana	$10	$10
Nevada	$15	$15
Ohio	$5	$5
Texas	$6	$6
Wisconsin	$5	$5

Does UPS Notarize?

The UPS Store, Inc. offers notarization services for most documents. However, many UPS locations may not notarize wills or I-9 employment eligibility verification forms.

Form I-9 is a citizenship and immigration form verifying the employment authorization and identity of individuals hired in the United States.

To ensure your document is eligible for notary service, contact your local UPS store before visiting the store for notarization.

The UPS Store is a franchise, meaning each store is independently owned. Because of this autonomy, notary prices and services can significantly differ between stores.

To have your documents notarized at The UPS Store, schedule an appointment and bring a valid identification (I.D.) to the store upon your visit.

Notary Services: What Is a UPS Notary?

A notary is a publicly commissioned official acting as an impartial witness to a legal document signing. One of the primary reasons you should consider getting a notary’s services is to deter fraud.

Documents that typically need a notary’s services include the following:

• Real estate deed 
• Trust 
• Affidavit 
• Will 
• Bill of sale
• Power of attorney 
• Other official transactional documents

UPS Stores offer notary services to help accommodate your notary needs. The center can help make necessary copies of your notarized documents and ship them to those who need those copies.

Why Do Documents Need to Be Notarized?

For specific documents to have a legal effect, they must be notarized. Given the inherent formal significance of these notarized legal documents, state governments deem it necessary to enlist trained individuals to assist with the execution of these documents.

Following their official appointment, a notary public performs duties as a quasi-public officer (a private entity performing public services) to attest to the proper execution of these essential documents.

Aside from giving documents a legal effect, notarization also performs the following functions:

• Deter forgery and fraud: Scammers often take advantage of almost anyone who falls victim to the scam. Having a trustworthy notary verify your identity can help add a layer of protection when implementing critical documents.
• Provide legal protection: Notarizing your documents can help prevent or lower the chance of litigation and contract disputes.
• Increase document credibility: Documents are usually not legally binding until notarized. With notarization, a notary’s signature and stamp can help improve your document’s inherent authenticity and value.
• Avoid the need for a witness to appear in court: A notarized document is considered self-authenticating under the law of evidence.

Rule 902(a) of the Federal Rules of Evidence states that self-authenticating documents are those whose authenticity is not required to become admissible as evidence. Such documents include those notarized or sworn under oath.

In other words, you can submit a notarized document as evidence in a trial without the need for additional proof that the document is what it appears to be.

This way, notarization can lower the chance of having the witness appear in court. Doing so can save plenty of time and money in the process.

The UPS Store Notary Pros and Cons

Before deciding to notarize your documents at a UPS branch, consider the following benefits and disadvantages:

• Pros
  • UPS accepts online appointment scheduling at more than 3,900 locations across the U.S.
  • The courier can make copies of your document.
  • UPS can ship your notarized document.
• Cons
  • The steps to notarize your document can be tedious, from finding a store to scheduling an appointment to visiting the store to mailing your notarized documents.
  • The nonstandard notarization fees mean you may not know precisely the notary cost until you visit a store.
  • Not all UPS locations accept the notarization of specific types of documents, such as wills or I-9 forms.

These pros and cons should help you decide whether UPS notary services are the right fit for your needs.

Types of Documents That May Require Notarization

Whether you’re an individual, a small business owner, or a large corporation, chances are, you’ll encounter one or more documents needing notarization.

The following are the kinds of documents that need notarization:

• Wills: A will is a legal document indicating your wishes regarding your property’s distribution and any minor children’s care. Your wishes may not be carried out if you don’t have a will upon your death.

Some states require your will to be notarized, so check the laws where you reside. When you sign your will before a notary, the document can help reduce the hassle of having the court call in witnesses to validate the will’s authenticity.

• Trusts: A living trust is a document in which you provide your assets as a trust for your benefit during your lifetime.

You can use a trust to determine how to manage and distribute your money while alive or after your death.

A trust can also specify your beneficiaries’ inheritance terms and help protect your assets from creditors.

When you create a trust, you (the grantor) name a trustee who will handle the trust’s affairs and transfer the assets to beneficiaries upon your death.

Another type of trust is testamentary or will trust. This document specifies how the grantor will designate their assets after death.

• Deeds: This signed legal document transfers an asset’s ownership to a new owner. People often use deeds to transfer property or vehicle ownership between two parties.

Deeds become binding documents in a court of law only after a government official who maintains these documents files the deed in the public record. A deed’s signing must be notarized, and some states require witnesses.

If your deed isn’t written, notarized, and entered into the public record, this document may be an imperfect deed.

In this case, your document may be valid, but you may have to file the related paperwork with the register of deeds. This way, you can avoid delays if you encounter a legal challenge.

Other documents with similar privileges as deeds include commissions, licenses to practice, patents, academic degrees, and powers of attorney.

• Contracts: A contract is a legal promise to do something or refrain from doing an action. Creating a contract requires two or more persons’ mutual consent, with one party usually making an offer and the other accepting.

Contract laws help protect parties in an agreement. Thus, rules addressing fraud, deceit, and undue influence should help ensure contractual obligations are freely assumed without one party misleading another.

• Affidavits: An affidavit is a sworn statement you make before a notary or court officer outside the court. This document asserts that specific facts are accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Affidavits by the prosecution and defense witnesses are usually collected before a trial starts. An affiant is a person swearing to be truthful in creating the testimony.

Affidavits are essential in court proceedings because these documents provide a written account of a case’s events. These documents can help judges make decisions quickly.

Some scenarios where affidavits play an important role are as follows:

• Debt disputes
• Property disagreements
• Confirmation of receipt of legal documents
• Name change verification
• Confirmation of a victim’s identity, such as in identity theft cases

As discussed earlier, some UPS locations do not notarize specific documents. If you need to have such documents notarized, contact the store before making an appointment for a notary service request.

Be Prepared for Your Notary Visit

Before visiting your local UPS store for notary services, ensure to bring a valid, government-issued photo ID with you.

Laws vary by state, and some notarized documents may require witnesses. Sometimes, a notary public may not be legally allowed to act as a signature witness simultaneously.

Also, not all locations have enough workers to provide additional signature witnessing services.

To ensure you can access the notary services you require, check your local UPS store for their availability. Also, review your state’s laws to see the requirements for key witnesses.

Making a UPS Notary Appointment

The following instructions will guide you on how to schedule an appointment to notarize your document at UPS:

• Visit the UPS website.
• Expand the “Store Services” menu in the top right corner.
• Click “Notary Services.”
• Scroll down and click “Schedule Appointment.”
• Input your location.
• Adjust the search filter if you want to search by:
  • Store number
  • Open on Saturday
  • Open on Sunday
• Click “Submit.”

You can also move around the map to find The UPS Store nearest you and view that store’s contact info.

After locating your preferred store on the UPS website, you will see the store’s address, business hours, phone number, email address, and a link to the store’s local homepage.

You can also choose how to contact the store and make your notary service appointment. Call The UPS Store customer service at 800-789-4623. This service is available during the following schedules:

• Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time (P.T.)
• Saturday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM P.T.

If you have general inquiries about the UPS notary or The UPS Store locations, call 1-800-742-5877 or email UPS using the online form on the UPS website’s “Contact Us” page.

References

1. 2022 NNA Notary Census Part 2: 4.4 million U.S. Notaries are adapting to serve the nation today
   https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2022/08/2022-nna-notary-census-part-2-4-4-million-u-s-notaries-are-adapting-to-serve-the-nation-today
2. 2023 Notary Fees by State
   https://www.nationalnotary.org/knowledge-center/about-notaries/notary-fees-by-state
3. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
   https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
4. Definition of a Notary, Duties, Where to Notarize, and Examples
   https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/notary.asp
5. self-authenticating documents
   https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/self-authenticating_documents
6. What Is a Will, What Does It Cover, and Why Do I Need One?
   https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/what-is-a-will.asp
7. What Is a Legal Trust? Common Purposes, Types, and Structures
   https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trust.asp