Notary Public Underwriters Blog
Should Notaries Accept Tips? What Every Notary Needs to Know
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- Published: December 2, 2024
A simple web search shows that the (apparent) capital of service-worker tipping is the United States. It’s become so widespread here, and so accepted, that we’re even given tip-percentage options when paying for grab-and-go food at places that provide only counter service.
So, no surprise… notaries who earn income by performing notarizations for the general public are sometimes offered a tip or other gratuity from a grateful customer. But should the notary accept?
Most notary experts and professional organizations recommend against accepting a tip or gratuity. That’s because notaries in most states are subject to fee limitations for their notary services. They can be hit with fines and/or penalties for overcharging. While a tip might be offered as something additional to the notary’s allowed fee-per-notarization, a notary might later be unable to prove that their allowed fee charge was completely separate from any additional money taken as a tip.
An additional, non-monetary gratuity can be just as problematic as an actual tip, and also should be declined.
So, the next time a customer offers a tip or gratuity in thanks for your great work, just smile and say, “No thank you , but instead please contact me whenever you need a notary service.”
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