Key Takeaways
- SF Notary is a mobile notary service covering all San Francisco neighborhoods and much of the Bay Area, coming directly to homes, offices, hospitals, and public locations.
- All notaries are California-commissioned, bonded, insured, and experienced with real estate signings, estate documents, and international paperwork requiring apostilles.
- Most standard appointments take about 10–20 minutes, can often be scheduled the same day, and require only valid government ID and unsigned documents.
- Transparent pricing includes per-signature statutory fees set by California plus clearly listed mobile travel fees and after-hours rates.
- SF Notary is trusted by San Francisco law firms, tech companies, hospitals, and financial institutions, with numerous 5-star online reviews since the early 2000s.
Getting documents notarized shouldn’t require rearranging your entire schedule. Yet for many San Francisco residents and business professionals, finding time to visit a notary office during standard hours feels nearly impossible.
That’s where mobile notary services change the game. Instead of you traveling to an office, a commissioned notary public comes directly to your location—whether that’s your home in the Sunset, your company headquarters in SOMA, or even a hospital room at UCSF Medical Center.
This guide covers everything you need to know about working with SF Notary, from what services are available to how appointments work, what you need to bring, and what you can expect to pay.
SF Notary Mobile Service Overview
SF Notary is a mobile notary service based in San Francisco that serves individuals, families, and businesses throughout the city and surrounding Bay Area. The team of traveling notaries brings professional notarization directly to clients, eliminating the need to leave home or work.
The service area covers every San Francisco neighborhood you can name: Financial District, SOMA, Mission, Sunset, Richmond, Marina, Potrero Hill, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, and beyond. Mobile notaries also travel to nearby cities including Daly City, South San Francisco, Brisbane, and other Peninsula locations when requested.
Notaries travel to wherever clients need them. This includes private residences, corporate offices, law firms, and medical facilities like UCSF Medical Center and Sutter CPMC. Senior living communities, rehabilitation centers, and even public locations like hotel lobbies or quiet café corners work perfectly fine for most signings.
Standard availability runs from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, with options for early-morning, late-night, and weekend appointments by special arrangement. When urgent situations arise—a closing that needs to happen today or a hospital patient who needs documents signed before a procedure—the team works to accommodate those time-sensitive requests.
How Our Traveling Notaries Work
SF Notary operates on a simple principle: we come to you. The entire process is designed for speed and convenience, whether you’re signing a single affidavit or working through a full real estate closing package.
Here’s how a typical appointment flows from start to finish. First, you reach out via phone, text, or the online form to describe what you need notarized. The team provides a quote and confirms a time that works for your schedule. On the day of your appointment, the notary travels to your location and arrives within the agreed window.
Once on site, the notary checks your identification, reviews the documents to ensure everything is in order, and guides you through the signing process. After notarization is complete, you pay the fee and receive your documents along with a receipt. Most clients are back to their day within minutes.
What should you prepare before the notary arrives? Bring a valid government-issued photo ID such as a California driver license, state ID, U.S. passport, or foreign passport with appropriate entry documentation. Have your documents printed and ready—but do not sign anything before the appointment. Signatures and dates in the acknowledgment or jurat sections must be completed in front of the notary.
Notaries bring their own professional supplies including stamps, journals, and basic office materials. However, they do not draft legal documents and cannot provide legal advice. If you need a power of attorney or healthcare directive created, work with an attorney or reputable legal document preparation service first.
Average appointment duration varies by complexity. A single document typically takes about 10 minutes. A full real estate or loan signing with dozens of pages can run 45 to 60 minutes. Plan accordingly and let the team know during booking if you have an unusually large package.
Licensed, Bonded, and Experienced Notaries
Every notary on the SF Notary team meets strict professional standards and maintains full compliance with California notary law. This isn’t optional—it’s essential for protecting both clients and the integrity of notarized documents.
All notaries are commissioned by the California Secretary of State and must complete approved education courses, pass written examinations, and clear Live Scan background checks before receiving their commission. Commissions must be renewed every four years, which includes updated training on current laws and procedures.
Team members maintain membership in reputable professional organizations such as the National Notary Association and complete additional background screening required for Notary Signing Agents who handle loan documents. This extra layer of vetting provides peace of mind for title companies, lenders, and real estate brokers who need reliable signing agents.
For financial protection, each notary carries the state-mandated $15,000 surety bond and maintains errors and omissions insurance coverage up to $100,000. This coverage protects business clients and individuals against the rare possibility of notarial errors.
Experience matters when documents are complex or high-stakes. SF Notary handles a wide range of document types including real estate closings, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, guardianship papers, corporate resolutions, and trust documents. The team is prepared for whatever paperwork you bring.
One important clarification: notaries cannot offer legal, tax, or immigration advice. However, they can clearly explain the notarial acts being performed and ensure signers understand what they’re signing before proceeding.
Popular Notary Services in San Francisco
SF Notary handles a wide variety of personal and business documents throughout San Francisco. Whether you’re planning ahead for healthcare decisions or closing on your first home, mobile notary services accommodate nearly every notarization need.
Personal Documents
Powers of attorney remain one of the most frequently requested notarizations. These documents allow you to designate someone to make financial or legal decisions on your behalf. Healthcare directives, which specify your medical treatment preferences and appoint a healthcare agent, also require notarization in many cases.
Parents often need notarized consent letters when minors travel internationally without both parents, or parental authorizations for school enrollment and activities. Affidavits, sworn statements used in legal proceedings, and various personal declarations also fall into everyday personal document requests.
Real Estate and Loan Signings
Real estate transactions generate substantial notarization work. Purchase and sale packages, refinance closings, and HELOC paperwork all require multiple notarized signatures. Grant deeds, interspousal transfer deeds, and loan modification agreements round out the typical stack of documents in residential transactions.
Mobile notary service proves especially valuable for real estate because closings often happen on tight timelines with limited flexibility. Having a notary come to your office or home during the signing window keeps transactions on schedule.
Business and Corporate Needs
San Francisco businesses regularly require notarized documents for contracts, board resolutions, stock transfers, and partnership agreements. Opening new business bank accounts often requires notarized organizational documents. International transactions may need additional authentication steps.
International and Apostille-Related Work
Documents destined for use in foreign countries frequently require notarization as a first step before obtaining an apostille from the California Secretary of State. SF Notary can handle the notarization portion and refer clients to apostille service providers who manage the state filing process.
Trusted by San Francisco Businesses and Professionals
SF Notary has served local businesses since the early 2000s, building a reputation for reliability when documents need signatures and time is short. The focus has always been on showing up when promised and handling paperwork professionally.
The client roster spans multiple industries throughout the city. Law firms in the Financial District rely on mobile notary services for client signings, witness acknowledgments, and document certifications. Real estate brokerages in neighborhoods like Noe Valley and Pacific Heights call when closings need to happen outside office hours or at locations convenient for buyers and sellers.
Tech startups in SOMA frequently need corporate documents notarized for investors, vendors, and new hires. Medical offices near Mission Bay and other healthcare facilities coordinate bedside notarizations for patients who need estate planning documents or medical authorizations completed before procedures.
Typical use cases for business clients include time-sensitive closings where delays cost money, executive signatures that need to happen between meetings, cross-border transactions requiring certified documents, and employee onboarding paperwork for new team members.
Many companies maintain SF Notary as a preferred vendor specifically for rush and after-hours appointments when in-house options or nearby walk-in notary locations aren’t available. When your office manager is out sick and the investor documents need signatures by 5 p.m., having a reliable mobile notary on speed dial solves problems fast.
Long-term relationships and repeat business speak louder than any marketing claim. The same law firms, escrow offices, and corporate clients have used SF Notary for years because consistent quality matters more than finding the cheapest one-time option.
Client Reviews and Reputation
SF Notary has accumulated numerous 5-star reviews on platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, and other local business directories. These reviews provide social proof from real clients who’ve experienced the service firsthand.
Common themes appear throughout the feedback. Reviewers consistently mention punctual arrival, clear communication about timing and fees, respectful handling of sensitive documents, and flexible scheduling that accommodates last-minute requests.
Hospital and assisted living notarizations receive particular praise. Family members appreciate having a professional arrive at the bedside to help an aging parent complete powers of attorney or advance directives without the stress of transport to an outside location.
Privacy and confidentiality receive strict attention. Documents are not copied or retained beyond what California notary law requires for journal entries. Notary journals are securely stored according to state regulations, and personal information remains protected.
What to Bring and How to Prepare
Proper preparation makes every notarization appointment run smoothly. Taking a few minutes beforehand prevents delays, rejected documents, and the frustration of needing to reschedule.
Acceptable Identification
California law specifies which identification documents notaries can accept. The following forms of ID work for most appointments:
| ID Type | Notes |
| California Driver License or ID | Must be current (not expired) |
| U.S. Passport | Current or recently expired may work |
| Foreign Passport | Must include valid visa or entry stamp |
| U.S. Military ID | Current, issued by a branch of the armed forces |
| Inmate ID | Only in specific circumstances |
Names on your identification must match the names printed on the documents you’re signing. Small variations sometimes work, but significant differences can prevent notarization. Check spelling before your appointment and contact the document preparer if corrections are needed.
Document Preparation
Keep all pages of multi-page documents together. Don’t staple or unstaple unless the notary requests it. Avoid leaving blank spaces in critical sections like signature lines, dates, or amounts—blank spaces raise fraud concerns and may prevent notarization.
If your documents involve minors, guardianship matters, or powers of attorney, all relevant parties typically need to be present and ready to sign during the same visit. Confirm signer requirements before booking.
Signing Location Tips
Choose a quiet, well-lit location with a flat surface for signing. This helps elderly signers who may need extra time and makes large signing packages more manageable. A dining table, conference room, or desk works better than a couch or hospital bed if you have options.
Pricing, Travel Fees, and Availability
California law sets maximum per-signature fees that all notaries must follow. SF Notary adds clearly disclosed mobile travel charges based on your location and any special circumstances.
How Pricing Works
The basic structure includes a per-signature or per-notarial act fee plus a travel fee based on neighborhood or distance from the notary’s starting point. Additional charges may apply for:
- Parking garage fees or metered parking in downtown locations
- Bridge tolls for appointments in the East Bay or Marin
- Late-night or early-morning appointments outside standard hours
- Complex loan signings requiring extended time
- Waiting time beyond a reasonable grace period
- Large group signings with multiple signers at corporate locations
Service Hours and Rush Appointments
Standard service hours run approximately 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays. Same-day appointments are often available when you book before early afternoon. Weekend and holiday appointments require advance arrangement.
Rush appointments for genuinely urgent matters—hospital visits, same-day closings, last-minute business transactions—are handled whenever possible. There’s typically an additional fee for true emergency scheduling.
Getting Your Quote
Before confirming any appointment, call, text, or submit an online form to receive an exact quote. The team will ask about your location, the number of signers, document types, and timing. This transparent approach prevents surprise costs when the notary arrives.
How to Schedule an SF Notary Appointment
Scheduling an appointment is designed to be quick and straightforward for both individuals and businesses. Most bookings take just a few minutes to arrange.
Booking Methods
Phone calls work best for urgent same-day requests when you need immediate confirmation. Text messages handle quick confirmations and simple scheduling questions efficiently. For planned signings with multiple signers or complex documents, email or the web form allows you to provide complete details upfront.
Information to Provide
When reaching out to schedule, have the following ready:
- Location address where the notarization will occur
- Preferred date and time (include backup options if possible)
- Number of signers attending
- Number and type of documents
- Any access codes, parking instructions, or special building entry procedures
If you require an apostille for a divorce decree for use in Mexico, refer to our stress-free guide to divorce decrees apostille for Mexico for detailed steps and support.
Confirmation and Arrival
After booking, you’ll receive written confirmation via text or email with the appointment details and approximate arrival window. Large corporate appointments or complex signings may require a deposit or prepayment.
Rescheduling and Cancellation Policies
Things happen, and schedules change. Rescheduling is usually accommodated without penalty when you provide reasonable notice. However, if the notary has already begun traveling to your location when you cancel, a fee may apply to cover their time and transportation costs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can SF Notary help with getting an apostille for documents going overseas?
SF Notary can notarize documents that will later receive an apostille through the California Secretary of State. The notarization is often a required first step. However, the apostille itself is issued by the state, not by notaries. The team can provide referrals to apostille processing services that handle the submission to the secretary of state’s office.
Are you able to notarize documents for signers who are hospitalized or in assisted living facilities?
Yes, mobile notaries regularly visit hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and senior communities throughout San Francisco. The signer must be alert, willing to sign, and able to communicate that they understand the document. If there’s any question about capacity, the notary may decline to proceed to protect the signer and maintain the document’s validity.
Do you offer remote online notarization for California signers?
California law currently limits online notarization options significantly. While some states permit full remote online notarization (RON), California requires personal appearance in most circumstances. SF Notary primarily provides in-person mobile services within the Bay Area. If you need updates on any legislative changes, feel free to ask when scheduling.
Can you draft legal documents like powers of attorney or wills for me?
Notaries can only notarize signatures and verify signer identity—they cannot draft legal documents or provide legal advice. If you need a power of attorney, will, trust, or other legal document prepared, consult an attorney or use a reputable legal document preparation service before scheduling your notarization appointment.
What happens if my ID is expired or lost?
California generally requires current, unexpired identification for notarization. In very limited circumstances, credible identifying witnesses may substitute for ID, but this depends on the specific situation and must comply strictly with California notary law. If your ID is expired, the safest approach is to renew it before your appointment whenever possible. Contact SF Notary to discuss options if you’re in a difficult situation.
