I keep seeing signs for mobile notary services taped in laundromats and parent groups, and I can’t figure out if this is a real side income or one of those oversaturated things where everyone just has a cheap stamp. Has anyone here actually done notary work in the five boroughs recently? I’m not talking about doing it free at a day job — I mean as an actual hustle.

The part that really got me excited is New York’s remote online notarization stuff! You can notarize people without them standing in your kitchen, but the rules around identity proofing, audio-video recording, and journal retention are insanely detailed. Is the exam still the old paper test? How are people finding clients — is it all word of mouth, or is mobile apps the way now? I’m Riverdale area, but I’d go anywhere on a Metro-North line if the job is legit.

Honestly it’s not that crowded if you’re willing to show up in person. My old office admin had a stamp and people only remembered when they needed something signed 10 minutes before a deadline. The bank on 125th stopped doing them unless you have an account and even then they’ll look at you sideways for more than two docs. Mobile is where the little money is—if you can get to someone’s lobby at 8 p.m., you’re already ahead of the storefront places that close at 5. Just don’t expect to get rich. It’s more like coffee money plus a weird look into people’s paperwork.

Wait, you have to take an exam?? I thought you just paid a fee, got a stamp, and that was it. I was looking at doing it for my cousin’s co-op stuff and maybe making a little extra. How much time does the whole process actually take? Also do you need a business address or can you just work from your apartment? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I’m new to this side of things.

Not dumb at all! The exam is real, but it’s not the bar exam. From what I’ve studied, you take the NYS notary public exam first, then get your oath of office filed with the county clerk where you live or work, and you need a surety bond. Then you get your commission, a journal, and a stamp. If you want to do remote online notarization you have to separately register as an electronic notary and use a certified platform — you can’t just do it over FaceTime! That's the part people mess up.

You can definitely work from your apartment, but you need a place to store bound journals securely for years. Have you tried the NYS DOS study guide? It’s dry but worth it. What county are you in? The county clerk's office makes the difference.

Tbh the general notary thing is whatever. The real calls are for loan signings—refi, HELOC, co-op purchase packages—and those pay better but you need to print two sets, not screw up the signer IDs, and get things back to title/escrow same day. I know a guy who does it around Forest Hills and he’s busy, but he also already had a double tray printer and a car. If you’re in Riverdale and don’t drive, you might be limited to local apartment board stuff. Not impossible, but don’t quit the day job off a notary stamp.

Big_city_beth, if you only want it for family co-op stuff, maybe just find a local accountant who does it. But if you’re going to do it as a hustle, get the thing properly. I once saw a guy at a Staples notary counter refuse a whole closing package because it had a blank acknowledgment. The buyers were trying to argue with him. It’s not just stamping, you have to know the wording and when to say no. Also, if you’re in East Harlem, the housing court line sometimes has people looking for notaries early morning.

Thanks everyone! I’m in Queens, near Jackson Heights. I didn’t even know remote notarization was legal here, that’s cool but sounds harder than I thought. So for a beginner, do you recommend starting with mobile in your own neighborhood or trying to tag along with someone? Also what’s a bound journal—just a notebook that can’t have pages removed? I’m going to look up the study guide today.

Jackson Heights is actually okay for it—lots of people with DMV, immigration, and co-op paperwork. Start close, put the word out at your local Neighborhood Action whatever or Facebook group, but keep your boundaries. Don’t be the person who meets at 10 p.m. in a parking lot for a stranger’s bill of sale. Bound journal means the pages are numbered and stitched/glued so you can’t remove one without it being obvious. You can get them at office supply places or from notary associations. Tagging along is tough because it’s often confidential, but you can shadow someone at a public library notary day if they let you.

Chinatown_C is absolutely right about the loan signing double-set thing! I'm leaning toward general + electronic notary rather than loan signing because I don’t want to own a production printer and inventory of legal/letter tabs. One thing I’d add for big_city_beth: call the Queens County Clerk before you file your oath card, because their filing hours/signature process can be weird. Also the new electronic notary rules in New York require things like keeping an audio/video recording for a long retention period—I need to double check the exact length.

Really glad someone mentioned housing court—that's the kind of unglamorous local need that makes this useful. Has anyone here actually taken the exam in the last year? I want to know if it’s still mostly definitions of ‘affiant’ and ‘jurat’ or if they’re adding more electronic stuff now.