Five ways to price travel
These are the travel methods the iPhone app supports, and the calculator above uses the same formulas. Each one rewards a different kind of trip.
- Flat fee. One amount per appointment. Easy to quote in a text message and easy for a client to accept, but a long drive costs you the same as a short one.
- Per mile. Rate × miles. Scales with distance, so short trips can come out too low to be worth the stop.
- Base + mileage. A base fee plus a per-mile rate. The base covers getting in the car; the mileage covers the distance.
- Hourly. Rate × drive time. Tracks traffic and rural roads better than miles do, but the client cannot check it in advance as easily.
- Manual. Enter the amount for this job. The app also lets a manual amount override any method.
The same trips, four methods
Example rates on three trips, computed with the calculator’s engine. None of these rates is a recommendation; they show how the methods diverge as trips get longer.
| Method | 8 mi20 min | 24 mi40 min | 60 mi90 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat $40$40, whatever the distance | $40.00 | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Per mile $1.50$1.50 × miles | $12.00 | $36.00 | $90.00 |
| $25 + $1.00/mi$25 base + $1.00 × miles | $33.00 | $49.00 | $85.00 |
| Hourly $60$60 × drive time | $20.00 | $40.00 | $90.00 |
A flat $40 is generous on a short hop and thin on a 60-mile run. Per mile does the opposite. A base plus mileage splits the difference, and so does a flat fee inside a local radius with a per-mile rate beyond it. Whatever you choose, compare the charge against what the drive costs you: the profit calculator subtracts your cost per mile and shows what the time is worth.
Travel fees are not notary fees
A state’s notary fee maximum governs the notarial act. Travel is a separate charge, so the calculator never checks it against the notarial maximum. That does not make it unregulated. The official sources on file address travel in several different ways:
- Tied to a mileage rate. Indiana, North Carolina and Utah refer to the federal mileage rate; Maryland to the IRS rate plus a small travel fee; Arizona to the state-employee mileage rate.
- Actual and reasonable expense. DC, Idaho and Virginia.
- An hourly amount. Nevada sets travel by the hour, with a higher rate at night, a two-hour minimum the notary may charge, and advance agreement.
- Agreed in advance. Michigan, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, Ohio and others require the travel fee to be agreed before you travel, and some require you to explain that it is separate from the notarial fee.
The list beside this article links every state whose source text addresses travel. When you pick one of them in the calculator, its text appears under the result. Read the full quote on the state page before relying on a summary like this one.
More on the distinction in notary fees vs. travel and service fees, and on pricing the drive in how mobile notary travel fees work.