Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Notary requirements and timelines can vary by document type and individual circumstances. Always consult with a qualified attorney for guidance specific to your situation, and verify current notary regulations with the New York State Department of State before completing any notarial act.
If you have ever needed a document notarized, you have probably asked yourself the same question that I hear from clients on a nearly daily basis. How long is this actually going to take?
It is such a reasonable question. You have important paperwork, a busy schedule, and likely a dozen other things you could be doing instead of waiting around for a signature to get validated. Nobody wants to block off their entire afternoon only to discover the whole thing takes five minutes, just as nobody wants to plan for a quick five-minute stop only to find themselves stuck in limbo for an hour.
The short answer is that a standard notarization typically takes between five and fifteen minutes of actual notary time. The full experience – including setup, travel, waiting, and follow-up – can range anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour depending on your method, your preparation, and the complexity of what you are signing.
The longer answer, which is what I am going to give you, is much more interesting because it helps you understand why the time varies so dramatically and, more importantly, how you can make sure your notarization is as fast and smooth as possible.
Let me walk you through everything.
What Actually Happens During a Notarization?
Before we can talk about timing, it helps to understand the steps involved. Notarization is not just stamping a paper and sending you on your way. There is a real process behind it, and each step takes a bit of time.
The core steps of a standard notarization are:
Step 1: Document review. The notary looks at your document to confirm it is complete, that the notarial certificate is present and correct, and that there are no blank spaces or missing pages. This usually takes one to three minutes depending on the document.
Step 2: Identity verification. You present a valid government-issued photo identification. The notary examines the ID, compares the photo to you, and checks for signs of tampering or expiration. In a remote online notarization, this step also includes credential analysis through the RON platform software and sometimes knowledge-based verification questions. Identity verification typically takes two to five minutes.
Step 3: Witnessing the signature. The document signer signs the document in the presence of the notary. For an acknowledgment, the signer confirms their identity and acknowledges they signed voluntarily. For a jurat, the signer takes an oath or affirmation before signing. This step takes one to two minutes.
Step 4: Completing the notarial certificate. The notary fills in the date, location, type of notarial act, and any other required fields. Then they apply their official seal or electronic signature. This takes one to two minutes.
Step 5: Journal entry. The notary records the details of the transaction in their notary journal, including the date, type of act, type of ID presented, and the signer’s name. In New York State, this is a standard practice and required for remote online notarizations. Journaling takes one to two minutes.
Add it all up and you are looking at roughly five to fifteen minutes of hands-on notary work for a straightforward, single-signer acknowledgment. That is the baseline.
Now let me tell you why things get more complicated.
The Four Main Factors That Make Notarization Take Longer
Factor 1: Document complexity
Not all documents are created equal. A simple affidavit with one signer and a clean notarial block is the fastest thing you can bring to a notary. We are talking five to seven minutes from start to finish.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have real estate closing packages with five or six different documents, each with multiple signers and different notarial certificates. I have handled closing packages that took forty-five minutes to an hour because there were multiple mortgages, deeds, affidavits, and title documents, each needing individual attention.
Trust documents are another common time-consumer. A revocable living trust often has two or three signers – typically a married couple plus a successor trustee – and the trust agreement itself can run twenty to fifty pages. The notary needs to review the entire document to confirm it is complete, verify each signer individually, and make sure the notarial certificates match the type of act required. A trust notarization with two signers typically takes fifteen to twenty-five minutes.
Power of attorney documents fall somewhere in the middle. A basic general power of attorney is usually quick, around seven to ten minutes. But a durable power of attorney with specific provisions and witness requirements can push into the fifteen-to-twenty-minute range.
The rule of thumb: the more pages, the more signers, the more different documents, the longer it takes.
Factor 2: Number of signers
This one is pretty straightforward. Every additional signer adds identity verification, signature witnessing, and journaling to the process. If you have a document with three signers, you are roughly tripling the identity verification step compared to a single-signer document.
In a remote online notarization, all signers must be present simultaneously on the video call. This means coordinating schedules, which can add overhead time before the session even begins. I frequently work with clients who need to coordinate with their spouse, a business partner, or a co-trustee, and the logistics of getting everyone on a video call at the same time can add ten to fifteen minutes of pre-session coordination.
For in-person notarizations, each signer needs to present physical identification and sign in the notary’s presence. This naturally extends the appointment time proportionally.
Factor 3: Preparation and readiness
This is the single biggest factor within your control, and honestly the one that causes the most delays. I cannot tell you how many times I have started a notarization session only to discover the signer has already signed the document, the notarial certificate is missing entirely, the ID is expired, or there are blank fields that should have been filled in.
Here is what proper preparation looks like:
- Your document is unsigned and undated. Some documents must be signed in the presence of the notary, and pre-signing them can invalidate the notarization.
- The notarial certificate is complete and matches the type of act you need. If there is no notarial certificate on your document, the notary has to ask you what type of notarization you need and may need to add one, which takes extra time.
- All pages of the document are present, not just the signature page. Many people bring only the last page with the signature line, and the notary cannot notarize without seeing the full document.
- You have a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. This is non-negotiable. An expired driver’s license, a student ID without a photo, or a photocopy of your ID will not work.
- Any required witnesses are present and also have identification. Some documents require one or two witnesses in addition to the notary.
When all of these things are in order, the notarization is fast. When they are not, you are looking at an extra five to fifteen minutes of back-and-forth, or in some cases, having to reschedule entirely.
Factor 4: The method you choose
How you access notary services dramatically affects the total time investment. Let me break down the three main methods and their typical time commitments.
Traditional in-person notarization at a bank or shipping store:
If you walk into your local bank or a shipping store like UPS, the actual notarization itself takes five to fifteen minutes. But the total experience includes traveling to the location, finding parking, waiting in line, and traveling back. A typical bank appointment takes about thirty minutes from start to finish according to Bank of America, and that assumes you have an appointment. Walk-in visits can take forty-five minutes to an hour, especially during peak hours like lunchtime or end of the workday.
Shipping stores like UPS typically run faster for the actual notarization – five to fifteen minutes – but wait times vary depending on how busy the location is, and fees apply.
The hidden cost of in-person notarization is the travel and scheduling overhead. If your nearest notary is twenty minutes away, you are looking at a forty-minute round trip plus thirty minutes at the location. That is an hour and ten minutes of your day for a five-minute signature validation.
Mobile notary services:
A mobile notary comes to you – your home, office, or even a coffee shop. The actual notarization takes the same five to fifteen minutes, and you save on travel time. But mobile notaries typically charge a travel fee and may have a minimum booking window, so you need to schedule ahead. The scheduling itself can take a day or two depending on the notary’s availability.
Remote online notarization (RON):
This is my specialty as a New York State Remote Online Notary, so let me give you the full picture.
In New York, RON became permanent law on January 31, 2023, under Executive Law Section 135-C. The process works like this: you schedule a session, upload your documents to a secure platform, join a live video call with your notary, present your ID on camera, go through identity verification that includes credential analysis and sometimes knowledge-based questions, sign your documents electronically, and receive your notarized documents via email.
The RON session itself typically takes ten to twenty minutes. That includes the video connection setup, identity verification, document review, signing, and the notary applying their electronic seal. Under the hood, the RON platform is also recording the entire session for a mandatory ten-year retention period as required by New York State law, but you do not need to worry about that part – it happens automatically.
The advantage of RON is that you eliminate all travel time and most scheduling friction. You can complete a notarization from your home office, your car between appointments, or literally anywhere you have a stable internet connection and a device with a camera. The notary must be physically located in New York State at the time of the act, but you, the signer, can be anywhere in the United States.
The total RON experience, from scheduling to receiving your notarized documents, typically takes thirty to forty-five minutes if you are prepared. If you need to schedule a specific time slot rather than using an on-demand service, the advance scheduling adds a day or two, but the actual session remains quick.
Real-World Scenarios: How Long Does It Actually Take?
Let me paint some real pictures so you can see how this plays out in practice.
Scenario 1: A simple acknowledgment for a single document
You need a sworn statement notarized for a landlord-tenant matter. It is a one-page document with a notarial acknowledgment already on it. You have your driver’s license ready.
In-person at a bank: About fifteen minutes of actual notary time, plus twenty to thirty minutes of travel and waiting. Total: roughly forty-five minutes.
RON session: About ten minutes from video connection to completed notarization, plus five minutes for document upload and platform setup. Total: fifteen to twenty minutes.
Scenario 2: A revocable living trust with two signers
You and your spouse are executing a revocable living trust. The trust agreement is thirty pages long. There is a trustee page for each of you that needs to be notarized separately. Both of you need to be verified and sign.
In-person: Twenty-five to thirty-five minutes with the notary, because there are two signers and a lengthy document to review. Add travel and waiting time. Total: roughly one hour.
RON session: Twenty to thirty minutes for the session itself, including dual identity verification and review of the full trust document. Total: thirty to forty minutes from start to finish.
Scenario 3: A real estate closing package
You are buying a home and have a package of six documents: a deed, a mortgage, a affidavit of title, a HUD-1 settlement statement, a bill of sale, and an affidavit of occupancy. There are three signers total.
In-person at the closing table: Forty-five minutes to one hour with the notary, who reviews each document, verifies three identities, witnesses multiple signatures, and completes several journal entries. The actual closing meeting might be two hours, but the notary-specific work is about forty-five minutes.
RON session: Forty minutes to an hour for the notarization session itself, depending on how efficiently the documents are organized and how quickly all three signers can join the video call. Total: roughly one hour with setup and document upload time.
As you can see, even in the most complex scenarios, the actual notary work is rarely more than an hour. The delays come from everything around it: travel, preparation, scheduling, and coordination.
How to Make Your Notarization as Fast as Possible
Here is my practical advice for anyone who wants their notarization to go smoothly and quickly:
First, prepare your document in advance. Do not sign it. Make sure the notarial certificate is present and appropriate for the type of act you need. If you are unsure whether you need an acknowledgment or a jurat, ask your notary before the session – most notaries will happily advise you on this.
Second, gather all your pages. Bring or upload the complete document, not just the signature page. I see this mistake constantly, and it always causes delays.
Third, check your ID before you go. Make sure your government-issued photo identification is current, unexpired, and matches your name as it appears on the document. If your name has changed since your ID was issued and the document uses your new name, bring documentation of the name change like a marriage certificate.
Fourth, for RON sessions, test your technology ahead of time. Make sure your camera, microphone, and internet connection are working properly. A poor internet connection can add ten or fifteen minutes of troubleshooting to what should be a quick session.
Fifth, coordinate all signers before the session begins. If multiple people need to sign, make sure everyone is available at the same time. In a RON session, all signers must be present simultaneously on the video call.
Sixth, be honest about the document type. If you are notarizing a document for a specific purpose – a real estate transaction, a legal proceeding, a trust – tell your notary upfront. Different document types sometimes have different requirements, and knowing in advance means the notary can prepare properly.
Why Timing Matters More Than You Think
Here is something most people do not consider: the timing of your notarization can affect the validity of your document.
Many documents have deadlines. A power of attorney might need to be notarized before a specific transaction occurs. A medical advance directive should be notarized before you need it. Real estate documents often have closing deadlines that cannot be moved.
When you understand how long the notarization process takes, you can build that time into your planning and avoid the panic of a last-minute rush. The last-minute rush is where mistakes happen – forgotten IDs, incomplete documents, expired credentials – and those mistakes are what actually cause the notarization to take longer.
The more prepared you are, the faster it goes. The faster it goes, the more time you have left for everything else in your life.
A Quick Note on Notary Fees and How They Relate to Time
I know I have been talking about time this whole article, but time and money tend to go hand in hand, so it is worth mentioning fees since they also vary and can affect how you choose your notary.
In New York State, the maximum fee for a standard acknowledgment or a jurat is $5 per signature when done in person, and $15 per signature for remote online notarizations under Executive Law Section 135-C. That is the legal cap set by the state, and many notaries charge less, especially for regular clients.
For remote online notarizations, the fee structure is a bit different. Some RON notaries charge a flat session fee that covers all the documents in a single sitting, while others charge per signature. The session fee model tends to be more economical if you have multiple documents or signers because you are not paying per signature separately. Always ask about the fee structure before booking.
Mobile notaries typically charge a travel fee on top of the notarization fee, which can range from $25 to $75 depending on the distance and the urgency of the request. After-hours and weekend appointments may carry additional fees as well.
Banks and credit unions often provide free notarization to their account holders, which is a great option if you already bank there and the timing works out. The trade-off is that you are subject to their business hours and walk-in availability, which brings us right back to time being the real constraint.
Acknowledgments versus Jurats: Why It Matters for Timing
Earlier I mentioned that there are different types of notarizations, and I want to pause here for a moment because understanding this distinction can save you time and prevent a rescheduled appointment.
An acknowledgment is the most common type of notarization. You are essentially stating to the notary that you signed the document voluntarily and that it is your genuine signature. You do not actually need to sign in front of the notary for an acknowledgment – you can have already signed it, though it is best practice to sign in the notary’s presence. The notary just needs you to appear, verify your identity, and verbally acknowledge that the signature is yours. This is the fastest type of notarization and is used for things like deeds, powers of attorney, and affidavits.
A jurat is slightly different. For a jurat, you must sign the document in the presence of the notary and take an oath or affirmation that the contents of the document are true to the best of your knowledge. The notary administers the oath, watches you sign, then completes the certificate. Jurats take slightly longer because of the oath step, but we are talking about an extra minute or two at most. Jurats are commonly used for affidavits, sworn statements, and depositions.
Why does this matter? Because if your document says it needs a jurat but the notarial certificate is written as an acknowledgment, the notary has to stop, explain the difference, and correct the certificate. That adds time. If you know which type you need ahead of time, or if the document clearly states it, the whole process runs smoother. When in doubt, ask your notary before the session – we are happy to clarify.
What About Language Barriers?
One factor I have not mentioned yet is language. If the document is in a language other than English, or if the signer is more comfortable communicating in another language, the notarization may take longer. The notary needs to confirm that the signer understands what they are signing, and if there is a language gap, that takes extra communication time.
For remote online notarizations, this is rarely a problem if both you and the notary share a common language. But if you are working with a document that has been translated and you want to make sure the notarization reflects the correct language, let your notary know in advance so they can prepare.
The Bottom Line
A standard notarization takes between five and fifteen minutes of actual notary time. With preparation and the right method, you can complete the entire process in under thirty minutes. With remote online notarization, which is what I use every day in New York State, the typical session runs ten to twenty minutes from start to finish.
The time varies based on four main factors: the complexity of your document, the number of signers, your level of preparation, and the method you choose. Of these, preparation is the one you have the most control over, and it makes the biggest difference.
If you are in New York and need a remote online notarization, the process is straightforward, secure, and compliant with Executive Law Section 135-C. You will be connected with a licensed notary through a secure video platform, your identity will be verified using multi-factor authentication, your session will be recorded for ten years as required by law, and you will receive your notarized documents electronically within minutes.
The goal is to make the process so smooth that you barely notice it happened – except for the satisfying moment when you see that official seal on your document and know everything is in order.