For Title Agencies
How to choose a notary signing service: a title agency's checklist
When choosing a notary signing service, check five things: coverage where you actually need it, vetted agents (NNA-certified, background-checked, E&O insured), clear communication and confirmations, quality control on the package, and transparent pricing. The right service extends your roster for signings you can't cover — it doesn't replace it.
Handing a file to an outside notary means handing over your reputation with the lender for that closing. So the bar for a signing service isn't "can they find a notary" — it's "will this protect the file." Here's the checklist we'd use.
What does a notary signing service actually do for a title agency?
It stands between you and the individual notary: maintaining a vetted network, matching a qualified agent to the signer's location, scheduling and confirming, checking the package, and handling the return. In practice, it's the answer to a signing that lands outside your coverage area or overflow your in-house notaries can't absorb.
The five-point checklist
1. Coverage where you need it
Ask where they can actually place a notary, not just where they advertise. Nationwide coverage is only useful if it reaches the rural county your file is in. Confirm they cover the states you close in.
2. Vetted, certified, insured agents
The agents should be notary signing agents — NNA-certified, background-checked, and carrying E&O insurance. Ask how agents are qualified before they're assigned to a file.
3. Communication and confirmations
You want to know a notary is assigned, that the appointment is confirmed, and when documents are on the way back — without chasing. Ask what updates you'll get and who your point of contact is.
4. Quality control
Errors on a package mean re-signs and delays. Ask how they check a package before it's returned, and how they handle a problem signing.
5. Transparent pricing
Pricing is usually per signing and varies by type, location, and mobile vs. RON. Ask for a fee schedule up front so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Red flags to watch for
- Vague answers about how notaries are vetted or insured.
- No clear point of contact, or slow confirmations.
- Pressure to route all your signings through them — a good partner extends your roster, it doesn't try to replace it.
- Pricing you can't get in writing.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a notary signing service "vetted"?
Vetting usually means the signing agents are NNA-certified, background-checked, and carry E&O insurance, and that the service screens its network before assigning work. Ask how agents are qualified before they touch your files.
Should a signing service replace my in-house notaries?
No. A good signing service is an extension of your roster for out-of-coverage and overflow signings, not a replacement for the notaries you already trust.
How is signing-service pricing usually structured?
Most services charge per signing, with fees that vary by signing type, location, and whether it's an in-person mobile signing or a Remote Online Notarization. Ask for a fee schedule up front so there are no surprises.
AJArron Johnson
Founder of 247 Closers, a nationwide notary signing service built to be an extension of a title agency's roster — vetted, certified, insured signing agents.