Service Terms. How appointments work, what I do, what I can't.
These are the working terms of the mobile notary service: how booking works, what the appointment includes, how pricing applies, when a signing gets refused, and the legal limits of notarial work in Colorado. Written in plain English, not legal-contract language. Last updated May 28, 2026.
What this service is.
I'm a Colorado-commissioned mobile notary public, background-screened. The service is straightforward: I travel to your location (home, office, hospital, jail, coffee shop, anywhere a notarial seal is needed across the Denver metro), verify your identity, witness your signature, apply the seal, and log the act in my journal as Colorado law requires. The legal work is the same as what happens in a bank or law office; the difference is the venue.
The notarial acts I perform include acknowledgments (for deeds, powers of attorney, contracts, most routine notarial work), jurats (for affidavits and sworn statements, including administering the oath), signature witnessing, copy certifications where Colorado law permits, and the witness coordination for documents that require disinterested witnesses. Each act is performed under my Colorado notary commission and follows the procedural requirements of Colorado notary law.
What this service is not.
Notarial work has a narrow legal scope, and it's worth saying clearly what falls outside it. None of the following are part of what I do:
- Legal advice.I can't tell you whether to sign a document, what the document means, whether the terms are fair, whether you should consult an attorney, or how the document will be interpreted by a court. Notaries are not authorized to practice law in Colorado, and giving legal advice would be the unauthorized practice of law.
- Document drafting.I can't draft contracts, deeds, powers of attorney, affidavits, or any other legal document. If your document isn't already drafted when I arrive, the signing has to wait until it is. For most documents, an attorney or document-preparation service drafts and I notarize.
- Filing or recording.I don't file documents with courts, record deeds at the county clerk and recorder, or submit forms to government agencies on your behalf. For real-estate closings, I can sometimes drop documents at the appropriate county recorder if it's part of the appointment, but the recording fees and the filing itself remain your responsibility (or your attorney's).
- Translation or interpretation.Documents presented in a language I don't read need to be translated before I can notarize them. The signer needs to read and understand the document in a language they understand; bring an interpreter if needed.
- International authentication.Document authentication for use outside the United States is a separate process handled directly by the Colorado Secretary of State's office, not by notaries. The notarial step happens first; the international authentication step is yours to arrange afterward.
How booking and confirmation work.
The phone is the primary booking channel: (303) 960-2999. The contact form on this site is a secondary path that routes through email and typically takes 30 to 60 minutes longer to reach me. For same-day or same-hour situations, the phone is the only reliable channel.
A booking is confirmed when I've quoted the total cost and the time and location are agreed. Before that point, the request is tentative; either party can decline without consequence. Once confirmed, the appointment is on my calendar and I plan around it, which is why same-hour bookings carry a rush surcharge (they displace other planned work).
Quotes are honest before I drive. If the appointment turns out differently than what was described on the call (more signatures than expected, a facility that adds intake time, a signer who isn't ready), I'll discuss the change before completing the work, not surprise you with an adjusted bill at the end.
Pricing basics.
Pricing is structured as a per-signature notarial fee plus distance-based travel, with optional rush and facility-specific surcharges where applicable. Standard per-signature fee is $10, below Colorado's statutory maximum of $15. Travel runs $25 flat for downtown Denver and $40 to $60 for the metro outside downtown. The $75 same-hour rush applies only when you need a notary on site within roughly 60 minutes of the call; off-hours work otherwise runs at the standard rate. Jail and detention facility visits add a $50 to $125 administrative surcharge for facility intake; hospital, hospice, and assisted living visits do not carry a facility surcharge.
The full pricing breakdown lives on the pricing page. Pricing as published there is the source of truth; if something on another page is unclear or appears to conflict, the pricing page controls.
Government fees (county recording fees, documentary fees, Secretary of State authentication fees where applicable) are paid to those agencies separately from my fee and are never part of the per-signing total I quote.
Cancellation and rescheduling.
Cancellations before I've left for the appointment carry no charge. Tell me as early as you can and I'll reschedule or close the booking cleanly.
Cancellations after I've already traveled (or am most of the way there) carry the travel fee because the trip happened, but the per-signature notarial fee isn't charged for a signing that didn't take place. Same applies for ID issues that surface at the table and prevent the notarial act: the trip is owed, the per-signature isn't.
Rescheduling within the same day is usually no problem; I'll work the new time into the calendar at no additional charge as long as the schedule can accommodate it. Rescheduling that requires another trip is a new appointment with new travel calculation.
When I'll refuse to notarize.
Colorado notary law requires me to refuse the notarial act in specific situations. These aren't personal preferences; they're legal duties that protect the integrity of the notarial system. I'll flag the issue on the call when possible to avoid a wasted trip; when the issue surfaces at the table, I'll stop the signing.
- The signer can't demonstrate awareness. If the signer is sedated, severely confused, in significant cognitive decline, or otherwise unable to confirm they understand what they're signing, I won't notarize. Awareness is a core requirement; lack of it makes the notarial act invalid regardless of any other circumstance.
- The signer appears coerced.If the signer is hesitant, repeatedly looks to someone else in the room for answers, asks if they have to sign, or shows visible signs of pressure, I'll either step away with the signer to confirm willingness in private or decline outright. The notarial act requires voluntary participation.
- Identification doesn't satisfy Colorado law. Colorado requires current government-issued photo ID. Expired ID, no ID, or ID without the required elements (name, photo, signature, physical description) makes the standard ID-based verification impossible. In some cases credible witnesses can substitute; if not, the signing has to wait until adequate ID is available.
- The document appears to be used for fraud.If the circumstances make it apparent that the document is being used to defraud someone (an elderly signer being pressured to sign over assets, a forged signature being notarized, a backdated document, etc.), I'll decline. Colorado notary law is explicit on this duty.
- I have a personal interest in the document. Notaries are barred from notarizing documents where they or their close family members are named, would benefit, or otherwise have a stake. I'll decline rather than work around the rule.
Refusing in these situations isn't about being difficult; it's about making sure the notarial act actually does what it's supposed to do. A notarial act performed in violation of these rules can be challenged successfully later, which hurts the signer more than the wait did.
Liability and limits.
The notarial work I perform is provided in good faith under Colorado notary law. The accuracy of the signing is the responsibility of the signer; the accuracy of the document's contents is the responsibility of whoever prepared the document. My responsibility is to verify identity, confirm awareness and willingness, witness the signature, complete the notarial certificate correctly, and log the act in my journal as Colorado law requires.
The total liability for any claim arising out of a notarial act performed under this service is limited to the fees paid for that specific notarial act. Indirect, consequential, or punitive damages aren't recoverable. This reflects the notary's narrow legal role: substantive legal disputes about a document's contents, enforceability, or interpretation belong with attorneys and courts, not with the notary who certified the signing happened.
For institutional engagements (law firms, attorney-coordinated closings, recurring vendor arrangements) with specific compliance or billing questions, those questions are answered directly on the phone rather than through the published terms. Call (303) 960-2999 to discuss any specific institutional requirements.
Governing law and venue.
These terms are governed by Colorado law. Any dispute arising out of the service or these terms is venued in Denver County, Colorado. Colorado notary law (Title 24, Article 21, Part 5 of the Colorado Revised Statutes) governs the notarial work itself; these terms supplement but don't override the statutory framework.
Changes to these terms.
If these terms change (pricing structure changes, new services are added, the notarial framework shifts), I'll update the “last updated” date at the top and revise the relevant sections. The terms in effect at the time of your booking are the terms that apply to that booking; later changes don't apply retroactively to bookings already confirmed.
If a specific provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. The standard severability provision applies.
Questions about these terms.
Questions about how the service works, what's covered, or how a specific situation will be handled go through the same channels as any other inquiry: call (303) 960-2999 or use the contact form.
For the related privacy policy, see the privacy page, which covers what data the site collects and how it's handled.
Need a notary, today?
Call and tell me what you need, where, and when. I quote travel and any rush fees on the phone, then I show up on time with the seal.
Direct line
(303) 960-2999Available 24/7 by appointment. Off-business-hours visits carry a $75 rush surcharge.