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Notarizations + Commissioning - Fee + Account Estimate Information

Fees for routine notary public and Commissioner for oaths services

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​For routine Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths services we can offer competitive flat fees [plus taxes and disbursements] for our standardized service and documentation  so  contact us [call, text or email] our current fees, further details and for assistance with your legal needs.

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We can offer competitive standardized flat rate fees* for standard Notary Public and Commissioner for Oath services as follows:

• $49.99 for "notarizations" or "commissioning" of documents [administering oaths, affirmations, declarations or certifications] as a Notary Public OR Commissioner for Oath for one document that you provide.  Additional documents or "notarizations" or "certifications" after the first document is an additional fee of $10.00 per document; and
• $49.99 for notarial certificates certifying and attesting true copies of an original documents provided to us or certifying your execution of a document.  We can prepare a notarial certificate listing multiple documents, so for notarial certificates listen multiple documents after the first document there is an additional fee of $10.00 per document; and
• $49.99 for notarial certificates certifying execution of an original document provided to us.  Additional documents or "notarizations" or "certifications" after the first document is na additional fee of $10.00 per document; and
• $99.99 for reviewing a guarantee, signing as a witness to a guarantee and issuing a certificate under the Guarantee Acknowledgement Act; and
• $199.99 for acting as an out of office signing agent to verify identities and attend to signing of documents prepared by and supplied by your legal representation from another jurisdiction.

Contact us [call, text or email] for our current fees, further details and assistance with your legal needs.

​More questions but not sure you wan to contact us just yet then check out our FAQs: Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths,  and other helpful information in our Legal Updates.

*  The above standardized flat rate fees:  a. do NOT include G.S.T., disbursements and other charges which all are be payable in addition to our fees; b.  are effective January 1, 2018 and are subject to change;  c.  are based upon our standard form of documents and standard service; and d. are for services as a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths only and not for legal advice and services as a Lawyer.   Requests to meet at a remote location [location other than Lopatka Law] or outside our standard business hours can be accommodated and additional fees may apply.  Additional terms and limitations may apply so please can contact us for more details and particulars of the  services included in our standardized flat rate fees.

Request an Account Estimate for Notary public + Commissioner For Oaths services

Our standardized flat rate fees and account estimate are based upon our standard form of documents, standard services which: For notary public and commissioner for oaths services – includes our standard form of documents and standard service and are for services as a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths only and not for legal advice and services as a Lawyer. There may be additional fees for additional services depending upon the requirements of your matter.   Additional charges may  apply for additional time and non-standard services and documentation required.  Requests to meet at a remote location [location other than Lopatka Law] or outside our standard business hours or to have documents signed at a remote location can be accommodated and additional fees may apply.  Additional terms and limitations may apply so please can contact us for more details and particulars of the legal services included in our standardized flat rate fees.  Please see our account estimate for some of the additional details, terms and conditions. Submitting a request for an account estimate does not create a solicitor client relationship and you should not provide us with confidential information until we have been formally retained in writing and have provided you with a retainer letter signed by a lawyer of this firm.

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FAQs:  Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths

What is the difference between a Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public?

A Notary Public has all the powers of a Commissioner for Oaths, however a Commissioner for Oaths does NOT have all the powers of a Notary Public.  

​Also when a document is intended to be used outside of Alberta, the law in that jurisdiction must be followed and while other jurisdictions will have different formalities very often other jurisdictions require that the documents be completed by a Notary Public rather than a Commissioner for Oaths.

What do Notaries and Commissioners Do?

Notaries Public and Commissioners for Oaths fulfill an important function in our society and fulfilling their duties requires more than just signing documents.

So, Notaries and Commissioners generally do as follows:

• administering oaths and take affidavits, affirmations or declarations;
• attesting oaths, affidavits, affirmations or declarations;
• certifying and attesting true copies of documents [Notary Public only];
• witnessing or certifying and attesting the execution of deeds, contacts and commercial instruments as Notary Publics [Notary Publics only] ; and
• issuing a certificate under the Guarantee Acknowledgement Act [Notary Public only]; and
• Authentication and legalization of their signatures and seals.

Sworn or solemnly affirmed affidavits, statutory declarations, and notarial certificates and certifications play an important role in the functioning of not only our legal system but our society at large.

Administering oaths, affirmations and declarations plays an important role in ensuring that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is provided in a variety of contexts where it is important that the truth be told and that a party that fails to provide the truth faces legal consequences for doing so including and an almost limitless number of circumstances, transactions and areas of the law that this arises.

​Notaries Publics also provide a large variety of certificates that have a certain legal effect depending upon the context [see the comment upon Notarial Certificates and Guarantee Acknowledgement Act Certificates below].

Don't Notaries and Commissioners just sign documents?

Being a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths is more than just signing from time to time.

Notaries Publics and Commissioners for Oaths are governed by the Notaries and Commissioners Act, S.A. 2013, c. N-5.5 and its regulations [the “Act”] which:

1. ​Sets forth a Code of Conduct for all Notaries Publics and Commissioners for Oath;
2. Sets out the procedures for exercising powers as a Notary Public or Commissioner for Oath.

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​The Act specifies a code of conduct and complaints process for respecting non-lawyers acting as notaries and commissioners.  The code of conduct and complaints process may be of importance when dealing with non-lawyer notaries and commissioners that are not subject to the Law Society of Alberta’s code of conduct and complaints process as Lawyers are.

The  code of conduct for notaries and commissioners is similar, and very importantly prohibits commissioners and notaries from the following:

1. mislead or attempt to mislead anyone in the discharge of the notary public’s / commissioner’s responsibilities;
2. notarize / commission or participate in the preparation or delivery of any document that is false, incomplete, misleading, deceptive or fraudulent;
3. notarize / commission or participate in the preparation or delivery of any document that
   • has the appearance of being validly issued by a court or other legitimate authority but is not,
   • is intended to or has the effect of deceiving any person, or
   • is otherwise lacking valid legal effect.

This is important because while these obligations are not new for Lawyers, it imposes the same obligations upon all notaries and commissioners [lawyer and non-lawyer alike] NOT to notarize or commission a document without inquiry and satisfying their obligations under the code of conduct.

If the notary or commissioner cannot satisfy their obligations under the code of conduct, then they cannot notarize or commission the document as they are obligated to ensure that in exercising this office they are not involved in certain mischief outlined in the code of conduct, and in particular mischief that has arisen with improper legal proceedings as described Meads v Meads, 2012 ABQB 571.

​The Meads case is noteworthy, because Justice Rooke outlines in detail the mischief that can arise from the improper legal proceedings and misuse of the Court's resources, and perhaps provides the context through which the obligations of lawyers and now non-lawyers commissioners and notaries to avoid being involved in such mischief are to be considered.

Why do i need to see a notary public for a personal guarantee?

The Guarantees Acknowledgement Act, R.S.A. 2000, G-11  and its regulations to require any individual providing a personal guarantee to attend before a lawyer [but not a non-lawyer Notary Public] to:

1. Acknowledge executing the guarantee;
2. Confirm that the individual is aware of the contents of the guarantee and understands it;
3. Sign the certificate before the lawyer.

​The lawyer is obligated by the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act and its regulations to satisfy him or herself that guarantor is aware of the contents and understands it and provide a certificate evidencing the same both in accordance with the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act, but also in accordance with his or hers professional obligations as a Member of the Law Society of Alberta.

what is a notarial certificate

Notarial Certificates are certificates issued by Notaries Publics certifying the attached copy to be a true copy of the original document inspected by the Notary Public at the time of issuance of the Notarial Certificate.

The Notarial Certificate is of importance because there is often legislation and rules of law that permit the Notarial Certificate to stand in place of the original.

For instance, in Alberta section 45 of the Alberta Evidence Act, R.S.A. 2000 c. A-18 provides that a notarial certified copy of a document [certified by the notary to be a true copy of the original] is receivable in court proceedings as evidence in place of the original copy with the certified copy having the same force and effect as the original would have if produced and proved.

what is authentication and legalization [consularization]?

Whether authentication and legalization [consularization] is required will largely depend upon jurisdiction where the document is intended to be used and for what use that document is being put to.

If authentication is required, then a document that is notarized by a Notary Public in Alberta is sent to the Deputy Provincial Secretary's Office [who holds the official records of Notaries Public, their signatures and seals] to obtain a certificate authenticating the appointment, signature and seal of the Notary Public.

After authentication is obtained, then the document can be further legalized or consularized wherein the consul office of the jurisdiction where the document is intended to be use will authenticate that the the Deputy Provincial Secretary's Office is recognized by that jurisdiction to authenticate the appointment, signature and seal of the Notaries Public whom signed the document.