Fees, Advertising, and Business Practices
Fee limits
New Jersey sets a maximum fee per notarial act. A notary may charge up to the statutory cap for each act, and may charge separately for each act performed - for example, an acknowledgment and a jurat on the same document are two acts. Travel fees may be charged where permitted, but must be disclosed and must not be a disguised way to exceed the statutory fee. Traps: bundling multiple acts into one fee, or charging a "document review" fee that is really legal advice.
Advertising rules
Advertising must be truthful and must not imply the notary is an attorney or can give legal advice. A non-attorney notary may not advertise in a way that suggests legal services or use titles like "notario publico" that mislead the public about legal authority. Ads should identify the notary accurately and state the fee clearly. Promising outcomes or guaranteeing acceptance of a document is misleading.
Business practices
A notary may operate a business, but must keep notarial duties separate from other services and must not use the commission to steer customers into legal services the notary cannot lawfully provide. Recordkeeping and fee disclosure should be consistent. A notary who is also an attorney must be clear about when acting as a notary versus as counsel.
Worked example
A notary advertises "Notary & Legal Document Preparation - we tell you which forms you need." That crosses into unauthorized practice of law and misleading advertising. A compliant ad says: "Notary Public - acknowledgments and jurats - $X per act."
Rule of thumb: Charge per act, disclose the fee, and never advertise anything that sounds like legal advice.