Notary public: Side hustle with service
Brenda Charles-Edwards has always sought jobs that involved serving the public. For 27 years, she was a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and now-defunct Western Airlines. She loved flying to exotic locales, but the work no longer suited her.
“In the early days, before airline deregulation in the late ’70s (when the government regulated fares, routes and market entry of new airlines), the traveling public was primarily business travelers who were fun and happy,” says Charles-Edwards, a 60ish professional living in Seattle. “After deregulation, the attitude changed. But I stayed because the salary, medical and retirement benefits were adequate. I also enjoyed working with my flight crews.”
Though she didn’t leave the airline industry until 2000, she had begun considering other careers in the early ’90s. “I wanted to do something involving the government, but I didn’t want to run for a public office,” she says. She discovered that a notary public – an official appointed by the state to act as an impartial witness during the signing of vital documents – didn’t have to be elected. It was a chance to make some money on the side and give back to her community.
With two young daughters at the time (now ages 21 and 33) and supportive husband Paul, Charles-Edwards set up shop in 1992 as a mobile notary public. Her tagline: “Tell me where, I’ll meet you there!”
While every state has different requirements for certification, she received her training and certification through the National Notary Association, which involved taking courses, studying and passing a rigor- ous exam on notarial acts and procedures.
According to the National Notary Association, there are 4.4 million notaries in North America. The notary population is overwhelming female (some 84 percent), older (ages 46 to 65) and well-educated, with nearly two-thirds having a college degree. Traditionally, notaries are found in the real estate, legal, health care and banking industries, and interestingly, of those who are self-employed, 54 percent have been self-employed for less than five years.
Most people assume that a notary is someone who simply stamps documents, Charles-Edwards says, but it’s a vital role. “A notary’s duty is to screen signers for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction,” she says.
In addition, impartiality is the cornerstone of the notary’s trust with the public. A notary must ensure there is no personal interest when providing services, and he or she cannot refuse to serve a person based on race, religion, politics or sexual orientation.
Notaries make $10 per notarization due to stateregulated laws. However, Charles-Edwards is also a notary signing agent who notarizes mortgage loan documents, earning $100 to $250 per signing.