Can a Real Estate Agent Also Be a Notary in Florida?

Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by Adams, Cameron & Co.

This question usually comes from an experienced agent who’s sat through enough closings to notice how often a notary is needed in the room, and wondered whether it makes sense to just become one. The good news is that the answer is simple: yes, you can, and the process has nothing to do with your real estate license at all. Here’s what actually separates the two, and what becoming a notary really requires.

A completely separate process

A Florida notary public commission is issued by the Florida Department of State, not the Department of Business and Professional Regulation that licenses real estate agents. These are two entirely different regulatory systems with no connection between them. Holding a real estate license doesn’t shorten or simplify the notary application process, and becoming a notary doesn’t affect your real estate license in any way. They exist side by side, each with its own rules, its own application process, its own renewal cycle, and its own governing statute.

Why some agents choose to get commissioned

The appeal is practical rather than dramatic. Real estate transactions generate a steady stream of documents that need notarization, and closings in particular are full of paperwork that has to be signed, witnessed, and notarized correctly and on time. An agent who’s also a notary can handle that piece directly for their own clients rather than coordinating around someone else’s schedule, which is a real convenience, especially when a signing has to happen quickly or outside normal business hours. It can also add a modest, additional revenue stream, since notaries can generally charge a fee per notarial act, separate entirely from real estate commission income.

The one document you usually can’t notarize yourself

This is the part that surprises agents who get commissioned expecting to handle everything on their own deals. Notary law generally prohibits a notary from notarizing a document in a transaction where they have a personal or financial interest, and earning a commission on the sale is exactly that kind of interest. In practice, that means an agent-notary usually can’t be the one notarizing signatures on their own listing or their own buyer’s closing documents, even though they can notarize freely on other agents’ transactions, for other clients, or in an unrelated capacity. It’s a real limit worth understanding before you get commissioned expecting it to solve every scheduling headache on your own deals specifically.

The basic requirements

To become a notary public in Florida, you have to meet a short list of requirements. You must be at least 18 years old, a legal resident of Florida, and able to read, write, and understand English. Beyond that, first-time applicants must complete at least 3 hours of state-approved interactive or classroom education, covering notary duties and electronic notarization, completed within one year before submitting the application. After the education requirement is met, you submit your application along with the required fee.

The cost to become a Florida notary

The current Florida state application fee is $39. Florida law also requires notaries to obtain a $7,500 surety bond, which protects the public against financial loss from improper conduct. You don’t pay the full bonded amount upfront. You pay a bond premium, which is typically a modest amount rather than anywhere close to $7,500. Beyond the state fee and the bond, expect additional costs for the education course itself and basic notary supplies, like an official seal, stamp, and record-keeping journal. None of this compares to the cost of getting real estate licensed in the first place, but it’s a real, out-of-pocket cost worth budgeting for rather than assuming is free.

How long a commission lasts

A Florida notary commission is valid for four years, at which point it needs to be renewed through the same process. That renewal cycle runs entirely separately from your real estate license renewal, which means you’re tracking two different expiration dates if you hold both credentials. It’s worth calendaring both clearly so neither one lapses without your noticing, since a lapsed notary commission generally stops you from performing notarial acts until a new commission is issued.

What a notary commission does not do

Being a notary doesn’t give you any authority beyond notarizing documents correctly. It’s not a legal credential, it doesn’t qualify you to give legal advice, and it doesn’t change your responsibilities or liability as a real estate agent in a transaction. The two roles stay distinct even when the same person is performing both: as the agent, you’re representing your client’s interests in the deal, and as the notary, you’re independently verifying signatures and administering oaths where required, a narrow and specific function that has its own rules about neutrality and proper conduct.

Notary signing agent: a further specialization

Some notaries take this a step further and become a notary signing agent, a specialization focused specifically on handling loan document signings for lenders and title companies, which typically involves additional training beyond the base notary commission. This is a distinct, optional path on top of the basic notary commission, not something that comes automatically with it, and it’s worth researching separately if the appeal is less about your own listings and more about building a standalone signing business alongside real estate. It also comes with its own additional costs and background-screening requirements beyond the base commission, so treat it as a genuinely separate decision rather than an automatic next step after getting commissioned.

Is it worth it?

That depends entirely on how your business runs day to day. An agent who closes a high volume of transactions and regularly runs into scheduling friction around notarization may find real, practical value in handling it themselves. An agent whose transaction volume is lower, or whose brokerage and title partners already handle notarization smoothly and reliably, may not see much practical benefit relative to the time and small upfront cost of getting commissioned in the first place. Neither answer is wrong, and neither one reflects poorly on how well an agent runs their business. It’s a business decision, not a requirement, and it’s worth weighing against what else you could be doing with that same time and modest budget to grow your core real estate business. If you’re weighing this alongside other ways to diversify your income, it’s worth reading through what’s allowed for a Florida agent running a side business more broadly, since a notary commission is really one specific version of that larger question.

What is your next step?

If you’re still working through what it actually takes to build a real estate business in Florida in the first place, the Florida real estate license guide is the right starting point, separate entirely from anything covered here.

Adams, Cameron & Co., the area’s largest brokerage since 1963, supports agents building out every part of their business, including the smaller decisions like this one. If you want to talk through what actually makes sense for how you work, start a conversation.

Notary requirements, fees, and bond costs are set by the State of Florida and can change over time. Confirm current requirements directly with the Florida Department of State before applying. Educational only, not legal advice.