(**) Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning RealEstateCareerHQ.com will get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through the links, but at no additional cost to you.
To become a notary loan signing agent in Indiana, an applicant must submit the Notary Public Application to the Indiana Secretary of State, complete the notary course and exam, pay the filing fee, obtain a Title Insurance Producer license, purchase the notary stamp and journal.
Although you could work on different types of documents, the loan signing business in the real estate market seems to be a lucrative niche.
So what does a loan signing agent do in Indiana? When people are getting a mortgage to purchase a house, or they need to refinance their property, there will be loan documents involved. Your role as a notary loan signing agent is to walk through the set of loan documents with the borrower and witness them in signing the paperwork.
You would also need to verify the identity of the signers, place the notary stamp on the signed documents, then send them back to the escrow company.
But keep in mind that you should NOT be providing legal advice, and you cannot explain the terms of the loan documents to the borrower.
In this guide, you’ll find the steps to become a notary loan signing agent in Indiana, income updates, course content, exam and other helpful information about this profession.
Note that this guide is for general information only and not to provide any professional advice. Although I’ve tried to put down info as accurate as I could possibly find, you should always refer back to the Indiana Secretary of State and the State law.
Would you like to learn how to make $75 to $200 per signing appointment? You must check out the Loan Signing System from Mark Wills. (**) This is one of the best training programs for loan signing agents. Many students have achieved remarkable business success after taking this program.
7 steps to become a notary signing agent in Indiana
Step 1: Meet the state-eligibility basic requirement
- At least 18 years of age
- Citizen or permanent legal resident of the U.S
- Full-time permanent resident of Indiana or primarily employed in Indiana
- Able to read and write English
Step 2: Purchase a surety bond
The Indiana Secretary of State requires you to purchase a $25,000 surety bond. You must get it from a licensed surety such as a notary bonding company, an insurance company, or a notary organization. You could search for them online.
Note that the surety bond is to protect those for whom the notary public performs a notarization, but not you as a notary public.
If you need coverage for your professional services, you should consider getting an Error & Omission insurance (E&O).
I just checked with a surety bond issuer. Below is their premium structure.
| Coverage | Premium | |
| $25,000 bond without E&O coverage | $50 | |
| $25,000 bond with $10,000 E&O coverage | $125 | |
| $25,000 bond with $15,000 E&O coverage | $145 | |
| $25,000 bond with $20,000 E&O coverage | $155 |
Step 3: Complete the Indiana Secretary of State Notary Education Course
It is mandatory that you take the free online course administered by the Indiana Secretary of State. The purpose is to equip you with the necessary knowledge in becoming a notary signing agent and prepare you for the notary exam.
I just went through the course. It is in a video and slide show format. The course is relatively short and easy-to-understand. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to complete.
Here are the topics that you’ll learn in this online course:
- Example of A Complete and Correct Notarization
- Example of a certificate for witnessing a signature
- Notarizing in Special Circumstances
- Common mistakes
- Fees
- Employer of a notary
- Notary journals
- Identification
- Conflicts of Interest
- Jurisdiction
- Notary Seal
- Attestation
- Duties and Responsibilities of a Notary Public
Step 4: Pass the Indiana notary exam
Now is the time to test what you have learned in the course. The exam is a combination of multiple-choice and true/false questions.
There are 30 questions on the test. The required passing score is 80%, which is to answer at least 24 questions correctly.
You will register for the exam when you are submitting the online application to the Indiana Secretary of State, which I will be covering in the next step.
Step 5: Submit the notary public application to the Indiana Secretary of State
The Indiana Secretary of State is the office that grants the notary commission to applicants and maintains records of all notaries public in Indiana.
You need to fill out the online application at the Indiana Enterprise Licensing website. The questions on the application are pretty strict forward—for example, your name, business address, background info.
As part of the application, you need to upload the bond certificate and a signature sample.
Note that you should only sign with your official signature. All details should be typed or printed legibly in blue or black ink.
There is a $10 application fee and can be paid by a credit card or debit card.
Step 6: Review the notary certificate of appointment
Once everything is in good order, you should receive an email notification about your application’s status within a couple of business days. In there, you should find a link to download the certificate of appointment.
Then you should review and make sure all the details are correct. (e.g., your name, county of residence, commission dates).
To ensure your notary commission is registered correctly, it’s better to check on the IN Licensing website that your profile appears on it.
Step 7: Get the notary business supplies
Notarize documents with a standardized stamp
To start the loan signing business, you’ll need have a notary stamp. This helps you to include specific info in every document so you won’t leave out any required details.
You may purchase the notary seal from office supplies store. If you do, then usually they would require the details on your notary public commission certificate.
Also, the stamp’s design must comply with the regulatory rules.
At minimum the seal must contain the following information:
– The words: “Notary Public.”
– The words: “state of Indiana”.
– The word: “seal.”
– The name of the notary public, exactly as it appears on the notary public’s commission certificate.
– The words: “commission number” followed by the commission number of the notary public.
– The words: “my commission expires” followed by the expiration date of the notary public’s commission.
Quote from Indiana Notary Public Guide
You must keep the notary seal in a locked and secured area, where only you have direct and exclusive control of it. (e.g. a locked drawer or cabinet.)
Maintain a good record of business practice
As a loan signing agent in Indiana, you are not required to keep a business journal. However, maintaining a good record of your notary acts is an essential part of good business practice. It could serve as proof that you have taken reasonable steps to identify the signer of a document.
It’s better that the journal to be bounded with pre-printed pages. You may find it at stationery, office supply stores, or through notary associations.
According to the Indiana Notary Public Guide, they recommend that you should record the following items:
Date and time the notarial act was performed
Quote from the Indiana Notary Public Guide
Type of notarial act performed
Date of the document notarization
Type of document notarized (i.e. will, contract, deed, etc.)
Printed name of the signer
Description of how the notary public identified the signer
Any other pertinent information
Fees collected, if any
Unusual circumstances such as reason for refusal to notarize, etc
Step 8: Obtain a Title Insurance Producer license
Beside the notary commission certificate, you also need the title insurance producer license. This is because the state wants another layer of protection for consumers against the improper conduct and negligence of title insurance producers.
To obtain such a license, you must complete the required pre-licensing education, submit the application, and pay the registration fee.
You may check with the Indiana Land Title Association for more details. I will also leave their link in the reference section at the end of the post.
How to become a remote notary in Indiana?
One thing I really like about this industry in Indiana is the option for notary to work digitally. Doing so could bring you great convenience to streamline your notary practice.
But let me first explain the difference between “Electronic notarization” and “Remote notarization.”
“Electronic notarization,” sometimes known as “e-notary,” is where you meet the signer in person, but the documents are signed and notarized digitally.
On the other hand, “Remote notarization” is also being done digitally. But you are not physically present with the signer. Instead, you would verify their the signer’s identity through video and audio conference.
The Indiana Secretary of State allows both electronic and online notarization.
Step 1: Submit the remote notary authorization application
You need to complete and submit this application, then email it to INBiz@sos.in.gov. In the subject line, you must indicate your name and notary public number. This way, they can associate the information to your application.
You also need to state which technology vendor you’re going to use for your remote notary acts. As I’m writing this post, the following providers are in the Indiana Secretary of State approved list:
There is a $5 filing fee. But I could not find anywhere in the application where allows you to put down the credit card details. Instead, they advise you to mail the $5 cheque (payable to the Indiana Secretary of State) to:
- Business Services Division, C/O Notary, 302 West Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Step 2: Complete the Indiana remote notary education and exam
The course is administered by the National Notary Association. The lessons would include:
– Difference between remote, online and electronic notarization
– Properly identifying a signer remotely
– How to conduct a remote notarization properly
– Legal requirements for remote notarization technology providers
– Special tools required for electronic documents that are notarized remotely
– Recording and storage requirements of electronic journals and videos for remote online notarizations
Quote from NNA – Indiana State-Required Remote Notarization Course
After you finish the course materials, you need to write an exam. The required passing rate is 80% or higher, then you will receive a certificate of completion.
It should take you around 3 hours to complete the course, and the fee is $95.00.
Step 3: Check the status of your application
You cannot practice remote notarization until your application is approved.
After you submit the application, you may check the status on the in.gov licensing website. Once it is approved, it will change from “pending application” to “active.”
Want to earn money as a loan signing agent while enjoy working from home? Here’s another post on how you could do that.
How much can you make as a notary signing agent in Indiana?
The average annual income of Loan Signing Agent in Indiana is $50,517. The income typically ranges between $27,695 to $56,314. Top earning loan signing agents in Indiana are making over $84,009.
Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Loan Signing Agents in Indiana
| City | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Fort Wayne | $48,079 |
| Lafayette | $47,601 |
| South Bend | $47,521 |
| Carmel | $45,681 |
| Bloomington | $44,299 |
| Indianapolis | $43,749 |
| Elkhart | $42,955 |
| Fishers | $42,770 |
| Evansville | $42,594 |
| Terre Haute | $42,156 |
source: ZipRecruiter (May 11, 2022)
As mentioned earlier, you could work on different documents, but the loan signing in the real estate market could be a lucrative niche.
Can you make over $10,000/month as a loan signing agent? Be sure to check out our notary earning guide. You’ll find a case study where a loan signing agent has built her business to such a successful figure.
Is there demand for notary loan signing agent in Indiana?
As long as people are obtaining mortgages or refinancing their homes, there would be a demand for notary loan signing agents in Indiana.
All originated mortgages in Indiana
| Year | All originated mortgages |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 158,693 |
| 2016 | 172,307 |
| 2015 | 156,109 |
| 2014 | 130,131 |
| 2013 | 184,428 |
| 2012 | 210,891 |
| 2011 | 160,424 |
| 2010 | 179,820 |
| 2009 | 207,593 |
| 2008 | 155,308 |
| 2007 | 199,213 |
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) (June 9, 2020)
Furthermore, some states are “Attorney states,” which means only an attorney can handle the closing paperwork. Whereas, others are “Escrow States” where a loan signing agent can do the work.
According to the First American Title, Indiana is a not an “Attorney State,” which is good news if you are interested in starting a notary loan signing business.
What education do you need to become a Indiana notary public?
To become a notary public in Indiana, you’ll need to complete the free online notary course from the Indiana Secretary of State.
In addition to the training course, another good place to learn about the notary profession is by reading the “Indiana Notary Public Guide. ” It is a 78 pages guide written by the Office of the Indiana Secretary of State. It pretty much covers most of the topics that you need to know.
Here are the topics in the Indiana Notary Public Guide:
What is a notary?
Qualifications to become a notary
Applying for an Indiana Notary Commission
Maintaining an Indiana Notary Commission
Indiana public officials that may perform notary functions
Duties and responsibilities of a notary public
Notary Certificates
Notary Seal
Jurisdiction of a notary public
Conflicts of Interest and Family Members
Certified copies and true copies
Secretary of State Certificates and Apostilles
Identification
Notarizing in special circumstances
Notaries who are employees
Indiana Uniform Electronic Transactions Act
Fraudulent advertising and notario publico law
Notary fees
Constitutional Prohibition on dual office holding
Real estate and loan closings; title agents
Blank, post-dated and anti-date documents
Notary Association and Resources
Notary liability
Notary journals
Complaints and notary misconduct
Frequently Asked Questions
Quote from Indiana Notary Public Guide – Table of Contents
I’ll leave the link of the guide in the reference section.
On the other hand, to become a remote notarization in Indiana, you’ll need to take the NNA State-Required Remote Notarization Course.
Is there a exam to become a notary in Indiana?
There is an exam to become a notary in Indiana. It consists of 30 questions and the required passing score is 80% or higher.
Whereas, to become a remote notary in Indiana, you need to pass an exam administered by the National Notary Association. The required passing rate is also 80% or higher.
How much does it cost to become a notary in Indiana?
It costs approximately $297 to become a notary in Indiana.
Here’s a breakdown of the costs to start a notary signing business
| Notary Application | $10 |
| Remote Notary Registration | $5 |
| NNA Remote Notary Course | $95 |
| Surety Bond with E&O | $155 |
| Notary Stamp | $17 |
| Journal | $15 |
There could be other expenses involved, such as travel expenses, car maintenance, auto insurance, remote notary technology, laptop and other business supplies.
How long does it take to become a notary signing agent in Indiana?
The processing time to become a notary signing agent in Indiana is about 2-3 business days. This is really quick when compare those in other states.
On the other hand, it could take longer to register as a remote notary, since you would need to mail the $5 fee to the Office. Just not sure why they don’t have the credit card payment option. After all, being a remote notary is all about seamless and moving toward paperless practice.
Can a felon be a notary loan signing agent in Indiana?
Having a conviction for a felony may impact the application to become a notary loan signing agent in Indiana. The Indiana Secretary of State needs to make sure that you are a person with credibility, truthfulness, and integrity to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
e) Never have committed an act or omission that demonstrates a deficiency in competence, honesty, integrity, or reliability, including any of the following, found in Indiana Code 33-42-13:convicted of a crime which would disqualify the applicant from holding a public office in the state of Indiana, unless the individual has petitioned for and received an order of criminal history expungement under Indiana Code 35-38-9. A conviction that has been reversed, vacated, set aside or “expunged” under IC 35-38-9 would not serve to disqualify a person from holding a
notary commission.(1) Any failure to comply with the requirements of this article or rules adopted under this article.
(2) Any deceitful, dishonest, or fraudulent statement or omission made during the application for a commission.
(3) Any conviction for a felony offense or a crime involving deceit, dishonesty, or fraud.(4) An adverse ruling or admission of liability in any legal proceeding pertaining to deceit, dishonesty, or fraud.
(5) Any failure to discharge any duty required of a notary public.(6) Any use of false or misleading advertisements.
(7) Use of any false or misleading statement claiming a right or privilege that the notary public does not have.
(8) Any denial, refusal to renew, revocation, suspension, or conditioning of a notary public commission in another state.
(9) Any violation of a rule or requirement that:
(A) pertains to a notary public; and
(B) is required by the secretary of state.(10) Any failure to maintain an assurance as described in IC 33-42-12.
Quote from Indian Notary Public Guide – Qualifications to become a notary
Having a felony does not necessarily mean your application will automatically be declined. It depends on the severity and nature of the conviction. The Secretary of State would review it on a case-by-case basis.
Before you go through the study and registration, you may contact the Indiana Secretary of State’s office to discuss your specific case.
How to renew notary license in Indiana?
To renew the notary commission in Indian, you need to go through the same steps as the initial registration, which includes taking the notary course, pass the exam, submit the application to the Secretary of State and purchase a new notary stamp.
You need to do so every eight years. Actually, this is one of the longest renewal periods when compared to other states.
To avoid an interrupted business period, begin the renewal process in advance. Don’t wait till your current notary commission is expired.
Can I notarize for a family member in Indiana?
You must not notarize any documents where you have any financial or beneficial interest in the transaction. Therefore, notarizing a document for any family member could call into question, and such practice should be avoided.
I have more questions about being a notary loan signing agent in Indiana, where could I obtain more details?
You may contact the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- Email: Notary@sos.in.gov
- Phone: 317-234-9768
- Mail: Indiana Secretary of State, Notary Division, 200 W. Washington St. Room 201, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change without any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. Some of the posts on this site may contain views and opinions from individual not related to JCHQ Publishing. They do not necessarily reflect our view or position.
(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Reference:
- First American Title- Your Guide to Real Estate Customs by State (source)
- Indiana Secretary of State – INBIZ Notaries (source)
- in.gov- How to Become a Remote Notary (source)
- Indiana Notary Public Guide (source)
- Indiana State-Required Remote Notarization Course (source)
- Salary.com – Notary Signing Agent Salary in Indiana (source)
- ZipRecruiter – Loan Signing Agent Salary in Indiana (source)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) (source)
- SuretyBonds.com – Indiana Notary Public Bond (source)
- Indiana Land Title Association (source)
- National Notary Association – IN Dept. of Insurance Bulletin (source)
