So you want to be a Notary Public?
During your research on becoming a Notary public, you probably stumbled across the term "signing agent" and have wondered what that is, and if it is any different from a Notary public.
Let's define what a signing agent is -
A signing agent is a Notary public who has experience and/or training concerning the proper execution of loan documents and are hired by mortgage companies, escrow companies, title companies, and signing services to identify loan documents, obtain the necessary signatures, and in some cases deliver the documents to the borrower.
Think of a Signing Agent as a more experienced Notary Public that specializes in one specific industry; the mortgage and lending industry. In order to be a signing agent, you MUST be a Notary public; you can NOT be a signing agent without technically being a Notary public
- Nick Colvill, Certified Signing Agent in California
How do I become a certified signing agent?
The first step to becoming a signing agent is to become a Notary public.
Find workshops for becoming a Notary public on the National Notary Association website (select your state at the top of the screen)
The second step to becoming a signing agent is to take specialty workshops (mostly offered online) that will give you the education and ultimately the designation of signing agent
Find workshops for becoming a signing agent on the Signing Agent website that is also owned by the National Notary Association
With those two steps complete, you are officially a signing agent, but that doesn't mean you will be able to jump in to the mortgage and lending industry and starting handling signings right away! Most established companies will want to see a certain amount of experience in the field of being a Notary, and usually gauge this time based on your commission date.
For example, many established companies will want to see that you have been commissioned as a Notary for at least 2 years before approving you to work on their files. So even though you can complete the Notary and signing agent workshops within a short period of time, you will still need to wait in order to work as a signing agent through most companies
In summary
Becoming a Notary public can be a great career move, and that great career move can be heightened by becoming a signing agent on top of that. It's a logical and affordable career path that offers plenty of satisfaction