How Long Does Notarization Take?
If you are trying to fit a notary appointment into a busy day, this is exactly the right question to ask.
The short answer is that the notarization itself can take as little as 10 minutes — but the total time from request to completed document depends on a few factors that are largely within your control.
Here is what to expect and how to make the process as fast as possible.
How Long Does the Actual Appointment Take?
If you have a single document ready to sign and your ID is in hand, a notary appointment can be as short as 10 minutes from start to finish.
Where appointments run longer is almost always tied to preparation — or the lack of it. In my experience completing over 1,365 appointments, the factors that most commonly extend an appointment are:
The document is not complete or ready to sign when the notary arrives
Printer problems — the document hasn't been printed, or the printer isn't cooperating
The signer can't locate their ID
The necessary people aren't available — whether that's the signer, a witness, or another required party
None of these are unusual, and none of them are the end of the world. But they do add time, and in some cases they can turn a 10-minute appointment into something much longer.
Use our calendar with real-time availability to book an appointment today.
Does the Document Type Affect How Long It Takes?
Not in the way most people assume.
A notarization takes roughly the same amount of time regardless of the document type. What varies is how complete the document is when the notary arrives.
A power of attorney, for example, contains several choices the signer must make before signing — things like designating an agent, selecting powers, and specifying when the document becomes effective.
A signer who has already worked through those decisions before the notary arrives can move through the signing quickly. A signer who is seeing those choices for the first time at the appointment will naturally need more time.
The same principle applies to loan signing packages, which are actually collections of individual documents rather than one long document.
Each document takes roughly the same amount of time to notarize — the volume is what adds up, not the complexity of any single page.
There is one notarial act that does require more time than a standard notarization: a certified copy of a power of attorney.
This requires the notary to carefully review and compare documents before certifying them, which takes longer than a general acknowledgment or jurat. If you need this service, it is worth factoring in a little extra time.
How Quickly Can You Get a Mobile Notary Appointment?
Most days, I can be at an appointment within 60 minutes of the original request. That kind of same-day availability is one of the biggest practical advantages of mobile notary service.
Compare that to walking into a bank or shipping store. The notary may or may not be in that day. You may need to wait. You may need to come back. There is no guaranteed availability and no confirmed appointment waiting for you when you arrive.
From the notary's side, the total time for a mobile appointment — factoring in travel, the signing itself, and any add-on services like scanning or document courier — can exceed an hour depending on distance and traffic.
But our goal is always to keep the face time with the signer as short as possible. Clients come to us because they don't have a lot of time to spare, so we prioritize doing everything that requires both of us first and saving the solo work for after the signer is free to go.
What Happens When an Appointment Takes Much Longer Than Expected
I once received a call from a client who told me they had just one document to be notarized. When I arrived, it was a trust — with 32 individual documents requiring notarization.
The signer was late to his dinner date with his wife and children.
I had to contact another notary to cover my following appointments because there was no way I would finish in time. It worked out, but it is a clear example of why accurate information upfront matters — not just for the notary, but for the client who may be counting on a quick appointment and ends up with a much longer one.
If you are not sure exactly what you have or what it requires, that is completely fine. Just say so when you book. Notaries are resourceful people who would rather plan for the unexpected than be caught off guard by it.
How to Make Your Appointment Go as Quickly as Possible
My single best piece of advice is to be transparent about your needs — or your uncertainty about what you need. Notaries are friendly people who want to be as helpful as possible. The more we know going in, the better we can serve you.
Beyond that, a few practical steps make a real difference.
Make sure your document is complete before the notary arrives. If your document requires choices or decisions — like a power of attorney — work through those before the appointment so you are ready to sign when the notary walks in.
Have your ID ready and confirm it is not expired. A valid, government-issued photo ID is required for most notarizations. If your ID is expired or unavailable, let us know in advance so we can make arrangements. Our post on how to get something notarized without ID covers the options available in California if ID is a barrier.
Make sure all required parties are available. If your document requires a witness or a co-signer, confirm they will be present before the appointment is booked. If you need a witness and don't have one available, witnesses can be booked simultaneously with your notary appointment.
And if you cannot do any of those things — if the document isn't ready, the ID is expired, or you are simply not sure what you need — let us know. We would rather help you prepare than show up to an appointment that isn't ready to move forward.
The Bottom Line
A notarization can take as little as 10 minutes when everything is in order. The appointment runs long when documents are incomplete, ID is missing, or the right people aren't available. As a mobile notary serving Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, I can typically be at your location within 60 minutes of your request — and once I am there, my goal is to get you in and out as efficiently as possible.
If you are ready to book or have questions about what your appointment will require, contact us today and we will help you get everything in order before we arrive. Ready to get started? Book online today.
