Annual Background check and certification

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It’s that time of year again :unamused_face: Signing services requiring an updated background check (ridiculous, but what choice do we have but to comply). Last year I skipped completing a NNA certification and just obtained a background check. Entering my 5th year as a mobile notary.

As a side note, things are very slow due to unacceptably low fees being countered, so I’m taking a job working at a local title company to make ends meet. Hopefully after getting a few years of experience processing docs and working as a settlement agent, I’ll be able to start working remote for the big companies that won’t hire me without experience.

I’ll still be working my notary business after office hours, so I need to get a BGC at minimum. I personally think it is nonsense that we are expected to take a certification course every year. What are your thoughts on this? Should I just consider it a cost of doing business and complete some type of training year after year?

The NNA wants $89 just for a background check? What other options do we have that the signing services will accept?

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@Elizabeth1 :white_check_mark: Concur! :white_check_mark:

:swan:

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Even with years of experience, continuing education is one of the most important investments a notary public can make. Laws change, signers’ needs evolve, and specialized signings (like apostilles or complex real estate transactions) demand precise knowledge.

Taking regular CE courses isn’t just about keeping up with state requirements—it’s about sharpening fraud detection skills, staying ahead of industry best practices, and delivering error-free service to every client, every time.

Investing in your knowledge is the best way to protect your signers and build a business based on trust!

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4

I suppose I should have clarified that I was specifically referring to the NNA annual certification test

5

It’s easy to pass. Why is it a big problem to pass it every year (it probably isn’t)? Businesses have annual costs this is just one of them.

6

You really don’t want my opinion, but here it is. Never pass up an opportunity to get a certification, whether or not you support the certifier.

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