@ChrisM Correct.
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I think you need to dig a bit deeper. NNA always tries to dominate the ‘follow the money’ trail by buying or ‘partnering’ with a successful entrepreneur.
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@ChrisM the only portion of your post (well written, btw) that I will take exception to is the first part. Their hotline is notorious for giving bad advice and information and their handbooks are worthless as they are fraught with errors and, again, bad info. They are NOT in this to help the notary…far from it.
JMO
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Isn’t this what makes “America” a great country (outside of anyone’s current beliefs in political affiliations)? We each get to express our opinions and feelings hopefully without any negative confrontation. NNA is a business that has performed effective marketing strategies, particularly targeting lenders and title company customers. The National Notary Association has promoted its training programs as being both credible and representative of industry standards, with many title companies even mandating completion of these programs as a prerequisite for contracting with notaries. Ultimately, the perceived value that the NNA provides is subjective and determined by the individual user and their specific needs within the notary services landscape. Years ago, I realized that NNA isn’t always the best provider for our supplies and other needed services. While I have strong reservations about the NNA’s overall actions and priorities, I must concede that they do offer a reference service through their Hotline that can be useful, although I want to be clear that I do not believe their advice is always accurate or in the best interest of notaries.
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Agreed. Few notaries realize that the NNA has two ‘arms’; one of which is a non-profit (.org, I think) and the .com is profit-oriented. One exists to push the other.
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@srqsolutionsgroupllc You choose to frame the responses as ‘negative comments;’ however, the posts have been substantiated by YEARS of first-hand direct experience by the Notary Cafe members posting . . .
After all, we’re the ones who have had to ‘clean up the mess’ they created by providing inaccurate answers to the newbies/inexperienced who needed valid data with which to operate their businesses.
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Certainly, everyone is entitled to their opinion; however, we sages on the Notary Cafe forum/fellow business owners have been Professional Signing Agents [PSAs] for many, many years & are sharing valid direct experiences.
It could be true that they’ve improved over the past few years due to the errors they’ve incurred, but please don’t discount the valuable insights generously provided by those who’ve walked this path for quite a long time . . .
Please don’t misconstrue this as any type of pushback/blowback.
This is solely a gentle suggestion that a bit more depth perception is needed to comprehend the nuances of regulations, guidelines, laws, restrictions, etc. that vary from region-to-region as well as from state-to-state. Often that entity speaks only from a California perspective . . .
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@srqsolutionsgroupllc The principal point that I regularly express on threads and in posts on the Notary Cafe forum is to develop & always utilize critical thinking skills. Review this thread for more information about critical thinking skills.
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- Always employ critical thinking skills
- Make decisions from a business owner viewpoint (not an employee)
- Research & follow the Regulations & Statues within your own State for owning, launching, & operating a business
- Utilize your individual State Notarial Handbook for insights & guidance for establishment of a foundational baseline to operate from for your business decisions
- Undergo a reputable professional training program; i.e., Notary2Pro NOTE: I receive no compensation or remuneration of any type or kind as a result of my reference to Notary2Pro.
- Review the Signing Order [SO] instructions in detail prior to reaching out to the hiring entity for clarifications
- Seek out the guidance & support of fellow business owners via a reliable & professional online format; i.e., Notary Cafe
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“Once I’ve done a stellar job, I’ll reach out and let them know I’m happy to work with them again and tell them my preferred rate.”
And that’s when they move on to the next newb who has the same belief. When you put yourself in the bargain bin, it’s hard to get out.
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Absolutely Accurate!
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Wisdom earned via direct experience through the University of Hard Knocks [UHK].
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===>>> Please learn vicariously from your fellow Professional Signing Agents [PSAs]/business owners who’ve shared their priceless insights. 
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While we all have a lot in common as business owners in the same industry, each of us also has their own experiences shaped by the state we’re in, the regulations we follow and the clients we choose to work with. I think it’s important to recognize that.
I absolutely respect the long experience many of you bring to this discussion and just for context, I’ve got plenty of it myself — having done this for many years with thousands of signing appointments and having built this business successfully twice, in two different states. That’s why I see value in having both perspectives represented.
Personally, I’d rather work with hiring parties that recognize my credentials and experience than fight over underpaid assignments. You know the ones — lowball offers that come with three pages of instructions describing basics every professional already knows: “use blue ink, don’t print double sided, use the right paper size, dress appropriately, arrive in time, etc.” Those only exist because the companies don’t trust the notaries they’re hiring, which says a lot about what happens when you pay too little and settle for random notaries with no verified credentials beyond the commission itself.
Some might blame the NNA, I personally see different reasons. However, newer notaries deserve to hear all sides so they can make informed decisions as gathering information from multiple sources is an essential part of critical thinking.
I’ll leave it there — I think we’ve covered the ground and am comfortable letting others have the last word.
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@ChrisM Appreciate you “echoing” many of the tenets I previously expressed within this thread (as well as in many other threads & posts) including the importance of undergoing well-respected & recognized training & certification programs.
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The principal point that I regularly express on threads and in posts on the Notary Cafe forum is to develop & always utilize critical thinking skills. Review this thread for more information about critical thinking skills.
.
- Always employ critical thinking skills
- Make decisions from a business owner viewpoint (not an employee)
- Research & follow the Regulations & Statues within your own State for owning, launching, & operating a business
- Utilize your individual State Notarial Handbook for insights & guidance for establishment of a foundational baseline to operate from for your business decisions
- Undergo a reputable professional training program; i.e., Notary2Pro NOTE: I receive no compensation or remuneration of any type or kind as a result of my reference to Notary2Pro.
- Review the Signing Order [SO] instructions in detail prior to reaching out to the hiring entity for clarifications
- Seek out the guidance & support of fellow business owners via a reliable & professional online format; i.e., Notary Cafe
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Y’know, I suspect that folks like cNsa5, Ashton, Joe Ewing, Arichter, Florida Linda and a few others I regret not listing by name, must feel like military drill sergeants who every three months, receive a new batch of what we call “newbies” (new recruits) who must be “shown the ropes” (boot camp is waaaay harder than that, I know from personal experience) on how this business works. Never-ending repetition of basic tenets and guidelines and constant referrals to the “Goldmine” of information on this forum site.
With that said, I’ll take this space to both honor and sincerely thank these fine mentors who give freely of their time to educate, inform and guide all the notaries out there who innocently ask questions and express frustrations that we notaries who have been around awhile long since put to bed. I tip my cap to y’all and thank you for your insights and shared ways and means to navigate these choppy (if not, treacherous) notarial waters.
Keep and eye out for the sharks.
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@Bobby-CA 
Thank You for the acknowledgment of all our ongoing support & contributions, Bobby. You’re the Best!
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As I’ve previously expressed via multiple instances, greatly appreciate 
your knowledge, skills, abilities, & insights contributed to the Notary Cafe forum.
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@Bobby-CA Absolutely! 
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I commend the insightful perspectives shared in this discussion; the ability to engage in open and honest dialogue is invaluable. Such exchanges not only foster a deeper understanding of diverse viewpoints but also create an environment where innovative ideas and creative solutions can emerge and truly flourish, ultimately benefiting everyone involved in this dynamic community. I deeply appreciate the insightful “golden nugget” of advice that has been shared regarding the complexities and nuances of establishing and maintaining effective working relationships directly with businesses within our industry; the practical wisdom conveyed here is truly invaluable.
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@cfletcher Concur!
On the surface, this tenet would appear to be easy to implement & maintain.
Unfortunately, there are diametrically opposed objectives that will present challenges on each side of the financial aspect of this relationship. 
As business owners we individually endeavor to provide Professional Signing Agent [PSA] services for a Fee that adequately provides remuneration for those services.
As often expressed via the Notary Cafe forum, the tantamount action to take as a business owner is to extend a counteroffer to the Low-Ball Fees that are currently proffered by some of the business entities within our business sector.
===>>> This action is an integral step regarding the achievement of Success with one’s business. I commend those who know their worth & extend counteroffers when confronted with the Low-Ball Fees.
NOTE: If you need assistance with the determination of your Fees, Review this thread: Guideline for Creating Your Schedule of Fees.
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Due to them (NNA) selling my info on the web and consequently getting spammed by random notary-related purveyors, I blocked them. Then my background check came due, so now they start sharing again. Today I’m reading an article written by the 2025 NNA notary of the year who just so happened to be a bona fide signing service pimp (owner) telling me, the NNA member, how to be a successful signing agent. Sometimes it just can’t get any crazier than that.
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We’re in need of a Jesus to step in and kick all the money changers out of the Temple. The laws have already been passed. This would be a slam dunk for our attorney general.
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I want to thank you for speaking out, because everything you said here is exactly what so many Notaries have been feeling — but very few have been willing to say publicly.
Your experience mirrors mine almost point for point.
The NNA marketed themselves as the guardian of our profession, but over the years it has become impossible to ignore the pattern:
their primary loyalty is to their revenue streams, not to working Notaries.
When I became a Notary years ago, I also bought into the idea that the NNA was the only trusted authority. I spent hundreds on conferences, classes, supplies, and “upgrades” that they pushed aggressively — many of which turned out to be useless or not yet legal in my state. That wasn’t an accident. That was sales strategy dressed up as “professional guidance.”
The more time passes, the more obvious it becomes:
The NNA has positioned itself as a nonprofit advocacy group, but behaves like a for-profit corporation with a monopoly grip on new Notaries.
Your point about AB199 and their alignment with Notarize.com is absolutely on target. The fact that the California Secretary of State — the actual regulatory authority — rejected the bill, yet the NNA continued to support it, tells you everything you need to know. They weren’t supporting policy; they were supporting profit.
Remote online notary access is not the problem —
unchecked out-of-state competition flooding California and destroying small Notary businesses IS.
The NNA knows that.
They pushed it anyway.
Because they make money regardless of who wins or loses — as long as Notaries keep paying membership fees.
And you are absolutely right about NSA fees being suppressed for over a decade. The NNA’s involvement — or at least their silence — in those negotiations helped title and escrow companies set a low-fee culture that has financially crushed thousands of Signing Agents.
The truth is this: the NNA doesn’t represent us. It monetizes us.
And like you said — wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Where We Go From Here
I think it’s time we stop depending on the NNA to “protect” us and begin forming an independent, Notary-led advocacy group that actually fights for:
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fair compensation
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calendar-block/cancellation fees
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transparency in legislation
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protection against predatory RON laws
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industry-wide professional standards that aren’t driven by corporate profit
The NNA has had a monopoly on the conversation for too long.
It’s time the working Notaries — the people who actually drive to the appointments, deal with the clients, print the documents, and absorb all the losses — create our own voice in this industry.
If you (and other Notaries here) are open to it, I would absolutely support beginning an organized advocacy effort separate from the NNA. Something led BY Notaries, FOR Notaries — not by corporations who profit off us.
It’s time for a real union-style movement in this profession, and honestly, conversations like this are exactly how it begins.
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