Notary fees are the costs incurred when using a notary public to authenticate documents. A notary public is an individual who is authorized to verify the identity of parties signing official documents, administer oaths or affirmations, witness signatures, and certify that the facts stated in a document are true. Notaries draw up documents for various business transactions, such as loan agreements, wills, deeds, contracts, and other legal instruments. The fees for this service vary by state and can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars depending on the complexity of the document being notarized. In most cases, these fees are paid upfront and are non-refundable.