Does the Post Office Notarize?
No. The U.S. Postal Service does not provide notary services at any post office. USPS is a federal agency, and notary commissions are issued by states, so postal clerks cannot notarize. Get your document notarized at a bank, The UPS Store, a county clerk, an online notary, or a mobile notary instead.
Last updated: July 16, 2026 · By Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC — CEO & Founder, USA Notary
Does the post office notarize?
No. The post office does not offer notary services. A widely cited notary resource states plainly that "the United States Postal Service doesn't notarize documents." If you've searched "USPS notary" hoping to combine a mailing trip with a notarization, you'll need a separate stop — but the alternatives below are quick, and one of them is free.
This answer holds everywhere. USPS operated 30,972 retail offices across the United States in fiscal year 2025, and not one of them staffs a notary public. There is no "notary-equipped" flagship post office in a big city, no rural exception, and no add-on you can pay for at the counter. Whether your local branch is a full-service office or a village window inside another business, the notary answer is the same: it isn't offered.
That surprises a lot of people, because the post office looks like the natural place for official paperwork — it handles passports, money orders, and certified letters. But every one of those is a federal mail or application service, not a notarial act. The distinction matters, and it's the subject of the next two sections.
Why USPS can't notarize
The reason is jurisdictional. Because "USPS is a federal institution and notary public licenses are issued by the relevant states, USPS cannot offer notary services." A notary's authority comes from a state commission; a federal postal clerk has no such commission and therefore no authority to perform a notarial act. This is the same reason other federal counters don't notarize either.
The same source puts the employment side simply: "USPS employees are employed by the US federal government. As a result, they don't have the authority to offer state-level services like document notarization." Notarization happens at the state level: each state's Secretary of State (or equivalent) commissions its notaries, sets their maximum fees, and defines which notarial acts they may perform. A post office counter simply sits outside that system.
So why does the myth persist? Notarize's guide to the USPS question traces the confusion to three sources: people mix up Certified Mail and Registered Mail with document certification; postal services in some other countries do offer notary-style services; and private "postal" storefronts — mailbox stores and shipping centers that look post-office-adjacent — often do have a notary on staff. All three make "USPS notary" feel plausible. None of them changes the answer at an actual post office.
What USPS actually offers (and what gets confused with notarization)
Most "post office notary" searches trace back to one word: certified. USPS sells Certified Mail; a notary certifies signatures. They sound related and have nothing to do with each other. Here's what each USPS service actually does, with current prices from usps.com — and whether any of it counts as notarization.
| USPS service | What it actually does | Price | Is it a notarization? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Mail | Proves you sent something and shows when it was delivered or attempted | $5.55 | No — it certifies mailing, not your signature |
| Registered Mail | Maximum-security handling; insurable up to $50,000 | From $20.90 | No — it protects the package in transit |
| Signature Confirmation | Records the recipient's signature at delivery | $5.15 retail / $4.15 online | No — the signature belongs to whoever accepts the package |
| Passport acceptance | Accepts passport applications on behalf of the State Department | Varies by service | No — a federal application process, not a state notarial act |
Prices for Certified Mail, Registered Mail, and Signature Confirmation are from the official USPS extra-services page.
The passport row explains a lot of the confusion. USPS accepted 8.9 million passport applications in fiscal year 2025 — so postal clerks really do handle identity paperwork every day. But passport acceptance is a federal program with its own rules; it does not make the clerk a notary, and it doesn't extend to your power of attorney, affidavit, or any other document. A notarization requires a state-commissioned notary who verifies your identity, watches you sign (or takes your acknowledgment), and completes a notarial certificate with a seal. No USPS product does that.
Where to go instead
- Your bank or credit union — usually free for account holders; book an appointment.
- The UPS Store — walk-in or appointment, and it can copy and ship the document too.
- A county or court clerk — many notarize for a small statutory fee; availability varies by county.
- An online notary — the fastest option, by live video, no travel; a flat $25.
- A mobile notary — travels to you for the state fee plus a travel fee.
Which one is right depends on what you're optimizing for. If your document can wait for branch hours and you have an account, the bank is hard to beat on price. If you were headed to the post office to mail the notarized document anyway, The UPS Store replaces the whole trip — notarize, copy, and ship at one counter. If it's after hours, you're traveling, or you just don't want to drive, online wins. Here's the side-by-side:
| Option | Typical cost | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (RON) | $25 flat (USA Notary) | 24/7, on demand | Speed; no travel; any state |
| Bank / credit union | Often free for customers | Branch hours | Account holders; simple documents |
| The UPS Store | Per signature, up to the state cap | Store hours; notary must be on duty | Notarize + copy + ship in one stop |
| FedEx Office | Online only, from $25 | 24/7 (online) | Printing a notarized copy in-store |
| County / court clerk | Free to a few dollars | Government office hours | Court filings; nearby courthouse |
| Mobile notary | State fee + travel fee | By appointment | Homebound signers; large signings |
Not sure which fits? Every option — with costs, appointment logistics, and what each is best at — is compared in full on our guide to where to get something notarized. And note the FedEx nuance: unlike The UPS Store, FedEx Office's notary offering is online, not at the counter — details on the FedEx notary page.
What a notarization costs when the post office isn't an option
A common follow-up search is "how much does USPS charge to notarize" — and the honest answer is that there is no price, because there is no service. What you'll actually pay depends on the venue:
In person, notary fees are capped by state law, per signature or per notarial act. The caps vary widely: California allows up to $15 per signature, Texas $10 for the first signature, Florida $10 per act, and New York just $2 per act. A document with several signatures can multiply that fee, and a mobile notary adds a travel charge on top.
Free options exist. Many banks and credit unions notarize at no charge for account holders, and some libraries and AAA branches do the same for members. The trade-off is hours, appointment availability, and the occasional policy against notarizing certain document types.
Online, USA Notary charges a flat $25 per document — no per-signature math, no travel fee, no waiting for a counter to open. For the full state-by-state fee picture, see our breakdown of how much a notary costs.
Skip the post office: 5 steps to get notarized today
- Check what your document actually requires. Some documents need an acknowledgment, others a jurat (a sworn signature), and some also need witnesses. The receiving party's instructions control — read them before you go anywhere.
- Don't sign yet. For most notarizations the notary must watch you sign or take your acknowledgment in their presence, so bring the document complete but unsigned unless you're told otherwise.
- Bring valid government photo ID. Every venue requires it — The UPS Store's notary page, for example, tells customers to "bring a valid, government-issued photo ID."
- Pick your venue by constraint. Free matters most? Bank, during branch hours. Need to ship the document after? The UPS Store — but call ahead to confirm a notary is on duty. Need it now, tonight, or from another state? Online notarization.
- If you go online, have your document as a file. You upload it, verify your identity, meet the notary on live video, and download the sealed document — about 15 minutes end to end.
One more planning note: if the notarized document then needs to be mailed with proof — say, by Certified Mail — you can still do that at the post office after the notarization. USPS is a fine last stop; it just can't be the first one.
The USPS Form 1583 confusion
Here's where "USPS notary" usually comes from. To rent a PO box or use a mail-forwarding service, you file USPS Form 1583, and it involves an identity check. The official form says you "acknowledge their signature in the physical or virtual presence … of a notary public commissioned in a United States state."
The key point: that identity check can be completed either before a notary or in person with the authorized mailbox operator — and in neither case does USPS itself perform the notarization. On the form, "the Notary Public completes the box," not a postal clerk.
A few practical details from the current form (June 2024 edition): it requires two types of identification — one government-issued photo ID and one document confirming your address — and a driver's license may be used for only one of the two, not both. The form's "virtual presence" language explicitly allows the notarization to happen "in real-time audio and video," which is why online notarization has become the standard way to complete it, especially for applicants who aren't near a U.S. notary at all.
Acceptable IDs, common rejection reasons, and the step-by-step walkthrough are covered in our dedicated PS Form 1583 notarization guide. If you just need it done, an online notary handles it in minutes — no post office trip required.
Edge cases and gotchas the "just go to UPS" advice misses
I-9 forms and wills at The UPS Store
The UPS Store's own notary page warns that "many of The UPS Store locations do not notarize I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms or Wills" and asks customers to contact the store before visiting. If either of those is your document, don't assume a walk-in will work — and for the I-9 specifically, see our guide to whether an I-9 needs notarization before paying anyone.
Documents that need witnesses
Some documents require witnesses in addition to the notary, and The UPS Store notes that "not all locations are staffed to provide additional signature witnessing services." A post office can't help here either way. USA Notary supports remote witnesses where state law and the document's rules permit them, so witness-required documents can often still be completed in one online session.
Military, overseas, and out-of-state signers
If you're stationed abroad or living overseas, there is no U.S. post office to visit at all — and the walk-in alternatives don't exist either. Remote online notarization works from anywhere with a reliable connection, and USA Notary supports APO/FPO military signers. See how to notarize from overseas for the full process.
"Postal" stores that aren't the post office
Private mailbox and shipping storefronts often use "postal" in their names and signage, and Notarize identifies these private postal centers as one reason people believe the post office notarizes: many of them genuinely do have a notary on staff. That's fine — just know you're paying a private business's fee, subject to your state's cap, and it's the store (not USPS) providing the service.
Notarize online instead
Instead of hunting for the right counter, you can notarize online by live video — verify your ID, meet a commissioned notary, and download the finished document in about 15 minutes. It's a flat $25 per document, available to signers in all 50 states, 24/7.
It also solves the cases where a counter can't: it works at midnight, it works from overseas, it supports remote witnesses where state law and the document's rules permit, and it's how most people now complete the notarized version of Form 1583. Upload the document, appear on live video, and you're done — the post office stays what it's good at: mailing the result.
Get Notarized NowFrequently Asked Questions
Does the post office (USPS) notarize documents?
No. The U.S. Postal Service does not provide notary services at any post office — none of its 30,972 retail offices staff a notary. USPS is a federal institution while notary licenses are issued by the states, so USPS cannot offer notarizations and postal clerks are not commissioned notaries.
Why can't USPS notarize documents?
Notary commissions are issued and regulated by individual states, but USPS is a federal agency. Because a notary's authority comes from a state commission, a federal postal clerk has no authority to perform a notarial act — which is why no post office offers notary service.
How much does the post office charge to notarize a document?
Nothing — because the service does not exist at any price. USPS charges $5.55 for Certified Mail and from $20.90 for Registered Mail, but those are mailing services, not notarizations. For an actual notarization, expect free at many banks (for account holders), a per-signature fee capped by state law at The UPS Store, or a flat $25 per document online.
Where can I get a document notarized instead of the post office?
Common alternatives are your bank or credit union (often free for account holders), The UPS Store, a county or court clerk, AAA branches or a public library, an online notary, or a mobile notary who comes to you. Online notarization is the fastest, at a flat $25.
USPS Form 1583 needs a notary to rent a mailbox — does USPS notarize it?
No. Form 1583's identity check can be satisfied either before a notary public or in the physical or real-time-virtual presence of the mailbox operator's authorized employee — but the postal service itself does not notarize it. If you use a notary, you complete that step separately, then submit the form.
Does The UPS Store notarize if the post office doesn't?
Yes. The UPS Store's locations offer notary services, and can then copy and ship the notarized document. But note the store's own caveat: many locations do not notarize I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms or wills. Availability and fees vary by independently owned location and by state law, so call ahead to confirm a notary is on duty.
Does FedEx have a notary if the post office doesn't?
FedEx Office offers notarization online rather than at a walk-in counter — its official service is 'FedEx Office Online Notary with Notarize,' starting at $25 per transaction. Most locations direct notary customers to that platform, so call your local store before assuming in-store service.
Can I notarize online instead of finding a post office alternative?
Yes, and it's usually the fastest route. With online notarization you appear on live video with a commissioned notary, verify your ID, and download the finished document in about 15 minutes — USA Notary does it for a flat $25 to signers in all 50 states, 24/7.
About the author
Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC
CEO & Founder, USA Notary Services LLC
Andrew Ray Yon is the founder and CEO of USA Notary Services LLC and the architect of the SharpNote remote online notarization platform. A Certified Notary Signing Agent since 2005, he has handled mortgage and title loan signings for two decades and holds an MBA and the ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation. Based in Virginia’s Greater Richmond region, he leads the company’s strategy, compliance, and platform development.
Connect on LinkedInSkip the counter hunt
The post office can't notarize — but you can, online, in about 15 minutes for a flat $25.
Questions? Call 804-767-7500