Unfortunately, I wasn't ready for it. I was really surprised they even had my cell phone number. I was listed on SigningAgent.com as a certified notary on December 21st, after completing my certification test.
Anyway, I was so surprised. I thought it was another loan company calling my cell phone for a home refinance.
I didn't have a canned response for the loan company, so I apologized. Then I asked if the loan was something they could walk me through, since I'm new (I was honest). They said it was a piggy-back loan, and it was rougher than most. hmm.
We will be using Becky's number out for Notaries, not mine. Oopsee.

Its really picky code to master, after all, who wants spam in their cell phone's text messages.
Here's how it works right now.
- You logon into the notary system.
- You place your order
- You select cash for payment type.
- The system locates the closest agent, and sends him text messages about the order on their cell phone.
- A log entry is made to the administrator of the notary system.
- The agent replies to the cell message when each task is completed.
Pretty cool, huh?
The last enhancements will be:
- Add text messaging for credit card payments.
- Add transaction screens for sales people
- Add transaction screens for notary agents.

I called NNA @ 800-876-6827 and asked them what now?
Did I pass the background screening? Do I get a hard copy certificate? What? What? What?
They said I'd be listed on http://www.signingagent.com and to keep my profile accurate.
She said I should be getting calls anytime now. Kewl.
So, I guess I'm certified. hmmm. wow.
Funny. I don't feel any different.

After talking to Teresa Zeigler from Yellow Book (702) 406-8170.
We will now get a white backed Yellow Page ad for $200 a month.
The book comes out in April, so we got in just about the right time.
A business has to advertise!
Our ads will be under the headings for Notaries, Loans, and Real Estate.
Plus, we'll show online in 6 weeks.
Ya know, I had to notice from the other ads in Yellow Book
- There was an ad for a notary that was listed as Notario Publico, which is EXTREMELY ILLEGAL.
To people, from spanish speaking countries, that is the title of a lawyer.
It is specifically listed in the Nevada Revised Statutes as being a no no.
- Also, in the listings, an ad mentioned wills. Normally a will is notarized by the lawyer that drafts it.
While this is not illegal, it is probably unethical.

I've had to notice, since I've been studying the laws relating to Notaries.
Two things are mandated:
- The person has to be in front of the notary.
- A notary can't charge you more than $5.
This year, we've had four documents notarized.
One for a home refinance (it was legal).
One for our bond and insurance (it was illegal, the notary never saw us, she was in Pahrump).
One for our corporate account (it was illegal, the notary never saw us).
One was a neighbor's document that had no title, no legal certificate but a Postal Outfit notarized it for $15 anyway.
After calling around for a Mobile Notary Services
I noticed ALL of them charged more than $25!
At least I'll be 100%  legal.
I'm going to charge $20 for the referral, $20 for the trip, and $5 for the notarization.
I may be the only person with a legal notary business in Las Vegas.

It costs $2,500 to open, but it is completely free!
And it pays interest, even if you just have a $1 balance.

Yahoo! Now we just need to:
x Open a checking account. ($2,500). Opened 11/17/2006
x File Corp S election with the IRS. Mailed 11/17/2006
- File with Nevada Department of Taxation
- Finish Certification (1 week for me). $180 + 3 weeks for Becky's background check and certification.
- Get business cards ($100)
- Get another phone line. ($100)
- Set up for accepting charge cards. Check PayPal
- Advertise. Embarq Super Bold Listing under Mobile Notaries (up to $5,000).
  Yellow Book is by coming Monday 10am.
And we're on the road to the American Dream, to own our own business!

Obtained signatures from Ry Smith for Be Quick, however, I may need to get more signatures from him!
It cost about $700 to do all of this. Yuck! But the papers should be returned to me by 11/16/2006.
I need to look for an email for another Resident Agent Signature...
Only after this email is returned, does the ball start rolling on an EIN number, which I'm going to need for Yellow Page Ads, cost of doing business, and tax deductable parties at Studio 54 for my clients!
Hopefully, my DBA for Be Quick won't bump heads with Be Quick, Inc. My advisor said it shouldn't.

You can easily find and order fake IDs on the internet.
So how do you detect them?
As a notary, you should be familiar with the most commonly used IDs. EG: Passports, State IDs.
But for out of state IDs, its advisable to call 800-USNotary.
The signature should be similar on the ID, document and notary journal.
Check for card wear, raised area around the photograph, smudges, erasures, styles of typewritten info.
If fraud is suspected and danger may be present, proceed with the notary, then call the police.

1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 240.069, each notary public shall keep a journal in his office in which he shall enter for each notarial act performed, at the time the act is performed:
- The fees charged, if any;
- The title of the document;
- The date on which he performed the service;
- The name and signature of the person whose signature is being notarized;
- A description of the ID used
- An indication of whether he administered an oath
- The type of certificate used to evidence the notarial act, as required pursuant to NRS 240.1655.
 2. If the notary uses a credible witness to verify ID of the person signing the notarized document
- Require the witness to sign the journal in the space provided for the description of the evidence used; and
- Make a notation in the journal that the witness is a credible witness.
 3. The journal must:
- Be open to public inspection.
- Be in a bound volume with preprinted page numbers.
 4. A notary public shall, upon request and payment of the fee set forth in NRS 240.100,
provide a certified copy of an entry in his journal.
 5. A notary public shall retain each journal for 7 years
 6. A notary public shall file a report with the Secretary of State if his journal is lost or stolen.
 7. The provisions of this section do not apply to a person who is authorized to perform a notarial act pursuant to paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of subsection 1 of NRS 240.1635.
 [Part 18:49:1883; BH § 2359; C § 2483; RL § 2020; NCL § 2951] + [Part 21:49:1883; BH § 2362; C § 2486; RL § 2023; NCL § 2954]—(NRS A 1967, 533; 1993, 262; 1995, 193, 1596; 1997, 936; 2001, 654) NRS 240.130

NRS 240.1655 Notarial acts. 
1. A notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate that: 
- Identifies the county, including, without limitation, Carson City, in this State in which the notarial act was performed in substantially the following form: 
    State of Nevada
    County of ............................................  
- Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, includes the name of the person whose signature is being notarized.
If the certificate is for certifying a copy of a document, the certificate must include the name of the person presenting the document.
If the certificate is for the jurat of a subscribing witness, the certificate must include the name of the subscribing witness.
- Is signed and dated in ink by the notarial officer performing the notarial act.
- If the notarial officer performing the notarial act is a notary public, includes the statement imprinted with the stamp of the notary public, as described in NRS 240.040.
- If the notarial officer performing the notarial act is not a notary public, includes the title of the office of the notarial officer and may include the official stamp or seal of that office. If the officer is a commissioned officer on active duty in the military service of the United States, the certificate must also include the officer's rank. 
2. A notarial officer shall: 
- In taking an acknowledgment, determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence, that the person making the acknowledgment is the person whose signature is on the document. The person who signed the document shall present the document to the notarial officer in person.
- In administering an oath or affirmation, determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence, the identity of the person taking the oath or affirmation.
- In certifying a copy of a document, photocopy the entire document and certify that the photocopy is a true and correct copy of the document that was presented to the notarial officer.
- In making or noting a protest of a negotiable instrument, verify compliance with the provisions of subsection 2 of NRS 104.3505.
- In executing a jurat, administer an oath or affirmation to the affiant and determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence, that the affiant is the person named in the document. The affiant shall sign the document in the presence of the notarial officer. The notarial officer shall administer the oath or affirmation required pursuant to this paragraph in substantially the following form: 

  Do you (solemnly swear, or affirm) that the statements in this document are true, (so help you God)?

3. A certificate of a notarial act is sufficient if it meets the requirements of subsections 1 and 2 and it:
- Is in the short form set forth in NRS 240.166 to 240.169, inclusive;
- Is in a form otherwise prescribed by the law of this State;
- Is in a form prescribed by the laws or regulations applicable in the place in which the notarial act was performed; or
- Sets forth the actions of the notarial officer and those are sufficient to meet the requirements of the designated notarial act.

4. For the purposes of paragraphs -, - and - of subsection 2, a notarial officer has satisfactory evidence that a person is the person whose signature is on a document if he:
- Is personally known to the notarial officer;
- Is identified upon the oath or affirmation of a credible witness; 
- Is identified on the basis of an identifying document which contains a signature and a photograph;
- Is identified on the basis of a consular identification card;
- Is identified upon an oath or affirmation of a subscribing witness who is personally known to the notarial officer; or
- In the case of a person who is 65 years of age or older and cannot satisfy the requirements of paragraphs - to -, inclusive, is identified upon the basis of an identification card issued by a governmental agency or a senior citizen center.

5. An oath or affirmation administered pursuant to paragraph - of subsection 4 must be in substantially the following form:
    Do you (solemnly swear, or affirm) that you personally know ………
   (name of person who signed the document)………, (so help you God)?

6. A notarial officer shall not affix his signature over printed material. 

7. By executing a certificate of a notarial act, the notarial officer certifies that the notarial officer has complied with all the requirements of this section. 8. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "consular identification card" means an identification card issued by a consulate of a foreign government, which consulate is located within the State of Nevada.  (Added to NRS by 1993, 202; A 1995, 195; 1997, 940; 2001, 655; 2003, 608, 1932)

NRS 240.100 Fees for services; additional fees for travel expenses; notarial acts performed within and outside scope of employment.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, a notary public may charge the following fees and no more:
 -For taking an acknowledgment, for the first signature of each signer.......... $5.00
 -For each additional signature of each signer...............................................$2.50
 -For administering an oath or affirmation without a signature....................... $2.50
 -For a certified copy..................................................................................$2.50
 -For a jurat, for each signature on the affidavit........................................... $5.00
 2. All fees prescribed in this section are payable in advance, if demanded. 
 3. A notary public may charge an additional fee for traveling to perform a notarial act if:
-The person requesting the notarial act asks the notary public to travel;
-The notary public explains to the person requesting the notarial act that the fee is in addition to the fee authorized in subsection 1 and is not required by law;
-The person requesting the notarial act agrees in advance upon the hourly rate that the notary public will charge for the additional fee; and
-The additional fee does not exceed:
--Between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., $10 per hour.
--Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., $25 per hour.
--The notary public may charge a minimum of 2 hours for such travel
--After the first 2 hours, charge on a Pro Rata basis
4. A notary public is entitled to charge the amount of the additional fee agreed to in advance if:
-The person requesting the notarial act cancels his request after the notary public begins his travel.
-The notary public is unable to perform the requested notarial act due to improper acts. 
5. For each additional fee that a notary public charges for traveling to perform a notarial act pursuant to subsection 3, the notary public shall enter in the journal that he keeps pursuant to NRS 240.120:
-The amount of the fee; and
-The date and time that the notary public began and ended such travel.
6. A person who employs a notary public may prohibit the notary public from charging a fee for a notarial act that the notary public performs within the scope of his employment. Such a person shall not require the notary public whom he employs to surrender to him all or part of a fee charged by the notary public for a notarial act performed outside the scope of his employment.  [17:39:1864; B § 346; BH § 2251; C § 2418; RL § 2760; NCL § 4730] + [1:94:1865; B § 2735; BH § 2318; C § 2457; RL § 1994; NCL § 2925] + [1:49:1883; BH § 2342; C § 2468; RL § 2005; NCL § 2936] + [15:94:1865; B § 2749; BH § 2329; C § 2467; RL § 2004; NCL § 2935] + [16:49:1883; A 1889, 39; C § 2481; RL § 2018; NCL § 2949] + [Part 25:49:1883; BH § 2366; C § 2490; RL § 2027; NCL § 2958]—(NRS A 1981, 325; 1985, 1207; 1993, 261; 1995, 193; 1997, 935; 1999, 76; 2003, 607)  NRS 240.110 Posting of table of fees. If a notary public charges fees for performing notarial acts, he shall publish and set up in some conspicuous place in his office a table of his fees, according to this chapter, for the inspection of all persons who have business in his office. The schedule must not be printed in smaller than 1/2-inch type. A notary public shall not charge fees unless he has published and set up a table of fees in accordance with this subsection.  [Part 23:49:1883; BH § 2364; C § 2488; RL § 2025; NCL § 2956]—(NRS A 1985, 1207; 1995, 193; 1997, 936)