24-hour notary in San Diego

Almost every notary website in San Diego says “24/7”. Far fewer answer the phone at two in the morning. We do, because hospital and detention work does not keep office hours.

Here is what round-the-clock actually means, including the parts that are not possible at any price.

What we can do at any hour

• Any ordinary notarization – powers of attorney, affidavits, deeds, consent letters, DMV forms, corporate documents.
• Hospital and hospice bedside signings, which are often at night.
• Loan signings ($250 per package) scheduled outside working hours, which is when most borrowers actually want them.
• Travel anywhere in San Diego County, including the far north and the border.

What nobody can do at 2 a.m.

• Process an apostille. The California Secretary of State's offices are closed at night and on weekends. We can notarize the underlying document at any hour, but the apostille itself waits for a business day. Anyone promising otherwise is selling you something that does not exist.
• Get you into a detention facility at short notice. Facility access runs on their schedule, not ours.
• Notarize for someone who is asleep, sedated or not alert. This comes up at night in hospitals, and the answer does not change with the hour.
• Fix missing or unacceptable ID. California accepts an ID that is current or was issued within the last five years. Call us before we drive out and we will work out whether credible witnesses solve it.

Arrival times

Traffic and where you are in the county are the main variables, so we will give you a realistic arrival time when you call rather than a hopeful one. If you need something at a fixed time rather than as soon as possible, booking ahead is always more reliable than a scramble.

What it costs after hours

The same as during the day: $95 for the visit, including travel and up to three notarized signatures. We do not add an after-hours surcharge, and we do not add one for hospitals or care facilities either. Exceptional jobs – a two-hour wait, a very remote location, extreme weather – are quoted and agreed before we head out, never added afterwards. The fee page sets out everything, including the statutory maximums California imposes on the notarial act itself.

Same-day and weekend work

Same-day requests are often possible. Saturdays and Sundays are normal working days for us, as are most holidays. The only weekend caveat is the apostille one above: we can notarize on a Sunday, but the Secretary of State cannot certify it until Monday.