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Alabama Notary Fees.
Notaries public are entitled to the following fees: The sum of $1.50
and necessary postage for all services rendered in connection with the
protest of any bill of exchange for acceptance, or of any bill of
exchange, promissory note, check or other writing for payment and shall
not charge any other fees therefore; for any oath, certificate and seal
taken under subdivision (1) of Section 36-20-5, $.50; for giving copies
from register, $.20 for each 100 words; for each certificate and seal
to such copy, $.25; and for giving any other certificate and affixing
seal of office, $.50.

Appointment and Commissioning Alabama notaries are appointed and commissioned by the probate judges of the
various counties. The probate judge report the name, county, date of issuance
and date of expiration of the commission of each notary appointed and commissioned
under applicable law to the Secretary of State. For information regarding being
appointed an Alabama notary public, please contact the probate judge for your county.
Note - the Secretary of State does not appoint or commission notaries. However, the
records filed with the Alabama Secretary of State regarding the appointment and
commissioning of notaries are a matter of public record and are available for
review by the general public. You can browse the list of commissioned notaries
by viewing the Secretary of State's government records.

Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of notaries are spelled out in the "Code of Alabama".

Removal
Notaries public shall vacate their office by removal from the county.

Bond
Alabama Notaries public carry a $10,000 surety bond, payable to the State of
Alabama and conditioned to faithfully discharge the duties of such office so
long as they may continue therein or discharge any of the duties thereof.
This bond must be executed, approved, filed and recorded in the office of
the judge of probate before the notary enters on the duties of such office.

Seal
For the authentication of Alabama notary public official acts, each notary
must provide a seal of office, which must present, by its impression, his
or her name, office, state and the county for which he or she was appointed.

Capacities: Notaries public shall have authority to: (1) Administer oaths
of any type; (2) Take the acknowledgment or proof of instruments of writing
relating to commerce or navigation and certify the same and all other of
their official acts under their seal of office; (3) Demand acceptance and
payment of bills of exchange, promissory notes and all other documents which
are governed by the commercial law as to days of grace, demand and notice
of nonpayment and protest for non acceptance or nonpayment and to give notice
thereof as required by law; and (4) Exercise such other powers as may belong
to notaries public according to Alabama State laws.

Journal
An Alabama Notary public must maintain a register or journal of official acts;
and provide certified copies from register generally upon request, on payment 
of required fees..  In case of the death, resignation, removal or expiration
of the notary's term of office, the registers ( journals ) of any particular
notary must, within 30 days, be delivered to the judge of probate of the
county where the notary is commissioned. Any person having the register(s)
in possession who refuses to deliver them on demand to the judge of probate
is liable to an action for the recovery thereof in the name of that judge.
If any person who, after the death, resignation, removal or expiration of
the term of office of any notary public, having the register kept by a
particular notary public, refuses, on demand, to deliver it to the judge
of probate of the county, shall, on conviction, be fined not less than $100.00.
The registers may be delivered by a probate judge to any other notary of his
county, who would be required to give certified copies from it to any person
making application therefore on payment of the legal fees. During the period
when the registers are in the possession of the judge of probate, he must
give any required certified copies from it on application and the payment
of the fees must be whatever an Alabama notary public legally charges. 

Practicing as an Alabama Notary without a commission
Any person who willfully performs or assumes the authority to perform a
notarial act after his or her commission expires or without a notary's
commission will be guilty of a misdemeanor. The punishment for which
consists of  imprisonment for not more than one year.

The Alabama notary public commission
A competent number of individuals shall be appointed and commissioned by
the probate judges of the several counties of the state as notaries public
and shall hold office for four years from the date of their commission.
These notaries shall perform all the acts and exercise all authority now
performed and exercised by notaries under the general laws of the State
of Alabama. The jurisdiction of such notaries public shall not be limited
to the counties of their residence but shall extend to any county of the Alabama.
The probate judges shall collect a fee of $1.00 for each notary commission
issued. The probate judges will also report the name, county of residence,
date of issuance and date of expiration of the commission of each notary
public appointed and commissioned under this section and the fact that said
notary was appointed and commissioned for the state at large to the Secretary of State.

Strange AL Notary Rules
There are three kinds of notaries in Alabama.  A state-at-large notary 
may operate in an official capacity throughout the state of Alabama. 
A county notary is limited to their county of residence. A civil law 
notary commission  is only available to licensed attorneys in Alabama. 
The only other state we have heard of that has county only commissions 
is Louisiana.

Related Links
Become an Alabama Notary Public
Alabama Notary General Information
Florida Notary Public Search