Guide
Gather what the notary needs to say yes, pick a notary who covers the county and is actually free, then send one complete request and get the documents moving. The steps below run from the order landing on your desk to the signed package on its way back.
For the details that go into the request, see what to include in a notary signing request. For the bigger picture of how agencies run this every day, see how title agencies schedule notaries. If a notary doesn't show, see what to do when the notary doesn't show up.
Five things, so the notary can say yes without calling you back: the signing address and county, the date and a time window, the signer's name and phone number, the type of signing (purchase, refinance, seller package and so on), and how the documents will move, whether that's eDocs to print, a package to pick up, or something else. Add your order or file number so everyone talks about the same file. Anything unusual, like a power of attorney, an extra signer or a language need, goes in now too, not on the day.
Start with the notaries who cover that county, then narrow to the ones who are actually free at that time. That second step is where most scheduling goes wrong: a notary says yes from memory, or you book someone who is already at another closing across town. From the ones who are free, pick for fit. Some notaries are great with first-time buyers, some are the ones you trust with a tricky seller package. Price matters, but a reliable notary who shows up is cheaper than a re-sign.
Send one complete request instead of a string of texts. Everything from the first step goes in it, so the notary can decide in one read. Ask for an explicit yes, and don't treat a text that was read but not answered as accepted. If you send the same signing to several notaries at once, say so, and make it clear the first to accept gets it, so nobody shows up to a signing someone else took.
Usually both sides, at different times. When you book, tell the signer the time and the notary's name so they know who to expect. Then the notary makes their own confirmation call, typically the day before, to check the address, the ID the signer will bring, who needs to be there and anything about the documents. Agree up front which of you calls if the time changes, so the signer doesn't hear two different stories.
However you said they would in the request, and as early as you can. eDocs need time to print, and a long refinance package takes a while on a home printer. A physical package needs a pickup time or a tracking number. Late documents are the most common reason a well-scheduled signing still runs late, so if they're going to be late, tell the notary when to expect them instead of letting them guess.
The notary does the signing and then follows the return instructions in the request. That might mean scanning the signed pages back to you before anything ships, shipping the package with a label you provided, or dropping it at your office. Ask for a quick note when the signing is done and again when the package is on its way, with the tracking number if it ships. Then you can tell the lender where things stand without chasing anyone.
The request itself takes a few minutes once you have the details. What eats the time is finding out who is free: calling and texting down a list, waiting for replies, and starting over when the first two are busy. That part can take far longer than the request. It's the step worth fixing first.
Yes, and it comes in two kinds. A signing network or signing service finds you a notary from its own pool. Dispatch software works with the notaries you already use: it shows who's free in that county and sends the request. NotaryBoard is notary scheduling and dispatch software for title agencies. It does not supply notaries. Agencies invite and manage their own.