Quick answer. A few kinds of side work can start for a few hundred dollars or less: notary or loan signing, bookkeeping for small businesses, court and document running, and process serving where your state allows it. None comes with guaranteed income. Below are the start-up costs we can cite, official pay figures where the government publishes one, and "varies" where it doesn't.
MCC Solutions works with notaries, bookkeepers, court runners and process servers, so these are the options we can speak to. We sell kits for some of them; nothing on this page promises you work or earnings.
| Option | State requirement | Cost to start we can cite | Official pay figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notary public | Commission from your state | New Jersey: $25 application + $5 online fee; other states below | Varies (no BLS profile) |
| Loan signing agent | Notary commission first | Commission fees, plus training, insurance and a printer if companies require them: varies | Varies (no BLS profile) |
| Bookkeeping side work | Varies; check business registration where you live | Varies | BLS median for bookkeeping clerks (employees): $24.36 an hour |
| Court and document running | Varies | Car, fuel and parking: varies | Varies (no BLS profile) |
| Process serving | Varies by state and county; some require a license or registration | Varies | Varies (no BLS profile) |
Becoming a notary or loan signing agent
A notary is commissioned by a state to witness signatures and give oaths. Each state sets its own steps: an application and fee, sometimes a course, an exam or a bond, and an oath. A loan signing agent is a notary who handles mortgage closing papers for title and signing companies; the companies set their own requirements on top of the state's.
Notary requirements and state fees in 27 states (from our free guides)
- New Jersey: a $25 application fee plus a $5 online fee to the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, a legislator's endorsement, and an oath at the county clerk within 90 days.
- New York: Exam first, then a $60 online application. No seal required; a signature stamp is.
- Pennsylvania: Course, exam, $25,000 bond, and a hard 45-day deadline to record at the county.
- Florida: Free 3-hour course and a $39 state fee, filed for you by a bonding agency.
- Texas: Portal education, a $10,000 bond, and an oath you take on your own downloaded commission.
- California: Six hours of class, an exam, Live Scan fingerprints, a $15,000 bond and 30 days to file.
- Georgia: Appointed at the county courthouse: free training, two endorsers, no bond.
- North Carolina: Six-hour course, an 80% exam, and an oath at the register of deeds within 45 days.
- Virginia: Apply for $45, claim it at the circuit court within 60 days. No bond.
- Illinois: Course and exam, a $5,000 bond, and a bound journal for every act.
- Ohio: Background check first, a 3-hour course and test, then a $15 filing.
- Maryland: Handbook, course and exam, a senator's approval, and an $11 oath within 30 days.
- Arizona: A $35 Pearson exam, a $5,000 bond and a $43 filing, then a journal with thumbprints for real estate.
- Michigan: A $10,000 bond, the oath at the county clerk, and a commission that ends on a birthday.
- Washington: A $10,000 bond, a notarized oath and $40. No test, but the license ends with your bond.
- Missouri: Handbook or training, an 80% exam, a $10,000 bond and an oath at the county clerk.
- Indiana: An eight-year term, with a $50 course every two years to keep it.
- Wisconsin: Commissioned by DFI: a 90% exam, a $500 bond and a $20 filing.
- South Carolina: Registered voters only: no course, exam or bond, and a ten-year commission.
- Massachusetts: Four references, approval by the Governor and Council, then $60 for seven years.
- Colorado: Free training, an open-book exam and $10: approval in days.
- Tennessee: Elected by the county commission: a $12 application and a $10,000 bond.
- Minnesota: A $120 application by mail, then a $20 county registration you shouldn't skip.
- Alabama: Everything runs through your county probate judge; fees vary by county.
- Louisiana: A five-hour exam and a $50,000 bond, for a notary with civil-law powers.
- Oregon: Free Notary Basics training, an exam, and a $40 fee sent with your oath.
- Connecticut: Every exam question right, $120, and the oath recorded with your town clerk.
Each guide cites the state's own pages. For a state not listed, check the Secretary of State or the office that commissions notaries.
Costs we can cite: state fees from the guides above. In New Jersey our startup cost table lists the state's $25 plus $5 online fee and the other items new notaries buy, each with its source. Earnings: varies. States cap what a notary may charge per act, and signing work depends on the companies in your area. Read how New Jersey's process works before buying anything.
Paid kits from MCC Solutions, if you decide to go ahead: New Jersey Notary Starter Kit ($29); Start a Mobile Notary Business in NJ: Guide ($19); Signing Agent Kit for Loan Signings ($29); Notary and Signing Agent Business Tracker ($29).
Bookkeeping side work
Small businesses and landlords pay people to record transactions, reconcile bank accounts and keep books ready for their tax preparer. Accuracy matters more than speed, and many clients want someone comfortable with accounting software.
Official pay figure: the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook gives a median of $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour) for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (May 2025), with a typical entry-level education of some college and no degree, and projects employment to decline 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. Those are mostly full-time employees; a freelancer's pay per hour, after finding clients and unpaid admin time, varies. Costs: varies (software, a computer, any local business registration). For your own books, read bookkeeping for a side hustle.
Paid kits from MCC Solutions, if you decide to go ahead: Bookkeeping Client Onboarding Pack ($39); Bookkeeper Practice Bundle ($59).
Court and document running
Law firms and businesses pay runners to file papers at the clerk's window, bring back stamped copies, pull court records and deliver documents with proof of delivery. You need a reliable car, a smartphone and time during court hours. Costs and earnings: varies; there is no BLS profile for this work. Count your driving, parking and waiting time before accepting a flat fee. MCC Solutions takes applications from independent contractors outside New Jersey on its process server and court runner page, with no promised volume.
Process serving, where licensing allows
Process servers deliver court papers such as summonses, complaints and subpoenas and sign an affidavit of service. Some states, counties or cities require a license, registration or court appointment and some don't; check with your state court system or county clerk first. Costs and earnings: varies; no BLS profile. In New Jersey, see our process server contractor page.
Work out what a job really pays
Most side work pays per job. Count all the time, including driving, waiting and admin, and every cost, then see the real amount per hour.
Enter a job's numbers.
The example numbers are made up; replace them with a real offer. The cost per mile is your own estimate, not the IRS standard mileage rate. The set-aside is a savings habit, not a tax calculation.
Taxes on side income
The IRS says self-employment tax is 15.3 percent (12.4 percent Social Security, 2.9 percent Medicare), due if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, figured on Schedule SE; income tax applies too (IRS). Gig workers may need quarterly estimated payments, or can raise withholding at a day job with a new Form W-4, and should keep records of all income even without a Form 1099 (IRS). Ask a tax professional how much to set aside.
Side hustle scams: what the FTC warns about
- Paying to get work. Scammers sell starter kits, "training" or certifications that are useless. Honest employers, including the federal government, never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC).
- Big money for little work. A work-from-home offer that claims you can make a lot of money in a short time with little work is almost certainly a scam.
- Checks and gift cards. No honest employer has you deposit a check and send part back or buy gift cards. Fake checks bounce and you owe the full amount.
- Reshipping. Receiving packages and sending them on is never a real job; the goods are often bought with stolen cards.
- Business opportunities. Sellers must give you a one-page disclosure document at least seven days before you sign or pay, and a separate earnings claim statement if they say what you can earn. "Up to" figures count. Pick your own references, and walk away if the pitch and the paperwork don't match (FTC; FTC alert).
Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks (modified Aug. 27, 2026)
- IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes), reviewed Oct. 30, 2026
- IRS: Manage taxes for your gig work (reviewed June 28, 2026)
- FTC: Job scams (updated August 2026)
- FTC: Bogus business opportunities
- FTC: Vetting a business or coaching opportunity before you buy in (Aug. 22, 2023)
General information checked November 2026 against bls.gov, irs.gov, ftc.gov and the state notary pages cited in our guides. Not tax, legal or financial advice, and not a promise of income or work. The calculator runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent or saved.
Common questions
How much can I make as a notary or signing agent?
There is no official figure. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no Occupational Outlook profile for notaries or loan signing agents, and pay depends on your state's fee limits, how many jobs you can get and what companies offer. Treat any promised income as a warning sign.
What does bookkeeping pay?
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook gives a median of $50,670 a year, or $24.36 an hour, for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks in May 2025. Most of them are employees working full time, so it isn't a measure of side-work income.
Do I need a license to serve legal papers?
It depends on your state, and sometimes your county or city. Some require a license, registration or court appointment and some don't. Ask your state court system or county clerk before taking any work.
Do I pay tax on a small side income?
The IRS says you must file and pay self-employment tax if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more, and income tax applies too. You may need quarterly estimated payments, or you can raise withholding at a day job.
How do I spot a side hustle scam?
The FTC warns about anyone who asks you to pay for a starter kit, training or certification to get work, sends you a check and asks for part of it back, or promises a lot of money for little work. Business opportunity sellers must give you a one-page disclosure document at least seven days before you pay.