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Membership Agreement

Effective October 27, 2026 · Version 2026-10-27

Effective date: October 27, 2026. Version: 2026-10-27

This Membership Agreement (the "Agreement") is between Boston Notary Co. ("Boston Notary Co.," "we," "us," or "our") and the notary public who purchases a membership ("you" or "Member"). It applies in addition to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Refund & Cancellation Policy, and Information & Customer Responsibility. If this Agreement conflicts with the Terms of Use on a membership matter, this Agreement controls.

You accept this Agreement by checking the acceptance box and completing checkout or by using a membership. We keep a record of the version you accepted, the date and time, your IP address, and your browser's user agent.

1. Definitions

  • "Membership" means a paid subscription to a Basic, Professional, or Featured plan.
  • "Listing" means your profile in our public directory and all content you submit for it.
  • "Portal" means the member client portal on the Site.
  • "Inquiry" means a message a member of the public sends to you through the inquiry form on your Listing.
  • "Billing Period" means the monthly or annual period for which you have paid.

2. Eligibility

To hold a Membership and keep a Listing published, you must:

  1. be at least 18 years old;
  2. hold an active Massachusetts notary public commission that is not expired, suspended, or revoked;
  3. be the individual notary named in the Listing (a Membership is personal to one notary and may not be shared or transferred); and
  4. provide accurate and complete information, including your commission number and expiration date.

You must notify us through the Portal or at support@bostonnotary.com within five (5) business days if your commission expires, is suspended or revoked, or if your commissioned name changes. We may unpublish your Listing until we receive updated, verifiable commission information.

3. Membership Plans

We offer Basic, Professional, and Featured plans, billed monthly or annually. The features, placement level, and price of each plan are described on our pricing page and at checkout at the time you subscribe. We may add, change, or remove features as the Site develops, but we will not materially reduce the core features of your current plan during a Billing Period you have already paid for.

4. Your Listing

4.1 Accuracy

You are responsible for everything in your Listing. It must be truthful, current, and not misleading, and must describe only services you are authorized and qualified to provide. You must keep it up to date, including your availability, service area, and fees if you display them.

4.2 Content standards

Your Listing and any other materials you submit must not:

  • state or imply that you are an attorney, or that you can give legal advice, unless you are a licensed Massachusetts attorney;
  • advertise yourself as a legal specialist or consultant, or state or imply that you can obtain special favors from, or have special influence with, a government agency, contrary to M.G.L. c. 222, § 17(a);
  • literally translate the terms "notary public" or "licensed" into another language without regard to their true meaning, or use any other term that implies you are a licensed attorney (M.G.L. c. 222, § 17(a));
  • use the term "notario" or "notario publico" (M.G.L. c. 222, § 16(i));
  • claim powers, qualifications, rights, or privileges that the office of notary public does not provide (M.G.L. c. 222, § 16(j));
  • offer services you may not lawfully provide, such as conducting real estate closings or acting as a closing agent if you are not an attorney (M.G.L. c. 222, § 17(e)), or immigration services restricted by M.G.L. c. 222, § 17(b);
  • offer remote notarization unless you are authorized to perform it under Massachusetts law;
  • state or imply that Boston Notary Co. or the Commonwealth endorses, certifies, or employs you;
  • include false reviews, testimonials, credentials, or affiliations; or
  • include content that infringes others' rights, is unlawful, offensive, or discriminatory, or includes other people's personal information without their permission.

These examples are not a complete statement of the law. You are responsible for knowing and following all advertising and conduct rules that apply to you.

4.3 Photos and materials

You must own or have permission to use any photo, logo, or other material you upload. Photos must accurately represent you or your business.

4.4 Address privacy

Your street address is stored encrypted and is hidden from the public unless you choose to display it. You control which contact details appear publicly.

5. Review, Verification, and Publication

  1. Staff review. Your Listing is published only after our staff review and approve it. Edits you submit through the Portal may also require review before they appear.
  2. Verification. We may verify your commission details against official sources and may ask you for proof of your commission or identity. Verification is limited and does not make us responsible for your qualifications or conduct.
  3. Editorial rights. We may request changes, make minor edits for formatting, length, clarity, or consistency, or decline content that does not meet this Agreement. We will not change the substance of your Listing without telling you.
  4. Timing. We aim to review submissions promptly but do not guarantee a review or publication date.
  5. Initial listing declined. If we decline to publish your initial Listing and you are unable or choose not to resolve the issue, we will refund your first payment in full as described in the Refund & Cancellation Policy.

6. Placement and Paid Placement

  • After any search filters a visitor applies (such as location or service), listings are ordered first by plan tier (Featured, then Professional, then Basic) and then by recency.
  • Listings on the Featured plan receive paid priority placement and are clearly labeled "Featured." You agree that this label may be displayed and that you will not remove or obscure it.
  • We do not sell placement outside these rules or rank listings based on undisclosed payments.
  • We may adjust how placement, search, and display work, including how recency is measured, to improve the directory. We will give you reasonable notice of material changes to placement rules.
  • We do not guarantee any particular position, number of views, or visibility in search engines.

7. No Guarantee of Clients or Leads

A Membership gives you a published Listing and Portal features. We do not guarantee any number of inquiries, clients, appointments, or income. Results depend on many factors outside our control, including demand, location, and your own responsiveness. Featured placement improves position within results but does not guarantee results.

8. Inquiries and Personal Information

We forward Inquiries to you by email and make them available in the Portal. Inquiries contain personal information of members of the public. You agree to:

  • use Inquiry information only to respond to the person and provide the services they requested;
  • not sell, share, or add Inquiry information to marketing lists without the person's consent;
  • protect it with reasonable security measures and comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, including, where they apply to you, 201 CMR 17.00 and M.G.L. c. 93H; and
  • tell us promptly if you believe Inquiry information you received has been accessed without authorization.

We do not screen Inquiries for accuracy and are not responsible for their content or for whether the sender follows through.

9. Portal and Support

The Portal lets you edit your Listing and submit it for review, view Inquiries, manage billing, export your account data, and request account deletion.

9.1 Practice questions are general information, not legal advice

You may ask us general questions about Massachusetts notary practice. Our answers are general information only, based on public Massachusetts law and guidance. They are not legal advice, do not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not account for your specific facts or recent changes in the law. We may decline to answer questions that call for legal advice. You remain solely responsible for your notarial acts and should verify current law with official sources and, where appropriate, a licensed Massachusetts attorney.

9.2 Support scope

Support covers use of the Site, your Listing, billing, and general practice information. We aim to respond within a reasonable time but do not guarantee response times.

10. Fees, Billing, and Automatic Renewal

  1. Payment. Fees are charged in U.S. dollars through Stripe Checkout. We never receive or store your full card number. You authorize us, through Stripe, to charge your payment method for each Billing Period.
  2. Automatic renewal. Your Membership renews automatically at the end of each Billing Period, monthly or annually, at the then-current price for your plan (or your founding-member price, if applicable), until you cancel.
  3. Annual renewal reminder. For annual plans, we will send a reminder to your account email about 30 days before your renewal date, showing the renewal date and amount.
  4. Taxes. Prices do not include any applicable taxes unless stated. You are responsible for taxes we are required to collect.
  5. Failed payments. If a payment fails, Stripe may retry it and we will notify you. If payment is not completed within a reasonable grace period, we may unpublish your Listing and suspend or end your Membership.
  6. Plan changes. You may change plans in the Portal. The price, timing, and any proration of a change will be shown before you confirm.

11. Cancellation and Refunds

Our Refund & Cancellation Policy governs refunds and cancellation. In summary:

  • 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment of a new Membership, if you request it within 30 days of that payment.
  • After that, you may cancel anytime in the Portal. Cancellation stops future renewals; your access and Listing continue until the end of the current Billing Period.
  • No partial or prorated refunds for unused time, except as stated in the Refund & Cancellation Policy or required by law.

12. Price Changes

We may change membership prices. We will give you at least 30 days' notice by email before a new price applies to you. A price change takes effect at the start of your next Billing Period after the notice period, never in the middle of a period you have paid for. If you do not agree to the new price, you may cancel before it takes effect.

13. Founding-Member Pricing

If you subscribed at a founding-member price, that price stays locked for your plan and billing interval for as long as your Membership remains continuously subscribed. Founding-member pricing ends, and cannot be restored, if your Membership is cancelled and the Billing Period ends, if it lapses for non-payment beyond the grace period, or if it is terminated for a breach of this Agreement. If you change plans or billing interval, we will tell you before you confirm whether founding-member pricing carries over. Founding-member pricing is personal to you and is not transferable. Taxes and any new optional add-ons are not covered by the lock.

14. Your Responsibilities as a Notary

You are an independent professional, and you are solely responsible for your notarial practice. In particular, you agree to:

  • comply with M.G.L. c. 222 and all other laws, regulations, and official guidance that apply to your notarial acts, including identification, journal, certificate, and fee requirements;
  • keep your commission active and your Listing accurate;
  • not give legal advice or practice law unless you are a licensed Massachusetts attorney, and follow the limits on non-attorney notaries in M.G.L. c. 222, § 17;
  • advertise honestly and in a way that is not misleading, including the content standards in Section 4.2;
  • treat members of the public fairly and lawfully;
  • handle your own business needs, such as scheduling, fees, insurance or bonding you choose to carry, taxes, and licenses; and
  • verify current law yourself. Our guides and practice answers are a starting point, not a substitute for official sources.

Nothing in this Agreement makes you our employee, agent, partner, or joint venturer. We do not supervise, control, or guarantee your work, and you may not hold yourself out as acting on our behalf.

15. Our Right to Refuse, Suspend, or Remove

We may decline an application, refuse or remove content, unpublish a Listing, or suspend or terminate a Membership if:

  • your commission is expired, suspended, revoked, or cannot be verified;
  • your Listing or conduct violates this Agreement, the Terms of Use, or the law;
  • we receive credible complaints or information suggesting misconduct, fraud, or a risk to the public;
  • you misuse Inquiry information or the Portal;
  • payment fails and is not resolved; or
  • we reasonably believe action is needed to protect the public, other members, or the integrity of the directory.

Where practical, we will tell you the reason and give you an opportunity to correct the issue. We may act immediately where there is a risk to the public or a serious or repeated violation. Refunds, if any, are governed by the Refund & Cancellation Policy.

16. Termination and Its Effect

  • You may end your Membership by cancelling in the Portal. You may also request account deletion in the Portal.
  • When your Membership ends, your Listing is unpublished and Portal access may be limited or closed.
  • You may export your account data from the Portal before your Membership ends.
  • We will delete or retain your information as described in the Privacy Policy, including records we must keep for legal, tax, or dispute purposes.
  • If we discontinue the directory entirely, we will give reasonable notice and refund prepaid fees for any unused full months.

17. License to Your Listing Content

You keep ownership of your Listing content. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, format, display, and distribute it on the Site and in search results, emails, and promotional materials for the directory, while your Listing is published and for a reasonable period afterward for backups and records. You confirm you have the rights needed to grant this license.

18. Disclaimers

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT, MEMBERSHIPS, THE PORTAL, PRACTICE ANSWERS, AND THE SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," AND WE DISCLAIM ALL OTHER WARRANTIES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND THAT ANY INFORMATION IS ACCURATE OR CURRENT.

19. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, NEITHER PARTY WILL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST BUSINESS, OR LOST DATA, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BOSTON NOTARY CO.'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR YOUR MEMBERSHIP WILL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL FEES YOU PAID US FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

These limits do not apply to your indemnification obligations, your misuse of Inquiry information, or liability that cannot be limited by law.

20. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Boston Notary Co. and its owners, staff, and service providers from claims, losses, liabilities, penalties, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your notarial acts or services, your Listing content, your use of Inquiry information, or your violation of this Agreement or any law.

21. Governing Law and Disputes

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, and both parties consent to the jurisdiction of those courts. Before filing a claim, each party agrees to try in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days after written notice.

22. Changes to This Agreement

We may update this Agreement. We will give you at least 30 days' notice of material changes by email or in the Portal, and may ask you to accept the updated version. If you do not agree, you may cancel before the change takes effect, and the prior version will apply until the end of your current Billing Period. Changes required by law, or that address security or fraud, may take effect sooner.

23. General

  • This Agreement, together with the documents referenced at the top, is the entire agreement about your Membership.
  • If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
  • Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.
  • You may not assign this Agreement. We may assign it in connection with a merger, sale, or reorganization, with notice to you.
  • We may send notices to the email address on your account. You may send notices to support@bostonnotary.com or by mail to the address below.
  • Sections 8, 14, and 17 through 21 survive termination.

24. Contact Us