To notarize a document electronically, you upload it to a remote online notarization platform, verify your identity through an ID check and knowledge-based questions, then sign the document on a live video call while a commissioned notary watches and applies an electronic seal. The whole session usually takes about ten minutes and costs between $25 and $50. More than 44 states and the District of Columbia now authorize some form of remote online notarization, so the option is available to most people in the country regardless of where the nearest notary happens to be.
What You Need Before You Start
Getting a few things together before the session keeps it from stalling halfway through.
- A valid government-issued photo ID: a current driver’s license, state ID, or passport. The name on the ID needs to match the name on the document. Even small mismatches like a missing middle name or a maiden-versus-married name difference can cause problems when you submit the finished document.
- Your document in digital format. Most platforms accept PDF or DOCX files. If you only have a paper copy, some services let you scan it with your phone during the session.
- A device with a working camera and microphone. A computer, tablet, or smartphone all work. The notary needs to see your face and hear you clearly the whole time.
- A stable internet connection. A dropped video call mid-signature creates headaches, so wired connections or strong Wi-Fi are worth the effort.
You don’t need to find the notary yourself. Platforms like Notarize (now part of Proof), OneNotary, and PenSigner maintain networks of commissioned notaries and handle the scheduling, sometimes connecting you in under a minute. If your document has to be notarized under a specific state’s law, check the platform’s coverage before uploading.
The Session Step by Step
Interfaces differ across platforms, but the core sequence is the same everywhere because state laws dictate what has to happen during a remote session.
Upload and Review the Document
Upload the document, then look it over carefully for blank spaces. Agencies and courts routinely reject notarized documents with unfilled blanks because those spaces could be altered after the seal is applied. Fill in every field or mark intentionally blank sections “N/A” before you go any further.
Verify Your Identity
Identity verification during a remote session is more rigorous than what happens at a UPS store. Most states require at least two layers, and the process typically involves three.
The first is credential analysis. You hold your ID up to the camera or upload a photo, and software checks it for signs of tampering, confirms it hasn’t expired, and verifies the security features look genuine.
The second is knowledge-based authentication, or KBA. The platform pulls questions from third-party databases using your personal history: addresses you’ve lived at, vehicles you’ve owned, phone numbers associated with your name. These aren’t the security questions you set up yourself for a bank account. They’re generated dynamically, so you can’t prepare. You typically need to answer four out of five correctly within two minutes. If you fail, most platforms let you try once more with a different set before locking you out.
The third is a visual comparison during the live call. The notary confirms that the person on-screen matches the photo on the ID.
Sign on the Video Call
Once your identity checks out, the video session begins. The notary walks you through the document, confirms you understand what you’re signing and that you’re signing voluntarily, and directs you to apply your electronic signature to the appropriate places. The notary then applies their own electronic signature and electronic seal to the notarial certificate. The entire session is recorded, and state laws require notaries to retain the audio-video recording along with an electronic journal entry documenting the transaction. Retention periods vary but commonly run at least five to seven years.
Receive the Sealed Document
After the notary applies their seal, tamper-evident technology locks the file. Any later change triggers a visible alert, making it obvious the document was altered after notarization. The platform delivers the completed document to you electronically, usually as a downloadable PDF. Some services also let you send it directly to a title company, lender, or other recipient.
What It Costs
A remote online notarization session typically runs $25 to $50. That usually covers both the notary’s fee and the platform’s technology fee. Some states cap the notary’s fee by statute (Texas, for example, limits it to $25 per notarial act), but the platform may add a convenience or technology fee on top. If your document requires multiple notarial acts, such as separate signatures from different signers, expect to pay per act. Check the platform’s pricing page before starting so the total doesn’t surprise you.
Which State’s Law Applies
This is where remote notarization trips people up. The law that governs the session is the law of the state where the notary holds their commission, not the state where you’re sitting. The notary must be physically located in their commissioning state during the session. You, the signer, can be anywhere: a different state, your kitchen, even overseas in most cases.
So a notary commissioned in Virginia can notarize a document for a signer in Oregon, and Virginia’s rules apply. Most platforms use notaries commissioned in states with well-established remote notarization laws like Virginia, Florida, Texas, and Nevada. The practical effect is that even if your home state hasn’t adopted remote notarization legislation, you can still get a document notarized remotely through a notary in a state that has.
The catch comes on the receiving end. The entity accepting your document, whether that’s a county recorder, a bank, or a court, may have its own rules about whether it recognizes remotely notarized documents.
Is It Legally Valid
Two laws do the heavy lifting. The federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act) establishes that a signature or record cannot be denied legal effect solely because it’s in electronic form, for any transaction in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 7001 – General Rule of Validity An electronic signature carries the same legal weight as ink on paper at the federal level.
At the state level, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) reinforces the same principle. Forty-seven states have adopted a version of UETA, which provides that electronic signatures and records satisfy any legal requirement for a written signature or written record. Together, E-SIGN and UETA make an electronically notarized document legally equivalent to a traditionally notarized one.
Individual state remote notarization statutes then add specific requirements for how the sessions must be conducted: the identity verification methods, recording obligations, technology standards, and fee limits described above. As of early 2025, more than 44 states and the District of Columbia have enacted permanent laws. A federal bill called the SECURE Notarization Act, which would create a nationwide framework, has been introduced in Congress multiple times and was reintroduced in 2025, but has not passed.2Congress.gov. H.R.1777 – SECURE Notarization Act
Documents That May Not Qualify
Not everything can be notarized remotely. Several states carve out specific document types that still require in-person notarization, and the restrictions vary a lot from one jurisdiction to another.
Wills and codicils are the most common exclusion. Some states require wills to be signed in the physical presence of witnesses and a notary, and their remote notarization statutes don’t override those requirements. Self-proving affidavits attached to wills sometimes fall under the same restriction. If you’re notarizing estate-planning documents, verify with the platform or an attorney that your specific document qualifies before scheduling a session.
Some states also restrict remote notarization for certain real estate documents, powers of attorney, or family law filings. The restrictions often reflect concerns about undue influence, where someone might be pressured into signing without a notary being able to fully assess the environment through a camera. When in doubt, call the office that will ultimately receive the document and ask whether they’ll accept a remotely notarized version.
Why Electronically Notarized Documents Get Rejected
Having a properly notarized document doesn’t guarantee the receiving party will accept it. These are the problems that come up most often:
- Name mismatch between your ID and the document. If your ID says “Katherine” and the document says “Kate,” some recipients will bounce it. Use your full legal name as it appears on your ID.
- Wrong type of notarial certificate. Acknowledgments and jurats serve different purposes. An acknowledgment confirms you signed voluntarily; a jurat means you swore the document’s contents are true. Using the wrong one invalidates the notarization for many recipients. Check what the receiving party requires beforehand.
- The receiving agency doesn’t accept remote notarization. Some county recorders, banks, and courts still require wet-ink originals or in-person notarization, even where remote notarization is perfectly legal. A quick phone call to that office before your session can save you the fee and the hassle.
- Documents headed overseas need an apostille. International recipients typically require an apostille or consular authentication on top of notarization. A notarized document alone won’t be enough for foreign governments, courts, or agencies.
- Blanks left in the document. Unfilled spaces create a fraud risk and give recipients grounds to reject the document.
If you’re not sure the receiving party will accept a remote notarization, ask them before you start. It’s the single easiest step to skip and the one most likely to cost you the session fee.