Yes, you can notarize a document online in most of the United States. The process is called remote online notarization, or RON: you connect with a commissioned notary over a live video call, prove your identity through digital checks, sign the document electronically, and the notary applies an electronic seal. A standard session takes about ten minutes and usually costs between $25 and $50.
Where Online Notarization Is Available
As of early 2025, at least 38 states had enacted permanent RON laws, and more are adopting them. Most follow the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, a model statute that authorizes notaries to serve remotely located signers using audio-visual technology and layered identity verification.1Uniform Law Commission. Current Acts – L Each state tailors the rules: which platforms are approved, what training notaries need, and which documents qualify.
If you live in a state that hasn’t passed RON legislation, you can still use the service. The notary must be commissioned in a state that allows RON and must follow that state’s rules, but you as the signer can be located anywhere, including abroad. Consumer RON platforms handle the matching automatically; you don’t need to find an out-of-state notary yourself.
What You Need to Get Started
The technology requirements are modest. Before booking a session, have these on hand:
- A laptop, desktop with webcam, tablet, or smartphone with a working camera and microphone.
- A stable internet connection. A dropped call mid-signing can void the session.
- A current government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Most platforms accept IDs no more than three years past expiration.
- Your document as a PDF. Fill in every field in advance and leave only the signature lines and notary section blank.
- A valid email address for your session invitation and the finished document.
- A credit or debit card. Most platforms collect payment before connecting you to a notary.
Upload the document to the platform before the session so the notary can review it for completeness. A missing witness line or blank field can stall a session that otherwise takes five minutes.
How the Platform Verifies Who You Are
Online notarization uses two identity checks in combination, which is actually more rigorous than the single ID glance that happens in person.
Credential Analysis
You upload a photo of your government ID. The platform’s software examines it for security features like holograms, barcodes, and microprinting to confirm it’s genuine and unaltered. The notary then visually compares the photo to your face on the live video call. This catches forged or expired documents before the session even begins.
Knowledge-Based Authentication
Once your ID clears, you answer multiple-choice questions pulled from public and private databases about your personal history. They might ask about a previous address, a loan balance, or a vehicle you once owned. You typically need to answer at least four out of five correctly within two minutes. If you fail the first attempt, most platforms give you one or two retakes with some questions swapped out. Fail all attempts and you’re locked out for 24 to 48 hours before you can try again.
What the Session Itself Is Like
After identity verification, you enter a secure video environment where the notary is waiting. The entire session is recorded from start to finish. That recording is a legal requirement in every state authorizing RON, and it protects both you and the notary if anyone later challenges the document.
The notary confirms your identity based on the checks you just passed, asks whether you understand the document, and asks whether you’re signing voluntarily. People expect formality here, but it’s usually a short, straightforward conversation.
You sign by clicking a designated area on the screen. Some platforms let you draw a signature with a mouse or finger; others generate a typed version of your name. The notary then applies their electronic seal and a digital certificate. That certificate wraps the document in tamper-evident protection: if anyone alters even one character afterward, the certificate breaks and the change is detectable.
The notary completes the notarial certificate (their name, commission number, commission expiration date, and the type of act), and the platform generates the finished document. You can usually download it immediately or receive it through a secure email link. Save your own copy as soon as you get it, so you aren’t dependent on the platform years down the road.
What It Costs
You pay a bundled price that covers both the notary’s statutory fee and the platform’s technology charge. For a standard notarization, that total typically runs $25 to $50 per session. Some platforms charge extra for additional signers (often around $5 each) or for documents past a certain page count. A single power of attorney is on the low end; a real estate closing with a dozen notarized pages costs considerably more.
Statutory fee caps for the notary portion vary widely by state, from a few dollars per act to $25 or more, with some states setting no cap at all. For the consumer, the bundled platform price is what actually matters.
Documents You Cannot Notarize Online
Not every document qualifies, even in states with robust RON laws. A few exclusions come up repeatedly, and this is worth checking before you pay for a session.
Wills and testamentary trusts are the biggest one. Several states exclude them from electronic signature laws entirely, which means they cannot be executed through RON. Getting this wrong doesn’t just waste your money; it can render the will invalid.
Federal Form I-9, used for employment eligibility verification, is also off-limits. The form requires in-person inspection of the employee’s original identity documents.
Some states restrict certain real estate documents, family law filings, or court-ordered documents from remote notarization. When in doubt, call the receiving agency (the county recorder, court clerk, or lender) before your session. A quick confirmation beats having a document rejected after the fact.
Will Other States and Countries Accept It
A document notarized online in one state is generally recognized in every other state. The legal basis is a combination of state reciprocity and the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which requires each state to recognize the public acts and records of every other state.2Cornell Law School. Overview of the Full Faith and Credit Clause Lenders, title companies, and government agencies routinely accept RON documents across state lines.
For international use, you’ll likely need an apostille, a certificate issued by the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the notarization occurred that authenticates the notary’s commission for use abroad. Many Secretaries of State now accept RON documents for apostille processing, but confirm with that office before submitting. Countries that are members of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention accept apostilles as sufficient authentication. If the destination country isn’t a member, you may need additional certification from the U.S. Department of State.
If You Catch a Mistake Afterward
The tamper-evident seal that makes RON secure also makes corrections harder. You cannot edit a document after the digital certificate is applied, because doing so breaks the seal and flags the document as altered.
If the notary spots an error during the session, they can usually fix it before finalizing the seal. Once the session ends and the seal is on, the standard remedy is to book a new session and re-execute the corrected document from scratch. There’s no universal amendment process for completed electronic notarizations. Review every field (names, dates, addresses, property descriptions, legal references) before you sign. A careful read beats paying twice.