To become an online notary, you first hold an active traditional notary public commission in your state, then complete your state’s additional registration for remote online notarization (RON): approved training, a vetted technology setup, any required bond or insurance, and an application through your Secretary of State. As of early 2025, 45 states and the District of Columbia have permanent RON laws on the books, and the specifics differ enough from one state to the next that confirming your state’s rules is the real starting point.
Step 1: Hold an Active Traditional Notary Commission
RON authorization is built on top of a standard notary commission. You cannot apply for remote authority without one. The baseline qualifications your state will check look much the same everywhere:
- At least 18 years old
- Legal resident of the commissioning state, or in some states, employed there
- No disqualifying convictions, particularly felonies or crimes involving fraud or dishonesty
Prior commission revocations or disciplinary actions on your record will likely bar you from RON authorization even if your traditional commission is active. If you don’t yet hold a commission, get that in place first; everything else in this process assumes it.
Step 2: Confirm Your State Allows Remote Online Notarization
RON authority is a creature of state law, usually administered through the Secretary of State’s office. Most states have adopted some version of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), whose 2021 update specifically addressed remote notarization through audio-video technology. A handful of states still have not enacted permanent RON legislation or have not implemented the laws they passed, so your first move is checking whether your state offers the authorization at all, and under what name (some states call it “remote,” others “online,” and the terms sometimes mean different things).
One rule holds almost everywhere: you must be physically located within your commissioning state when you perform a remote notarization, even though the signer can be located anywhere, including in another state or country. Notarizing remotely without the proper authorization can invalidate the documents you sign, expose you to civil liability, and in some states bring criminal penalties ranging from fines to misdemeanor charges.
Step 3: Complete the Required Training
Most states that authorize RON require a training course before you apply. Courses typically run two to six hours and cover how remote sessions work, the technology you need, identity verification procedures, and your state’s specific legal rules for electronic notarization.
Some states will only accept training from an approved provider; your Secretary of State website usually lists them. You will get a completion certificate that goes into your application package. If your state doesn’t require RON-specific training, taking a course anyway is still worth it. The procedures differ enough from traditional notarization that going in cold is how early mistakes happen.
Step 4: Set Up Your Technology
You cannot perform a remote notarization with ordinary video calling software. Your state will require a platform that meets specific technical standards, and you need to have the setup ready before you apply. The core pieces:
- A digital certificate, typically an X.509 certificate from a trusted third-party provider. It creates a unique digital signature tied to you and makes any post-signing change to the document detectable.
- An electronic seal, the digital equivalent of your physical notary stamp, containing encrypted data that identifies you.
- An audio-video platform that supports real-time two-way communication with the signer and records the session.
Your platform must be approved by your state or meet the state’s published standards. Before you submit your application, get written confirmation or a contract from the provider verifying compliance. Platforms generally charge either a monthly subscription or a per-transaction fee, roughly $5 to $30.
Identity Verification
Identity verification is the heart of every remote session. Most states require at least two methods:
- Knowledge-based authentication (KBA), where the signer answers several personal questions pulled from credit reports or public records within a strict time limit. If the signer fails the first attempt, most states allow one or two retakes within 48 hours, with new questions replacing some of the originals. If all allowed attempts fail, you must refuse the notarization.
- Credential analysis, where the platform scans the signer’s government-issued photo ID for watermarks, holograms, and other features that confirm it’s genuine.
A few states accept alternatives, such as verification by a credible witness personally known to you, but KBA plus credential analysis is the standard combination.
Recording and Journal
Every remote session must be captured as an audio-video recording and stored securely, with retention periods ranging from five to ten years depending on the state. You also keep a tamper-evident electronic journal logging each session: date, time, and type of notarial act; title or description of the document; name and address of each signer, type of ID, and verification results; physical location of both you and the signer; and the fee charged. Many states require you to transmit journal entries to a designated repository that holds them for a minimum period, often ten years.
Step 5: Line Up Your Bond and Insurance
Most states require a surety bond for notaries. Amounts vary widely, as low as $500 in some states and as high as $25,000 in others, with most falling between $5,000 and $10,000. A few states require a substantially higher bond specifically for remote notarization than for a standard commission. The bond is not insurance for you; it guarantees that someone harmed by your error can recover damages up to the bond amount.
For RON, you’ll typically need either a rider added to your existing bond or a new separate bond that covers remote notarial acts. Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance is a separate matter. Not every state mandates it, but industry groups recommend at least $25,000 in coverage, and many title companies and signing services require higher limits before they’ll assign you work.
Step 6: Submit Your Application
With training done, technology selected, and bond in place, you can file your RON application. Most states run this through an online portal under electronic or remote notarization. You will typically need to attach:
- Your active traditional commission number and expiration date
- Written confirmation or a contract from your RON platform
- A sample of your digital certificate and electronic seal
- Proof of the required bond, including any RON-specific coverage
- Your training completion certificate, if required
- E&O insurance documentation if your state requires it
Every entry, especially your legal name, must match your traditional commission exactly. Filing fees generally run $10 to $50. Review commonly takes several weeks. Once approved, you’ll receive formal notification or an updated commission certificate that explicitly authorizes RON. Some states also require a supplemental oath of office before a local clerk to finalize your status; skipping that step can delay or void your authorization. Do not perform a remote notarization before every piece is in place. Penalties for jumping the gun vary by state and reach as far as commission revocation or misdemeanor charges.
What You Can Charge
States cap the fee you can charge per notarial act. The most common cap is $25, with statutory limits across the country running from $5 to $30. Many states also allow a separate technology fee to offset platform costs, sometimes with its own dollar cap and sometimes tied to what your platform charges. Check your state’s fee schedule before setting prices; exceeding the statutory maximum is itself grounds for discipline.
Documents You Still Can’t Notarize Remotely
Even with full RON authorization, some documents remain off-limits in many states, especially in estate planning and family law. Common exclusions include wills and codicils, self-proved wills, testamentary trusts and amendments (though certifications of trust may be allowed), documents relinquishing parental rights, and absentee ballots. Specifics vary by state, so verify before accepting a session for anything in these categories. Federal Form I-9 employment verification is a different animal entirely: it follows a DHS-authorized remote document examination process for E-Verify employers and is not a notarization at all.
Keeping Your Authorization Active
Your RON authority is tethered to your traditional commission. If the base commission lapses, your remote privileges end automatically. At renewal, most states require a shorter refresher course if you renew before expiration; if you let it expire, you may have to retake the full initial course and start the application process over.
Your digital certificate and electronic seal need the same attention. If either expires or is revoked, replace it promptly and send the updated information to your Secretary of State, often within 10 days. Keep E&O insurance current if your state or your clients require it, and report any change to your technology provider, business address, or legal name within the window your state specifies. Continuing to notarize with an expired certificate or outdated registration puts every document you sign during that period at risk.