To notarize a document online, you book a session on a remote online notarization platform, join a live video call with a commissioned notary, prove who you are with a government-issued photo ID and a short identity quiz, and sign the document electronically while the notary watches, seals, and records the session. Most sessions finish in a single sitting, cost between $25 and $50 for a standard document, and produce a fully executed electronic file that carries the same legal weight as an ink-signed, stamped original. As of early 2025, 45 states and the District of Columbia have permanent laws authorizing the process.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 7001 – General Rule of Validity
What To Have Ready Before You Start
Three things need to be in place before you open the platform: your ID, your document, and your setup.
A Valid Photo ID
Have an unexpired government-issued photo ID in hand, such as a passport or driver’s license. The platform’s software will scan it to confirm the security features are genuine, so make sure the card is in good condition. Glare on the photo, cracks across the surface, or an expired date will stop the session before it starts.
The Completed Document
Get the document from your attorney, lender, or whoever drafted it, and fill in every informational field before you log on. Most platforms accept PDF uploads, and some also take Word files. Blank fields are one of the most common reasons sessions stall, because the notary cannot proceed with an incomplete document and you may have to restart after editing.
A Working Setup
You need a computer or tablet with a working webcam and microphone and a stable internet connection. Platforms typically recommend at least 5 Mbps up and down. A dropped connection mid-session can force you to redo the identity verification from scratch. Compatible systems are generally Windows 10 or later, macOS High Sierra or later, or a current mobile operating system on a tablet. Close other bandwidth-heavy applications before you start, and check the platform’s browser requirements the day before rather than five minutes before your appointment.
How The Identity Verification Works
Online notarization uses a two-layer identity check, and this is the step most people underestimate.
The first layer is credential analysis. Automated software examines your photo ID for signs of tampering by inspecting embedded security features like microprinting, holograms, and barcode data. The second layer is knowledge-based authentication, or KBA. The system pulls questions from public and private databases, including credit bureaus, property records, and vehicle registrations, and asks you to answer them on the spot.
The standard format is five multiple-choice questions you must answer within about two minutes. You need to get at least four out of five correct to pass. Fail, and most states allow one more attempt within the same 24-hour period. Fail twice and you are locked out for 24 hours before you can try again.
The questions can be specific in ways you don’t expect. You might be asked which of four addresses you lived at in 2017, or which bank holds a particular account. People who have recently moved, changed names, or frozen their credit reports often struggle, because the database information may be outdated or inaccessible. Pulling your own credit report beforehand is a practical way to refresh your memory on the kind of details the system draws from. If your credit is frozen, consider lifting the freeze temporarily before your session.
The Session Step By Step
Once both verification layers clear, you join a live video call with the notary through the platform’s secure portal. The notary confirms your identity on camera, asks whether you are signing voluntarily, and checks that you understand the document. This is not a formality. Notaries are trained to watch for signs that a signer is under pressure or does not grasp what they are signing, and they can refuse to proceed.
The notary then walks you through the document on screen and directs you to each place that requires your signature or initials. You apply your electronic signature, which depending on the platform might mean typing your name, drawing it with a mouse or touchscreen, or clicking a pre-formatted signature block. After you finish, the notary applies their own electronic signature along with a digital seal that makes the document tamper-evident.
The notary also logs the transaction in an electronic journal, recording the date, time, type of notarial act, the method used to verify your identity, and a description of the document. The entire call is recorded with audio and video. Depending on the state that commissioned the notary, that recording must be stored for anywhere from five to ten years, with many states requiring ten.
Getting And Using The Finished Document
After the session, you pay any remaining fees through the platform. The platform then delivers your fully executed document as a secure download or encrypted email attachment. This electronic file is the legal original. It carries the same weight as a traditional ink-signed and stamped document, and you can share it digitally with your bank, attorney, title company, or anyone else who needs it.
If you need a physical copy for filing with a county recorder or court clerk, you may need to go through a process sometimes called “papering out.” You print the electronic document in its entirety, including the notarial certificate, and then have a notary or other authorized person attach a written certification stating that the printout is a true and correct copy of the electronic original. By statute in states that address this, a certified paper copy of an electronic document satisfies any requirement that a recorded document be an original. Call your county recorder’s office before you file, because acceptance practices vary and some offices are still catching up to the technology.
Documents That Can’t Be Notarized Online
Not every document qualifies. The E-SIGN Act carves out several categories from its electronic signature protections, including wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts, documents governed by family law such as adoption and divorce records, court orders and official court filings, and certain consumer notices like foreclosure warnings, utility shutoff notices, and health or life insurance cancellation letters.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 96 – Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce
State laws add their own restrictions, and these vary. Some states allow wills to be notarized remotely while others do not. Powers of attorney and certain estate planning documents face similar state-by-state inconsistency. Confirm with your attorney or the notarization platform that your document type is eligible under the laws of the state where the notary is commissioned. A document notarized through a method your state does not recognize for that document type can be unenforceable.
What It Costs
Online notarization fees have two components. The first is the notary’s statutory fee for performing the notarial act, capped by state law and typically between $5 and $25 per signature. The second is the platform or technology fee charged by the service that connects you with the notary, handles the video call, runs identity verification, and stores the recording.
Added together, most people pay between $25 and $50 for a standard document like an affidavit or power of attorney. Real estate closings and loan signing packages run higher because they involve dozens of individual signatures and often include coordination fees; expect $75 to $150 for a full mortgage closing package. Some platforms charge per notarial act while others charge a flat session fee, so compare pricing before you pick one. Several states also allow notaries to charge a separate technology fee on top of their statutory maximum, which can add another $10 to $25.
When Online Notarization Won’t Work For You
KBA relies heavily on data from US credit bureaus and public records. If you are a foreign national, a recent immigrant, or someone without a US credit file, the system may not have enough data to generate questions at all, which means you cannot pass the KBA step. Some states and platforms offer alternatives, such as a credible witness who is personally known to the notary vouching for your identity during the video session. A few states that specifically authorize notarizations for signers located outside the country have developed workarounds for non-US signers. These options are not universal. If you do not have a US-based credit history, contact the platform before scheduling to ask what identity verification options are available. You may need a traditional in-person notarization instead.
Interstate acceptance is usually straightforward: the validity of a notarial act is judged by the law of the state where the notary is commissioned, and other states generally accept it. The occasional exception involves states with narrower acceptance rules; Iowa, for example, has historically imposed additional requirements on out-of-state notarizations. If your document is unusual or your recipient is in a jurisdiction known to be restrictive, ask your attorney to confirm acceptance before you book the session.
Finally, be straight with the notary. Using a forged or altered ID, or misrepresenting your identity, is a criminal offense in every state. Penalties range from misdemeanor charges to felony convictions, with prison time and fines that vary by jurisdiction.