Can a notary notarize a document from another state?

When you need a document notarized, you need a notary who is commissioned to perform notarial acts within the state you will sign the document. Since notaries are authorized at the state level to perform notarization services, they must adhere to the legal requirements of the jurisdiction they are authorized to practice in. But can a notary notarize a document from another state, and if so, how?

In this brief guide, we break down everything you need to know about notarizing documents from other states, as well as how Remote Online Notarization (RON) has made it easier than ever to eSign and notarize documents from wherever you work.

Can a notary notarize a document from another state?

Yes, a notary can legally notarize out-of-state documents as long as they are acting within the boundaries of their jurisdiction and in accordance with all local state requirements.

Commissioned notaries receive their authority from the state government which means that they are limited to providing services within the boundaries of the authorizing state. A notary commissioned in California, for instance, cannot perform notarial acts in Colorado unless they are separately commissioned in Colorado as well.

In recent years, Remote Online Notarization (RON), has made it easier to get legal notarization services than ever before. Rather than requiring you to seek out a notary to meet in-person, online notarization allows businesses and individuals to connect with trained and knowledgeable state-commissioned notaries online to complete notarization within minutes.

On top of this, RON utilizes a series of complex algorithms to ensure that your notarization is carried out securely and within full compliance of local state law, every time. When an online notary provides their electronic stamp to your signature, you can be sure your document has been reviewed and will be considered valid.

Which state’s laws should I follow?

In all cases, a notary must ensure that they are adhering to the laws and requirements of the state within which the notarial act is taking place. Failure to follow these guidelines would mean that a signature has not been properly notarized, and is therefore not legally enforceable.

If a notarization is carried out within the requirements of a given state, it will be legally recognized in all states.

The notary should always check that the state and country listed as the “venue” on the notarized document reflect the state where the notarization takes place.

Which states allow Remote Online Notarization (RON)?

Currently, 45 states have introduced some kind of permanent or temporary online notarization law permitting the practice, while five states still do not allow it. These states include:

Can you notarize in multiple states?

Though the document notary must be present within the state that they are commissioned to notarize, the signer(s) can notarize from multiple states using Remote Online Notarization. As long as the signers have satisfied the identification requirements of the notary, they can be located in separate states when using Remote Online Notarization (RON).

In some cases, a signed and notarized document may require changes or additions, otherwise known as amendments. Though the rules for making amendments vary by type of changes required, they must still comply with the laws of the state in which the document was originally notarized.

This means that you will need to enlist a notary who is commissioned in the state of the original notarization.

Do states really matter for notarization?

Yes, it is essential that you follow all of the rules and requirements of the state that you are in for a notarization to be considered complete and legally binding.

Each state has specific requirements for everything regarding how and when a document must be signed, by whom, and using what instruments. Since the power of notarization is granted at the state level, all notarized documents must satisfy the requirements laid down by the state.

When you choose RON, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your notarizations always have that second set of “eyes” reviewing your documents to ensure they are valid.

Things to remember while notarizing out of state documents

When notarizing out of state documents, the process is fairly similar across state lines, despite some minor differences in requirements. Regardless of what state you are in, there are a few crucial things you will need to have in order.

These include providing the following items:

Valid identification: At the time of the notarization, all signing parties will need to provide some form of a valid identification so that the notary can verify their identity. These can be a driver’s license, passport, military id, or government identification cards.
Payment: At the time of notarization, you will be required to pay the notarization fee to the notary. While this fee depends on state limits and the individual notary, the cost is typically between $10-20.
Document ready for notarization: At the time of notarization, you will need to have your document already prepared and ready to sign. It is a good idea to have an attorney look over your document to ensure it meets all of the state requirements to be considered legally binding.

How to notarize out of state documents?

When it comes to notarizing out of state documents, Remote Online Notarization (RON) makes it easier than ever to connect with a commissioned notary from wherever you and your signers happen to be. While traditional notary options such as walk-in and mobile notaries required you to schedule a time and place to meet with a notary, RON cuts out the middle man and makes it simple to notarize at your convenience.

With RON, you can connect with a commissioned notary online via a secure, two-way audio-visual connection to complete notarization within minutes.

Remote Online Notarization offers a level of security and assurance that isn’t offered with traditional notarization services, in addition to making it easy and quick to capture and authenticate a signature.Documents that have been notarized online go through several layers of additional security screening to verify the signer’s identity and protect the document against fraud and errors.

All in all, traditional notarization cannot compare to the peace of mind and assurance you get when you notarize a document with RON.

RON makes it easy to notarize from wherever you are

Can a notary notarize a document from another state? As long as a few basic requirements are met, the answer is absolutely yes.

When it comes to notarization a document’s origins are less important than ensuring the actual notarization process is carried out within the full guidelines of local state law. While this may sound like it could be complicated to keep track of, Remote Online Notarization (RON) helps ensure your documents are always notarized and documented in full accordance with state law.

PandaDoc Notary provides a user-friendly and secure Remote Online Notarization platform that makes it simple to create, edit, eSign, and notarize documents, all in one place.You can request a free demo online today to learn more about how PandaDoc Notary can help you.

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