Online notarization in Washington: Get your document notarized today

To notarize a document in Washington, you will need to appear before a state-commissioned notary public, along with any other document signers. Washington allows you the option to choose between obtaining a traditional “wet ink” signature with an in-person notary or eSigning and notarizing your documents online using remote online notarization.

At the time of the notarization, whether in-person or online, all signers will need to verify their identities and pay any required notary fees. Once this has been taken care of, the signers will need to verbally affirm that they are willfully signing the document of their own accord prior to applying their signatures.

Any document that is notarized within the requirements of Washington notarization and RON law will be considered legally valid in all 50 states.

Yes. Notaries who are commissioned to practice online can perform Remote Online Notarization (RON) services in Washington.

Washington State Remote Online Notarization (RON) Law became permanent in March of 2020 making it the ninth state to adopt the practice. These laws, originally scheduled to take effect in October 2020, were authorized ahead of schedule due to COVID-19. Online notaries in Washington must possess a traditional notary commission in addition to being approved by the department of licensing to perform remote services.

To notarize a document online in Washington, there are several requirements you must meet, prior to the notarization being carried out.

At the time of the notarization, the signers will need to provide some form of identification verification which can be done one of several ways. The notary may confirm the signer’s identity if they personally know the signer and can attest that they are who they say they are. Many RON platforms, like PandaDoc Notary, further ensure the validity of your document by verifying signers identities through credential analysis or knowledge-based authentication (KBA) processes.

In the state of Washington, it is illegal for a notary to notarize a document for a spouse or domestic partner who may directly or indirectly benefit from the contents of the document. While not expressly prohibited, the state notary handbook strongly discourages notarizing documents for any immediate or extended family members, due to the likely potential for a conflict of interest to arise.

Notaries are tasked with serving as a neutral, third party witness to the notarizations they carry out. When notarizing for family members, it is nearly impossible to avoid potential conflict of interest.

An online notary in Washington can charge up to $25 per notarial act performed. The maximum a notary can charge for traditional notarization services in Washington is $10.

Remote online notaries in Washington state must retain a detailed electronic log, that includes an audio-visual recording of the transaction for each notarial act performed. These electronic records must be securely stored and kept accessible for a minimum of 10 years, from the date the recording was made.

Yes, any document that is notarized within the requirements of state notarization and RON law will be recognized as legally valid in all 50 states. The state of Washington allows businesses and individuals to choose between traditional notarization services, such as walk-in or mobile notaries, or notarizing documents online via remote notarization.

Documents that have been notarized online will still be recognized as legally valid in all 50 states, including those which have not yet adopted permanent RON law.

No, the main convenience of remote online notary services is that those who need to notarize documents quickly can do so from wherever they are located. As long as you have access to a computer with audio-visual capabilities and a secure internet connection, you can take advantage of the many services that PandaDoc Notary has to offer from wherever you are located.

Though not all states have legalized RON, you can take advantage of remote online notaries in Washington or any other other state that allows online notarization.

In Washington, remote notaries are authorized to perform the following types of notarial acts:

• Taking verification on an oath or affirmation: A notary witnesses an oath or affirmation that the contents of the document being signed are true.
• Taking acknowledgments: An official acknowledgment from a signer to a notary that a document has been willingly signed.
• Witnessing signatures: A notary appears to verify the identity of a document signer and witness the signing.
• Noting a protest of a negotiable instrument: A notary officially notes that a bill or note related to the transaction has been dishonored and that the terms are being protested.
• Certifying or attesting a copy of a record: A notary certifies that a copy of a document is true and accurate.
• Certifying that an act has been performed or an event has occurred.