Remote Online Notarization (RON) in the United States

Remote Online Notarization (RON) can help you save time and money on in-person notarizations. Select a state to learn about RON legality and how you can start notarizing documents online right away.

How Remote Online Notarization (RON) helps your business

Remote online notarization (RON) uses audio-visual technology to provide convenient online notarization services to save you time and money. RON gives you the flexibility to notarize your documents when you need them, without the hassle of tracking down a notary. 

Using RON, a notary can virtually witness a document signing online regardless of where the signers are located. Unlike traditional notarization services, such as walk-in and traveling notaries, RON eliminates the need to coordinate a time and place to meet with a notary and allows you to notarize a document within minutes, all while keeping a detailed and secure record of your transaction.

While COVID-19 brought traditional notarization services to a halt, more and more businesses have come to rely on RON for steady service that is available 24/7.    

Why Remote Online Notarization law in the United States matters

More than half of the states in the U.S. have now adopted permanent Remote Online notarization (RON) laws — the number of states that have approved or introduced online notarization legislation has nearly doubled since March 2021 — and most of the remaining states have approved RON by executive or emergency order.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this trend is not likely to slow down. More states are sure to follow suit over the next couple of years. As this transition occurs, it has caused many notaries and signers to have questions about how it all works. 

Each state has its own specific set of laws and regulations that determine how RON services must be carried out. This includes stipulations that both notaries and signers will need to be aware of and prepared for. For this reason, you must be familiar with applicable state law to ensure that your notarization is valid. 

While RON laws vary by state, they all specify three main points that you should be sure to review and understand. These three points, which ensure the validity of the notarial act, are:

• It details what conditions the notarial act must be committed to be legal (such as the audio-visual technology used, as well as jurisdiction boundaries).
• It outlines the requirements for how the notary can authenticate a signer’s identity.
• It requires recording the notarization and transaction.

Remote online notarization can save you time and effort, but only as long as you are prepared in advance. Making sure that you are familiar with any applicable RON laws for your state will ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. 

Remote Online Notarization made easy

The shift towards more businesses embracing RON services began before COVID-19. This was due in part to ever-improving technology that made telecommuting and remote working increasingly feasible while access to remote notarization services became increasingly evident.

In the past, when a person needed a document notarized, they would need to account for the time it would take to coordinate with a notary before a deal could be closed. Today, notarization can be carried out easily online within minutes. Not only do you not have to travel or schedule a time to meet with a notary, but you also don’t have to wait to get business done. 

With remote online notarization, the time and effort you save will go directly back into your business. RON is here to stay and will continue to play an increasingly bigger role in how notarial acts are carried out, benefiting both notaries and signers. 

FAQ

What legal documentation protects Remote Online Notarization in the United States?

In May of 2021, the U.S. senate reintroduced the Secure Notarization Act (Senate Bill 1625), signaling the growing desire to establish a national standard for RON laws. Since then, nearly all states have made some kind of allowance for the use of online notarization.

Since notarization laws are subject to various levels of local regulation, the legal documentation protecting RON varies by jurisdiction as well. In addition to this, online notaries are legally commissioned to notarize within the states where they practice. 

Can Remote Online Notarization replace in-person notarization?

As the technology improves and more legislation is introduced, increasing access to its services, RON will continue to play a growing role in notarial acts. 

Much of the legislation that is introduced or proposed focuses on allowing current notaries to serve as online and in-person notaries. Rather than outright replacing walk-in notarization services, we will likely begin to see a trend where remote online notarization and traditional notarization services blend. 

RON has proven itself to be a highly functional and efficient alternative to less convenient in-person notarization services. 

How does PandaDoc Notary comply with Remote Online Notarization law?

PandaDoc Notary guarantees various levels of identity verification and detailed record-keeping of all your notarial acts as required by your state, mitigating risks and reducing fraud. The result is 100% valid and legal signing:

Is Remote Online Notarization secure?

RON is both easy and quick to use and allows you to notarize documents within minutes. This ease and convenience have occasionally left some skeptical of its legitimacy and security. In reality, RON is the most secure form of notarization for several reasons.

There are multiple layers of added security when you utilize online notarization services. PandaDoc Notary employs a Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) identity verification to confirm the identity of all signers. This is a system that matches a person’s provided identity with private information from an official source, such as a financial institution. 

In addition to KBA, you can rest easy using online notarization, knowing that the entire transaction is recorded in detail. This information is accessible in the event of any issues or disputes down the road, providing you with an extra layer of security against fraud.

PandaDoc Notary utilizes world-class security, with all audio and video encrypted at REST. Stored documents are encrypted and stored via AWS. In addition, we utilize the latest 256-bit SSL when processing all stored information. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your data is protected against any kind of data breach.

Do I retain my online notarization records?

Yes, remote online notarization services will keep a detailed record of your notarization. This includes identity verification information, electronic journals detailing the transaction, notarized documents, and audio-visual recordings of the notarial act. These documents are available for you to access and download at your discretion.  

Are notarial acts conducted in compliance with a state Remote Online Notarization law recognized in any other state?

Notarial acts conducted in states where RON law has been introduced will typically be recognized in other states. This includes states that have not yet introduced their own RON laws.

The Model Electronic Notarization Act of 2017 (MENA) sets a precedent that establishes that as long as the notarial act was carried out in compliance with the laws of the jurisdiction where it was committed, it can be recognized across state lines. This precedent is consistent with previous legislation that allows traditional notarial acts to be recognized across state lines as well.