Remote Online Notary: How Online Notarization Works

How RON works step by step, which documents qualify, where it's legal, and how it compares to mobile notarization.

A remote online notary (RON) is a commissioned notary public authorized to perform notarial acts over an encrypted audio-video session. The signer and notary are in different locations — sometimes different countries — and the document is electronic from start to finish.

How remote online notarization works: the signer uploads the document to an approved RON platform, completes knowledge-based identity authentication (KBA) and credential analysis, joins a live video session with the notary, signs electronically while the notary watches, and receives a digitally sealed PDF with a tamper-evident certificate and a recording of the session.

Is online notarization legal? Yes — in 45+ U.S. states as of 2025. Virginia was first in 2012; most states followed during the pandemic. A small number of states have limited or pending statutes. The notary's commission state controls; acceptance of the finished document is governed by where it will be used.

Documents that can be notarized online include affidavits, powers of attorney, business contracts, corporate resolutions, lease agreements, USCIS supporting documents, and many real estate documents (purchase contracts, e-recording deeds in approved counties).

Documents that may require in-person notarization: certain wills and codicils, some testamentary trusts, and real estate documents in counties that do not yet accept e-recorded notarizations. Always confirm with the receiving party before scheduling a RON session.

Remote online notary vs mobile notary: RON is faster (no travel time, sessions in 10–20 minutes), available 24/7 across time zones, and cheaper for routine documents. Mobile is essential for in-person witnesses, signers without reliable internet, hospital bedsides, and document types that don't qualify for RON.

Benefits of online notarization: schedule in minutes, sign from anywhere, automatic session recording for evidentiary purposes, lower per-document cost, and immediate delivery of the executed document.

Find a remote online notary on the NotaSealPros directory — filter for RON availability and your document type. Many RON notaries handle cross-state and international clients.