How to Become a Remote Online Notary Many Notaries have asked how they can apply to provide remote online notarization (RON) services. Your state's Notary regulating official will have a specific authorization process based around the documentation needed to comply with your state Notary laws. The general steps to become an online Notary may include: Meeting your state's qualifications to become a traditional Notary. Applying or registering to perform virtual notarizations. Paying the state's application fees. Completing any RON-specific testing or training courses required by your state. Getting remote online Notary tools and technology like an eSeal and digital certificate. Choosing a state-approved RON vendor. Having a surety bond to cover remote online notarizations. Buying an E&O insurance policy that covers RONs. Submitting any other documents required by your state's laws. In This Guide: Application Requirements | What is RON? | Where RON is Legal | RON FAQs Requirements to be a remote Notary In some states, you must hold a commission as a traditional Notary Public before you apply to become a remote online Notary. In other states, you may be able to apply for a Notary commission and an authorization to perform virtual notarizations at the same time. Because you must be a commissioned Notary to offer RON services, you must meet your state's qualifications for becoming a traditional Notary. Some states have more requirements than others, but most of them include: Being at least 18 years old Being a legal resident of the state Having no felony convictions Be sure to check your state's RON laws to confirm you meet all requirements for working as a remote Notary. State RON Instructions View step-by-step instructions to apply for RON authorization in your state Select a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California (Prohibited) Colorado Connecticut (Temporary But Expired) Delaware (Coming Soon) District of Columbia (Coming Soon) Florida Georgia (Temporary But Expired) Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine (Coming Soon) Maryland Massachusetts (Coming Soon) Michigan Minnesota Mississippi (Temporary) Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina (Coming Soon) North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennslyvania Rhode Island South Carolina (No Guidance) South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Is there an exam required to be an online Notary Public? Some states require remote online Notaries to pass an exam proving their knowledge of RON procedures and use of the technology. States that have implemented permanent remote notarization laws and require an exam include Indiana, Montana, Nevada and Ohio. Do remote Notaries need special training? It depends on where you live. States like Virginia do not require special RON training whereas other states do. For example, Florida requires a certificate of completion from a two-hour in-person or online training course upon registration as a remote Notary. What tools and technology are needed to perform RON services? Virtual Notaries are required to have access to a computer, webcam, microphone and secure connection to the internet. Your computer must be able to support two-way audio and visual communication to function with a RON technology platform compliant with your state's laws. Several RON technology providers that offer end-to-end online notarization solutions include BlueNotary, DocuSign, DocVerify, Notarize, NotaryCam, OnlineNotary.us, Pavaso, Safedocs, Secured Signing and SIGNiX. Check your state's website for a list of approved vendors. Depending on your commissioning state, you may also need an electronic seal, electronic signature, electronic journal and a digital certificate to provide RON services. What is remote online notarization? Remote online notarization is the act of performing a notarization remotely using two-way audio-video technology. It is the online equivalent of an in-person, paper-based notarization where every part of the process is done via the internet. Like traditional notarizations, RONs begin with the online Notary verifying the signer's identity and ensuring the signer understands the document and is willing to sign it. The signer's wet ink signature is replaced with an electronic signature, and the remote Notary's physical stamp and handwritten signature are replaced with an electronic seal and digital certificate, respectively. Payment is handled at the end of the transaction. How does online notarization work? In online notarizations, the signer personally appears before a remote Notary in real-time using audio-video technology. The Notary verifies the signer's identity using traditional identity proofing methods with the addition of two steps unique to remote online notarizations: knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and credential analysis. Once the online Notary verifies the signer's identity, they complete the notarization with the attachment of an electronic Notary seal and a digital certificate. LOVE