E-signing and notarizing are not the same thing
Most electronic signatures are already legally binding on their own. In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act and the state-level Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) give a valid e-signature the same legal effect as a handwritten one, and a record cannot be denied enforceability just because it is electronic. So most everyday agreements never need a notary. Notarization is a separate step: a commissioned notary public confirms the signer's identity, witnesses the signing, and applies an official seal. You reach for it only when a specific law or counterparty requires it, which is common for real property deeds, many powers of attorney, and certain affidavits.
What remote online notarization (RON) is
Remote online notarization lets a notary perform that notarial act for a person who is not physically present, over a live audio and video connection. The technology has to let the notary and the signer communicate at the same time by sight and sound, so the signer effectively appears before the notary in real time rather than in the same room. The record is electronic, and the notary applies an electronic seal and a digital certificate rather than an ink stamp.
How the online process actually works
A typical RON session has five parts. First, you upload the document to the RON platform. Second, you complete identity proofing, which commonly combines two checks: credential analysis of a government-issued photo ID, and knowledge-based authentication, a short quiz built from public and private data records. Third, you join a live video call with a commissioned notary who confirms your identity and watches you sign. Fourth, the notary applies their electronic seal to the signed record. Fifth, the platform captures an audio-video recording of the act, which the notary must retain for a period set by state law (seven years in Wisconsin, for example).
The state-law catch
RON is governed by individual state notary law, not by a single national rule. The notary must be commissioned in a state that authorizes RON, and the location of the notary, not the signer, usually determines whose law applies. The details vary by state: which acts qualify, how long recordings are kept, and what identity checks are required. Some document types carry extra requirements, for example estate planning documents like wills and powers of attorney, which several states subject to stricter procedures. A federal bill, the SECURE Notarization Act (introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 1777 and S. 1561), would set minimum national standards and require states and federal courts to recognize each other's notarizations, but as of 2026 it is still in committee and has not become law.
Putting it together
Start by deciding whether you actually need a notary at all. If the document only needs signatures, a compliant e-signature under ESIGN and UETA is enough and no notary is involved. If a law or counterparty specifically requires notarization, you need a commissioned notary, and a RON platform lets that happen remotely. Because approvals are handled per state, the most reliable place to find a compliant provider is your own state's notary regulator, which typically publishes a list of approved RON technology providers. In a typical workflow the two halves live in different tools: you prepare, fill, and e-sign routine documents in whatever document automation platform you already use (Anvil, for example, provides ESIGN and UETA compliant e-signatures), and you route only the documents that legally require a notary to a dedicated RON service.
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