Updated 6-21-19. 7 more states — Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Washington — have passed laws authorizing remote notarizations, joining other states such as Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah that approved the process in 2019. 22 states in total have now authorized remote notarization in the United States.
Lawmakers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina have also proposed remote notarization bills in 2019.
If enacted, these states will authorize Notaries to perform notarial acts for signers using online audiovisual communication technology.
Please see the Notary Bulletin's Remote Notarization FAQ for a full list of states that authorize the process and answers to common questions about performing remote notarizations.
“I can’t think of a single legislative issue that has garnered more interest among the Notary community in recent years,” said Bill Anderson, NNA Vice President of Government Affairs.
At press time, five states — Nevada, Minnesota, Montana, Texas and Virginia — are operational. Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah are scheduled to come online in the near future.
Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee and Vermont's remote notarization laws go into effect as of July 1, 2019. Notaries in these states should contact their state regulating agency for updates when remote notarization services will be fully available.
You can use the NNA's Notary Policy Tracker to track remote online notarization legislation in your state, and be sure to check the Notary Bulletin for the latest news and updates.
David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.