Remote Online Notary Laws by State 2026

As a Pennsylvania-commissioned Remote Online Notary, I'm authorized under PA law (57 Pa. C.S. § 306.1) to notarize documents for signers located anywhere — across town or across the country — as long as the notarization follows Pennsylvania's RON requirements and the receiving party (your bank, title company, court, employer, etc.) will accept it.

Here's the good news: every U.S. state legally recognizes a notarization that was properly performed under another state's law. That means in nearly every case, the question isn't "does my state allow RON?" — it's "does my state's RON law affect me as a signer working with an out-of-state notary?" For most people, the answer is no — you can use a Pennsylvania RON notary regardless of where you live.

The table below shows two things for each state: whether that state currently allows its own notaries to perform RON, and whether it recognizes notarizations performed by out-of-state notaries (like me). The second column is the one that actually determines whether I can help you.

Always confirm with your receiving party (lender, title company, court, agency, etc.) that they will accept an electronically signed, remotely notarized document before scheduling — some institutions have their own internal requirements regardless of state law.

Alabama

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: No

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Recognizes incoming out-of-state RON on recorded documents

Kryptonite: Temporary authorization (SB 275) expired; no permanent full RON

Key statute: Ala. Code §§ 35-4-26, 35-4-27

★ Alabama notaries are appointed by county probate judges — one of the few states where commissions are local, not statewide.

Alaska

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON authority since 2020 — a gift for far-flung signers

Kryptonite: Notary must register with the lieutenant governor before performing RON

Key statute: Alaska Stat. § 44.50.075

★ At 663,000 square miles, Alaska is the largest notary jurisdiction in the country — more than twice the size of Texas.

Arizona

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Early adopter with mature, stable rules

Kryptonite: Strict platform approval and journal retention requirements

Key statute: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 41-263

★ Arizona was among the first states to allow electronic notarization, passing e-notary laws back in the early 2000s.

Arkansas

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Broad RON authority with a clear statutory framework

Kryptonite: Extra certification steps for electronic notaries

Key statute: Ark. Code § 21-14-301 et seq.

★ The word 'notary' comes from the Latin 'notarius' — a Roman shorthand writer who recorded speeches and legal proceedings.

California

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: No — full RON effective 1/1/2030

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Recognizes out-of-state RON now, and its statute explicitly says so

Kryptonite: Its own notaries must wait until 2030 for full RON

Key statute: Cal. Civil Code § 1189(b); SB 696

★ California has one of the toughest notary commissions in the nation — a mandatory 6-hour course plus a proctored exam — yet its notaries still can't perform full RON until 2030.

Colorado

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON law with clear consumer protections

Kryptonite: Real estate deeds carry extra identity-verification rules

Key statute: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-21-511 et seq.

★ Colorado adopted RULONA — the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts — the model law most modern state notary statutes are built on.

Connecticut

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Newer RON law built on modern uniform standards

Kryptonite: RON is not permitted for Connecticut real estate closings

Key statute: Public Act 23-28

★ The English Statute of Frauds of 1677 is the reason many documents must be in writing at all — and its echoes still run through Connecticut contract law today.

Delaware

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Pending implementation

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RON statute is already on the books

Kryptonite: Currently limited to licensed attorneys; broader implementation pending

Key statute: 29 Del. Code §§ 4320, 4324

★ Delaware is legal home to more business entities than it has people — over a million companies are incorporated in the tiny First State.

District of Columbia

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes — authorized in 2024

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Newly authorized RON as of 2024

Kryptonite: Very new program; expect growing pains and extra verification questions

Key statute: D.C. Code § 1-1231.10

★ DC houses the U.S. Department of State office that authenticates documents headed to countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention.

Florida

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RON pioneer — widely accepted, including many estate documents

Kryptonite: Wills and some estate signings carry special witness requirements

Key statute: Fla. Stat. Ch. 117, Pt. II

★ Florida notaries can legally solemnize marriages — one of only a handful of states where your notary can also officiate your wedding.

Georgia

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Pending — 2026 legislation advancing

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RON bill (HB 289) advancing with a $25 fee cap and modern standards

Kryptonite: Delayed effective date; own notaries cannot perform RON yet

Key statute: HB 289 (2026); Ga. Code Title 44

★ Georgia notaries are appointed by Clerks of Superior Court and serve four-year terms — a county-rooted system dating back generations.

Hawaii

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON — perfect for time-zone-scattered families

Kryptonite: Registration and technology approval required first

Key statute: HI Rev. Stat. §§ 456-23, 502-45

★ A notarized document from Honolulu travels farther than from anywhere else in America — Hawaii sits over 2,000 miles from the nearest state.

Idaho

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Clean RULONA-based law that's simple to work with

Kryptonite: Fewer approved platform options than larger states

Key statute: Idaho Code §§ 51-111, 55-805

★ The Uniform Law Commission drafted RULONA — the model notary act Idaho follows — in 2010, and it has since swept most of the country.

Illinois

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RON fully effective since January 1, 2024 in a huge market

Kryptonite: Newer program, acceptance still normalizing

Key statute: 5 ILCS 312

★ Before the presidency, Abraham Lincoln spent nearly 25 years practicing law in Illinois — handling plenty of documents that crossed notaries' desks.

Indiana

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Early permanent adopter with stable rules

Kryptonite: A separate remote notary commission is required

Key statute: Ind. Code § 33-42-17-3

★ Indiana was in the first wave of states to make RON permanent, passing its law back in 2018 — well before remote-everything became normal.

Iowa

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RULONA-based with straightforward requirements

Kryptonite: Some recorded documents face county-level pickiness

Key statute: Iowa Code Ch. 9B

★ The 'acknowledgment' — the most common notarial act — traces back centuries to English land law, where owners had to personally confirm deeds.

Kansas

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON with a modern framework

Kryptonite: Newer program, so fewer seasoned RON notaries in-state

Key statute: Kan. Stat. § 53-5a15

★ Kansas is home to the geographic center of the contiguous U.S. — the default map pin for countless websites (including, briefly, this one).

Kentucky

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON with a clear statutory basis

Kryptonite: Dual filing requirements can confuse first-timers

Key statute: KRS 423.455; KRS 423.110

★ A notary's seal doesn't make a document 'legal' — it verifies identity and willing signature. One of the most common notary myths, busted.

Louisiana

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON effective since February 2022 under Act 254

Kryptonite: Notaries need special authorization; session recordings kept 10 years

Key statute: La. R.S. 35:621-630 (Act 254 of 2020)

★ Louisiana is America's only civil-law state — a Napoleonic Code legacy under which its notaries historically held powers approaching an attorney's.

Maine

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Adopted RULONA with RON effective in 2023

Kryptonite: Newer program still building receiving-party familiarity

Key statute: 4 M.R.S. § 1901 et seq.

★ Maine notaries can solemnize marriages — the Pine Tree State is one of the few where a notary can run your wedding.

Maryland

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON with an active notary community

Kryptonite: The platform you use must be reported to the state

Key statute: Md. State Gov't § 18-214

★ The apostille was created by the Hague Convention of 1961 — the word is French for 'marginal note.'

Massachusetts

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON law effective 2024

Kryptonite: Very new — expect extra receiving-party verification questions

Key statute: 2023 Mass. Acts Ch. 2

★ John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence so boldly that his name became slang for a signature — a Massachusetts original.

Michigan

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Broad, flexible remote notarization authority

Kryptonite: Distinguishes RON from remote ink — terminology trips people up

Key statute: MCL 55.286b

★ Michigan law recognizes two flavors of 'remote': remote online (fully electronic) and remote ink (paper signed on camera). Same idea, different paperwork.

Minnesota

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Established RON with clear standards

Kryptonite: Remote notary registration required before your first session

Key statute: Minn. Stat. § 358.645

★ Minnesota was among the earliest RON adopters, going live before the pandemic made remote notarization a household need.

Mississippi

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: No

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Recognizes properly executed out-of-state RON

Kryptonite: Pandemic-era authorization expired with no permanent RON law

Key statute: Temporary EO No. 1467 (expired); no permanent statute

★ Mississippi's RON law arrived in 2020 — the year remote notarization went from convenience to necessity almost overnight.

Missouri

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON with detailed, predictable rules

Kryptonite: Strict audio-video retention requirements

Key statute: RSMo § 486.1100 et seq.

★ Missouri requires notaries to preserve their RON session recordings for years — the digital descendant of the old bound paper journal.

Montana

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Very early adopter — remote-friendly for rural signers

Kryptonite: Some unique state-specific certificate wording

Key statute: MCA 1-5-603

★ Montana notaries can solemnize marriages — stamp the deed in the morning, officiate the wedding in the afternoon.

Nebraska

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Established Online Notary Public Act

Kryptonite: A separate online notary registration is required

Key statute: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-401 et seq.

★ Nebraska's Online Notary Public Act predates the pandemic remote-work boom — the state was ready before the world needed it.

Nevada

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON in a high-volume signing market

Kryptonite: An electronic notary appointment is needed first

Key statute: NRS 240.181 et seq.

★ Nevada requires a separate electronic notary appointment on top of the standard commission — belt, suspenders, and a digital certificate.

New Hampshire

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RULONA-based RON adopted in 2022

Kryptonite: Newer rules mean occasional county recording friction

Key statute: RSA 456-B

★ 'Live free or die' extends to paperwork — in New Hampshire, justices of the peace share notarial powers with notaries public.

New Jersey

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON in a dense, busy market

Kryptonite: Attorney-preference culture on some real estate documents

Key statute: N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10

★ The embossed metal seal is mostly ceremonial now — New Jersey, like most states, accepts a plain ink stamp just fine.

New Mexico

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RULONA state with clean RON authority

Kryptonite: A smaller platform ecosystem than its neighbors

Key statute: NMSA Ch. 14, Art. 14A

★ New Mexico's notary tradition reaches back to Spanish colonial 'escribanos' — official scribes whose work predates the United States itself.

New York

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: A huge market with permanent RON since 2023

Kryptonite: Detailed record-keeping and registration requirements

Key statute: N.Y. Exec. Law § 135-c

★ New York is one of the very few states that makes notary applicants pass a written exam — and it commissions among the most notaries in the nation.

North Carolina

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON after a successful emergency program

Kryptonite: Strict video retention and licensing details

Key statute: N.C.G.S. § 10B-134.1 et seq.

★ North Carolina's 2020 emergency video notarization worked so well the legislature made it permanent law in 2022.

North Dakota

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Early adopter — stable and simple

Kryptonite: Fewer in-state RON practitioners

Key statute: NDCC 44-06.1-13.1

★ North Dakota jumped on RON early, joining the first wave of states to modernize before remote signing was mainstream.

Ohio

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON with a well-established program

Kryptonite: Separate online notary authorization and training required

Key statute: ORC 147.60 et seq.

★ Ohio makes its online notaries earn the title — special training and a test are required beyond the standard commission.

Oklahoma

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON with clear standards

Kryptonite: Registration with the Secretary of State comes first

Key statute: 49 O.S. § 201 et seq.

★ A 'jurat' requires an oath; an 'acknowledgment' doesn't. They're the two most commonly confused words in the notary world.

Oregon

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON with modern rules

Kryptonite: Technology provider approval requirements

Key statute: ORS 194.235

★ Cicero's secretary Tiro invented an early shorthand system in ancient Rome — 'notarius' originally meant shorthand writer, and the name stuck for two thousand years.

Pennsylvania

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Home turf — a PA commission lets me serve signers nationwide

Kryptonite: Wills and certain recorded documents need extra care

Key statute: 57 Pa. C.S. § 306.1

★ William Penn's commonwealth was commissioning notaries before the United States existed — Pennsylvania's notary tradition is older than the country.

Rhode Island

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON under a standards-based framework

Kryptonite: A smaller market with less receiving-party familiarity

Key statute: R.I. Gen. Laws 42-30.1

★ Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union — but through RON, its notaries' reach covers all 3.8 million square miles of the country.

South Carolina

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: No

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Recognizes properly executed out-of-state RON

Kryptonite: Among the last states without RON for its own notaries

Key statute: S.C. Code Ann. §§ 26-3-20, 30-5-30 (recognition); Title 26 Ch. 2 (electronic, in-person)

★ South Carolina was among the earliest colonies appointing public notaries in the 1600s — and is now among the very last states to adopt RON. History has a sense of humor.

South Dakota

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Limited

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Allows remote notarization in a limited, paper-based form

Kryptonite: Remote ink only per most trackers, though sources conflict on full RON

Key statute: SDCL 18-1-11.2

★ South Dakota permits 'remote ink' notarization — you sign a paper document on camera — but hasn't authorized fully electronic RON.

Tennessee

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: An early permanent adopter with a mature program

Kryptonite: An online notary commission is required separately

Key statute: Tenn. Code § 8-16-301 et seq.

★ Tennessee made RON permanent in 2019 — ahead of the curve, and ahead of the pandemic that made everyone else hurry.

Texas

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: One of the first and biggest RON markets

Kryptonite: High competition among online notaries

Key statute: Tex. Gov't Code § 406.101 et seq.

★ Texas commissions more notaries than any other state — hundreds of thousands of them, roughly the population of a mid-sized city.

Utah

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: A streamlined, tech-forward RON program

Kryptonite: Platform certification requirements

Key statute: Utah Code § 46-1-3.5

★ Utah's famously tech-forward state government made it a natural early RON adopter.

Vermont

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: RON authorized with rules finalized in 2023

Kryptonite: A late rules rollout means a newer ecosystem

Key statute: 26 V.S.A. § 5379

★ Vermont was one of the last New England states to fully implement RON — its rules didn't land until 2023.

Virginia

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: The nation's RON pioneer — authorized in 2012

Kryptonite: Its pioneering rules differ slightly from RULONA states

Key statute: Va. Code § 47.1-2

★ Virginia authorized remote online notarization in 2012 — years before video calls were routine, and nearly a decade before the rest of the country caught up.

Washington

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Permanent RON with solid consumer protections

Kryptonite: A separate remote endorsement is required

Key statute: RCW 42.45.280

★ Washington's RON law took effect in 2020 — just as the world suddenly, urgently needed exactly that.

West Virginia

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON under the RULONA framework

Kryptonite: A smaller pool of practicing RON notaries

Key statute: W. Va. Code § 39-4-14a

★ West Virginia follows RULONA — the uniform act quietly keeping notary law consistent from state to state.

Wisconsin

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: Full RON for most document types

Kryptonite: Estate planning documents are excluded — wills still want wet ink

Key statute: Wis. Stat. § 140.145

★ Wisconsin's RON law specifically excludes estate planning documents — in the Badger State, a will still wants old-fashioned ink.

Wyoming

OWN NOTARIES CAN PERFORM RON: Yes

ACCEPTS OUT-OF-STATE RON: Yes

Superpower: A recently modernized notary act — one of the newest frameworks

Kryptonite: A sparse local RON ecosystem

Key statute: Wyo. Stat. § 32-3-101 et seq.

★ Wyoming rewrote its entire notary act in 2021, giving it one of the freshest legal frameworks in the country.

Notaries are not attorneys and cannot practice law or give legal advice. When it comes to Remote Online Notarization it is the signer's responsibility to ask the receiving party if electronic signatures will be accepted on the document as well as electronic notarizations. Certain documents and types of signings in certain States may not be accepted. Please note that rejected documents, if executed properly, will not be refunded if you have not checked with your receiving party ahead of time.