Digital notary services

Cryptographically sealed notarizations — paperless, tamper-evident.

Every digital notarization is signed with the notary's PKI certificate and stored with a recorded video audit trail. Verify authenticity in any PDF reader, instantly.

PKI / X.509

Seal type

Yes

Tamper-evident

5–10 yrs

Audit retention

24/7

Available

How digital notarization works

The notary's digital certificate is issued by a trusted certificate authority and bound to their state commission. When they apply the seal, the entire document is hashed and signed cryptographically — any subsequent modification breaks the signature. The session video, ID scans, and signed PDF are stored in a state-compliant repository for the required retention period (typically 5–10 years), creating an evidence package far stronger than a traditional ink-and-paper notarization.

When to choose digital over wet-ink notarization

Digital notarization is the default choice for refinance closings, employment onboarding, vendor contracts, corporate resolutions, and any signing where the document will live electronically anyway. Wet-ink originals are still required for a shrinking list of recordable real estate documents in some counties, and for certain probate filings. For everything else, digital is faster, cheaper, and produces a better audit trail.

What you receive

  • Sealed, tamper-evident PDF
  • PKI-backed digital certificate
  • Recorded video session
  • Time-stamped audit log
  • Verifiable in any PDF reader

Legal framework

  • E-SIGN Act (federal)
  • UETA (state-level)
  • State RON statutes (45+ states)
  • Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act
  • Hague Apostille Convention (where applicable)

Frequently asked questions

What are digital notary services?

Digital notary services let you execute and notarize documents entirely electronically — no paper, no wet ink, no in-person meeting. The signer, notary, and document meet on a secure platform; the notary applies a digital seal backed by a cryptographic certificate.

How is a digital notarization secured?

Each notarial certificate is signed with the notary's PKI-based digital certificate. The signed PDF is tamper-evident — any change to the document after signing invalidates the seal. The video session is recorded and stored as an audit trail.

Is a digital notary seal the same as a traditional ink stamp?

Legally, yes — a digital seal carries the same authority as a wet stamp under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), the E-SIGN Act, and state RON statutes. Practically, the digital version is more verifiable because it carries a cryptographic audit trail.

Can digital notarizations be used for international documents?

Yes. Digitally notarized documents can be apostilled or authenticated for use in countries party to the Hague Convention. Some destination countries still prefer paper originals — confirm with the receiving authority.

How do I verify a digital notary seal?

Open the signed PDF in Adobe Acrobat (or any compliant PDF reader). The signature panel displays the notary's certificate, the time of signing, and whether the document has been altered since the seal was applied.

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