IPEN vs. RON: The Two Flavors of Digital Notarization

In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) and Remote Online Notarization (RON) both produce digital documents — but only RON eliminates physical presence.

IPEN (In-Person Electronic Notarization) requires the signer and notary to be in the same physical room. The document is electronic, the signature is electronic, and the seal is digital — but the meeting is face-to-face. Every state that permits any digital notarization permits IPEN.

RON (Remote Online Notarization) replaces the in-person meeting with a live video session. The notary and signer are in different locations, sometimes different countries.

For most documents, IPEN is overkill — the parties might as well use paper. RON is the more transformative innovation, but a small number of high-stakes documents (some real estate, some testamentary instruments) still require the in-person IPEN model.