Jurisdiction
United States (Federal)
SECURE Notarization Act framework, ESIGN Act, UETA, and the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA).
Notary Requirements
- -Commission held in good standing in the notary's home state.
- -Authority to perform RON granted by the notary's commissioning state.
Identity Verification
- -Credential analysis of a government-issued photo ID.
- -Dynamic Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) where required by state law.
- -Two-way audio-video communication with the principal.
KBA Requirements
- -5 question minimum, >=80% correct, completed in <=2 minutes.
- -Maximum 2 attempts within 24 hours.
Recording Requirements
- -Audio-video recording of every notarial act.
- -Tamper-evident storage with cryptographic hashing.
Journal Requirements
- -Electronic journal entry for each act with date, type, principal identifier, and verification method.
Retention Requirements
- -Minimum 5 years (typical). Some states require 7-10 years.
Citations
- ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 7001)
- SECURE Notarization Act (proposed)
- RULONA 2018 Revisions
Last reviewed 2026-06-07 - Informational only - Not legal advice