Mangai Notary Service Notary Public · California

Remote Online Notarization in California

California authorized online notarization but it is not yet available to California notaries. What works instead.

A California notary cannot notarize your documents over video. California passed a law allowing it, but it is not available to California notaries yet. You have to be physically in the same room as the notary. A mobile notary who travels to you is the usual answer.

Now booking. Call (925) 319-8855.

The short answerLink to this section

As of September 2026, a California notary public cannot notarize your documents over video.

California passed a law authorizing remote online notarization, but it has not taken effect for California notaries yet. If someone with a California commission offers to notarize your trust or deed over a webcam today, that is not a valid California notarization.

What SB 696 didLink to this section

Senate Bill 696 was signed on September 30, 2023. It creates a framework for remote online notarization, sometimes shortened to RON.

The law is written to take effect in stages rather than all at once. The California Secretary of State's customer alerts page describes the phased rollout: some provisions became operative in 2024 and 2025, while the provisions that actually let a California notary perform an online notarization are tied to the Secretary of State building and certifying the required technology systems, with an outside date of January 1, 2030.

That technology work is what stands between the law existing and online notarization being available.

What is still true todayLink to this section

The Secretary of State has posted a long-standing warning that webcam notarizations by California notaries are invalid. That warning predates SB 696, but the underlying situation has not changed in practice: the RON provisions are not yet operational, so the traditional rule still governs.

The traditional rule is in Civil Code § 1189 and the Notary Public Handbook — the signer must personally appear before the notary. Personal appearance means physically in the same room.

Check the Secretary of State's notary page for the current status. This is the kind of thing that changes, and the state's own site is the only source worth trusting on it.

The confusing part: out-of-state online notariesLink to this section

You may have seen online notarization services advertised, and they are real. Many states — Florida, Texas, Virginia, Nevada and others — have had RON for years. Those notaries hold commissions in those states, not California.

Whether a document notarized by an out-of-state online notary will be accepted for a California purpose depends on the document and who is receiving it:

  • County recorders apply their own rules to what they will record. Some California counties have accepted out-of-state RON deeds; others have not. Ask the specific county recorder before you pay for anything.
  • Banks and title companies each have their own policies.
  • Whether it is legally sufficient for your particular document is a legal question, not a notary question. Ask an attorney.

Do not assume it will work. For an estate plan, a rejected document discovered years later, after a death, is an expensive problem.

What works right nowLink to this section

A mobile notary. A commissioned California notary travels to you — your home, a hospital, a care facility, an office. This is the standard solution for someone who cannot travel. Travel fees are separate from the $15 per-signature statutory maximum and are agreed in advance. This service charges $10 for each document notarized, plus a flat $75 travel fee. Pricing.

A notary at a bank, shipping store or law office. Fine for simple documents. Note that many bank branches will only notarize for their own customers, and some decline estate planning documents.

Witnesses instead of a notary, where the law allows it. Two of California's estate planning documents give you a choice:

Deeds do not offer this choice. Government Code § 27287 requires a notarized acknowledgment before a deed can be recorded, and excludes the subscribing-witness alternative for deeds and powers of attorney.

Frequently asked questionsLink to this section

Is remote online notarization legal in California? It is authorized by statute but not yet operational for California notaries. SB 696 phases in over time, with the technology-dependent provisions carrying an outside date of January 1, 2030. The Secretary of State's customer alerts page is the authoritative source.

When will online notarization actually start in California? No firm public date. It depends on the Secretary of State completing the required technology implementation. Watch sos.ca.gov/notary.

I used an online notary from another state. Will the county record my deed? Ask that specific county recorder before you rely on it. Practice varies between counties, and a rejected deed means starting over.

Can a California notary notarize over FaceTime or Zoom if I show my ID on camera? No. Personal appearance means physically present. A California notary who does this is exposed to discipline, and the notarization may be void.

Can a California notary notarize a document for someone in another country? Only if the signer is physically in front of the notary. For someone abroad, the usual route is a U.S. embassy or consulate, which provides notarial services. See the U.S. State Department's page on notarial services abroad.

My out-of-state family member needs to sign our trust documents. What do we do? They can be notarized by a notary in the state where they are physically located. A notarization performed under another state's law is generally recognized in California, though whether the document works for your specific purpose is a question for the attorney who drafted it.

Does the notary need to be in the same county as the property? No. A California notary's commission is valid statewide.

General information about notary procedure. A notary public cannot give legal advice. Check sos.ca.gov/notary for current rules and talk to a California attorney about your documents.