No — California does not yet allow remote online notarization by its own notaries. Senate Bill 696, signed in 2023, created the Online Notarization Act and will eventually let California-commissioned notaries notarize documents over live video, but the system cannot go live until the Secretary of State finishes building and certifying the required technology platform. The statutory deadline for that certification is January 1, 2030. Until then, you have two working options: use a remote notary commissioned in another state, or use a traditional in-person notary in California.
Why California Notaries Can’t Notarize Over Video Right Now
California law requires you to physically appear before a notary for any notarial act such as an acknowledgment or jurat. A video image doesn’t count as a personal appearance under current state law.1California Secretary of State. Customer Alerts
The Online Notarization Act itself bars California notaries from performing online notarizations until two conditions are met: the notary registers with the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State certifies that its technology project is complete.2California Legislative Information. California Government Code Title 2 Division 1 Chapter 3 Article 2 – Online Notarization Act Neither has happened. Any California notary who agrees to notarize your document over video today is acting outside their authority, and the notarization would be vulnerable to challenge.
Getting a California Document Notarized Remotely Today
California law gives full legal effect to remote online notarizations performed by notaries commissioned in other states. This recognition took effect January 1, 2024, as the first phase of SB 696. A document notarized remotely by a notary in Virginia, Florida, Nevada, or any other RON-authorized state is treated the same as if a California notary had handled it in person.3California Legislative Information. California Code GOV Title 2 Division 1 Chapter 3 Article 3 – Section 8232
One condition matters. The notarization must fully comply with the laws of the state where the notary is commissioned. If that state requires credential analysis and knowledge-based identity proofing, those steps have to happen. If it requires a recorded session, the session gets recorded. You cannot skip any of the out-of-state requirements just because the document is destined for California.
The mechanics are simple. You pick a RON provider online, connect with a commissioned notary through a secure video call, hold a government-issued photo ID up to the camera, and answer identity-verification questions drawn from your personal history. The notary watches you sign the electronic document, applies an electronic seal, and the platform retains a recording of the session. Typical RON fees run around $25 per notarization, with add-ons for extra signatures.
Confirm before you start that the receiving party — a title company, a court, a government agency — will accept an electronically notarized document. Acceptance is legally required in California, but individual recipients sometimes have their own submission preferences that are worth knowing in advance.
When California’s Own RON System Is Expected to Launch
The Secretary of State must finish building and certifying the RON technology platform no later than January 1, 2030. The law permits an earlier launch if the technology is ready sooner. There is one built-in escape valve: if the Secretary of State notifies the Legislature and the Governor in writing by January 1, 2029, that the project won’t be finished on time, the deadline could shift.4LegiScan. California Senate Bill 696 – Notaries Public – Enrolled Text No such notification has been made, so 2030 stands as the outer boundary.
Until the Secretary of State publishes its certification, no California notary can legally perform an online notarization, and no platform can authorize one. Even a California notary who has completed every training requirement still cannot offer RON before the state’s system is certified.
In-Person Notarization Is Still the Default
Traditional in-person notarization remains widely available. Banks, credit unions, and shipping stores usually have a notary on staff. The state-regulated maximum fee is $15 per signature for an acknowledgment or jurat.5California Legislative Information. California Code GOV Title 2 Division 1 Chapter 3 Article 1 – Section 8211 Some institutions waive the fee for account holders, so ask.
Mobile notaries are the closest substitute for RON if leaving home isn’t practical. A commissioned notary travels to your home, office, or another location. Mobile notaries charge a travel fee on top of the $15 per-signature maximum, and that travel fee varies with distance, time of day, and the number of signatures involved. For a straightforward single-document notarization, expect the total to run somewhere between $50 and $150 depending on where you are. Notarization of vote-by-mail ballot envelopes and veterans’ benefit applications must be provided free of charge under California law.5California Legislative Information. California Code GOV Title 2 Division 1 Chapter 3 Article 1 – Section 8211