Remote Online Notarization: What It Is, Why It Works, and How to Tell a Valid RON From an Invalid One

Remote online notarization has changed the way people get documents notarized. You no longer need to be in the same city, state, or even country as your notary. With a secure video session, a valid ID, and a few minutes of your time, you can have documents notarized from anywhere in the world.

At The Sheridan Company LLC, we perform remote online notarizations for clients across all 50 states and internationally. We also see the other side of this technology: documents that cross our desk claiming to be remote online notarizations that are, in fact, invalid. This article explains what remote online notarization is, who benefits most, and the critical difference between a proper RON and an improper one that the Secretary of State will reject.

What Is Remote Online Notarization?

Remote online notarization, often shortened to RON, is a notarization performed entirely online through a secure, state-approved video platform. The signer and the notary meet face to face over live audio and video. The signer's identity is verified digitally, the document is signed electronically, and the notary applies an electronic signature and electronic seal within the platform.

The result is a fully legal, fully digital notarized document. No printing. No mailing. No driving across town to find a notary office.

Who Benefits Most From Remote Online Notarization?

RON is convenient for everyone, but it is transformative for two groups in particular.

Out-of-State and International Clients

If you live outside Oklahoma, or outside the United States entirely, RON removes distance from the equation. Clients abroad regularly need notarized documents for real estate transactions, powers of attorney, business filings, and immigration matters back in the U.S. Before RON, that meant tracking down a U.S. embassy appointment or waiting weeks for documents to travel by mail. Now the entire notarization happens in a single online session, from any device, in any time zone.

Attorneys With Clients Far From Their Office

Attorneys who practice federal law, such as immigration attorneys, often serve clients scattered across the country or overseas. An immigration attorney in Oklahoma City may represent a client in another state or a family member still living abroad. RON allows that attorney's clients to sign and notarize documents without travel, keeping cases moving without delay. The same applies to estate planning attorneys, real estate attorneys, and any legal professional serving a statewide or national client base.

The Improper Way: A Warning About Invalid "Online Notarizations"

Here is where experience matters. Several times, documents have come across our desk that claim to be remote online notarizations but are not valid. The pattern is almost always the same.

A document is signed remotely through an electronic signature platform such as DocuSign. The signed document is then printed. A notary stamps the printed copy, believing this counts as a remote online notarization.

It does not. This is not a remote online notarization. It is an invalid notarization, and the consequences are serious. When one of these documents is submitted for an apostille, the Secretary of State will deny it. The signer then has to start over, often after losing time on a deadline that mattered.

The problem is simple: the notary never verified the signer's identity through an approved process, never witnessed the signature in a live audio-video session, and never performed the notarial act on an approved RON platform. An electronic signature service on its own is not a notarization platform, and stamping a printout of a remotely signed document does not make the notarization valid.

The Proper Way: How a Valid Remote Online Notarization Works in Oklahoma

Oklahoma law sets clear requirements for remote online notarization, and every step exists to protect the signer and the integrity of the document.

Step 1: The Notary Must Hold a RON Commission

A standard notary commission is not enough. In Oklahoma, a commissioned notary must apply to the Secretary of State for an additional commission to perform remote online notarizations. Only after that approval can the notary properly notarize documents online.

Step 2: The Notarization Must Happen on a Secure, Approved Platform

Once authorized, the notary registers with a secure remote online notarization platform and notifies the Secretary of State of the technology being used. Every RON session takes place inside that platform, which records the audio-video session and creates a verifiable record of the notarial act.

Step 3: The Signer Completes Identity Verification, Including KBA

Oklahoma is a knowledge-based authentication state, known as KBA. To enter a RON session, the signer must present a valid government-issued photo ID for credential analysis. The signer must also provide a Social Security number, which the platform uses to generate a series of personal history questions. The signer must answer those questions correctly, within a time limit, to pass identity verification.

This layered process is far more rigorous than showing an ID across a counter, and it is one of the reasons remote online notarizations are trusted for high-stakes legal documents.

Step 4: The Notarial Act Is Performed Live

Only after identity verification does the signer enter the live session with the notary. The notary confirms the signer's identity and willingness, watches the document being signed electronically, and applies an electronic signature and electronic seal. The completed document is fully digital and valid.

Why This Distinction Matters

A notarization is only as strong as the process behind it. A valid remote online notarization holds up for apostilles, court filings, real estate closings, and immigration cases. An invalid one collapses at the worst possible moment, usually when a government office reviews it.

If you have a document that was signed electronically, printed, and stamped, and you plan to submit it for an apostille or any official use, have it reviewed before you send it. Redoing the notarization correctly now is far faster than a rejection later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a remote online notarization legal in every state?

A remote online notarization performed by a properly authorized notary is legally valid, and documents notarized online in Oklahoma are recognized for use across the United States and internationally. Requirements for notaries vary by state, which is why the notary's authorization matters.

Can I use RON if I live outside the United States?

Yes. Remote online notarization is one of the most practical solutions for clients abroad who need U.S. documents notarized. You need a valid government-issued ID and the ability to complete identity verification.

Is signing through DocuSign the same as a remote online notarization?

No. An electronic signature platform on its own is not a notarization. A valid RON requires an authorized notary, an approved RON platform, identity verification, and a live audio-video session.

What documents can be notarized online?

Most documents can be notarized through RON, including powers of attorney, affidavits, business documents, real estate documents, and immigration-related documents. Contact us if you are unsure about a specific document.

How long does a remote online notarization take?

Most sessions take 15 minutes or less once identity verification is complete.

Notarize From Anywhere With The Sheridan Company LLC

The Sheridan Company LLC provides remote online notarization for clients in all 50 states and around the world, performed by a commissioned Oklahoma notary with RON authorization on a secure, state-compliant platform. If you also need an apostille after your notarization, we handle that too, for every U.S. state and every country.

Schedule your remote online notarization today. Call (405) 960-2717 or email admin@TheSheridanCo.com.

REVIEW AND SCHEDULE SERVICES TODAY!