Last updated November 16, 2023
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Cindy Pereira joined the LawDepot team as a Marketing Writer in 2023. She has over five years of experience through her previous time spent in the print and publication industry and by honing her craft through freelance gigs. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia in 2022 and holds an applied degree in Professional Writing and Communications from MacEwan University. Cindy is interested in taking complex topics and making them accessible to all readers.
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Ngaire King is Legal Counsel for LawDepot. Ngaire has been working in the legal field for over five years and was called to the bar in Alberta in 2020. Before becoming a lawyer, Ngaire obtained her Bachelor of Arts – Honors degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary. The same desire to help people through challenging and uncertain times of life that drew Ngaire to psychology, prompted her to pursue a law degree. Ngaire completed her Juris Doctor degree at Bond University in Queensland, Australia. Ngaire’s keen attention to detail and passion for improving access to legal services brought her to LawDepot. Ngaire has put the strong research and writing skills that garnered her over 30 academic awards to good use, providing sound legal advice to LawDepot and creating high-quality legal templates.
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Kyle Adam is a seasoned content creator, editor, and SEO specialist with over four years of experience. Presently, he serves as Senior Marketing Writer and Editor at LawDepot. Holding a Bachelor of Communication Studies from MacEwan University, he further honed his skills with an Associate’s Certificate in Graphic Design from British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Kyle seamlessly blends his love for arts and writing to craft compelling content. He’s enthusiastic about explaining complex topics by using simple, accessible language and effective visuals.
Online Notary in California
Online Notary, also known as remote online notarization (RON), is a virtual service that allows you to notarize your legal documents in California and anywhere else in the United States.
With LawDepot’s Online Notary, you connect with a notary public and speak with them using your web device’s camera and microphone. The process is convenient, affordable, and secure.
Californians can notarize the following documents with Online Notary:
- Loan Agreements and Promissory Notes
- Child Travel Consents and Child Medical Consents
- Powers of Attorney
- Property Deeds
- Bills of Sales
- Mortgages
- Affidavits
- And more
By getting your legal documents notarized, you verify the authenticity of your document’s signatures and add validity.
Is Online Notary legal in California?
Yes, using Online Notary to notarize your documents in California is legal. However, California notaries aren’t authorized to perform online notarizations currently.
Even though California notaries can’t perform them, online notarizations performed out-of-state are still legal in California and recognized by the courts. This recognition exists because the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution affirms that a notarization performed in one state is legal in all states. For this reason, out-of-state notary publics can still notarize documents online for Californians.
The United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-Sign) Act also recognizes digital signatures as legally valid in the United States.
What are California’s online notarization laws?
California does not have laws allowing remote online notarization. That being said, bills have been introduced in the California State Legislature to pass and amend laws allowing California notaries to perform remote online notarizations.
For example, Senate Bill 696 has been passed in California’s Senate and Assembly and is waiting to be signed into law. This bill would allow California notaries to apply for a remote online notary commission. If Senate Bill 696 is passed, California notaries could begin providing online notarization services beginning January 1, 2030, at the earliest or implementing required technology updates by the California Secretary of State.
How much does notarization cost in California?
With LawDepot’s Online Notary, we charge $25 for the first seal and $10 for each additional seal. You can sign your documents in the comfort of your workplace or home in minutes instead of traveling to meet with a notary.
Our Online Notary service includes the costs for an acknowledgement or a jurat.
- An acknowledgement is when the parties express their willingness to sign a document to a notary.
- A jurat is when the parties make an oath or an affirmation before the notary about the truthfulness of the document’s contents.
According to California’s 2023 Notary Public Handbook, the maximum fee a notary in California may charge for an acknowledgement or jurat is $15. However, the savings associated with in-person notarizations come with the inconvenience of traveling to meet a notary.
Documents Californians cannot notarize with LawDepot’s Online Notary
LawDepot’s Online Notary cannot provide online notarizations for the following documents in California:
- Last Wills and Testaments
- Pour-Over Wills
- Cohabitation Agreements
- Separation Agreements
- Prenuptial Agreement
- USPS Form 1583
- Documents for use outside the U.S.
- True copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Court-issued documents
- Certificates of Naturalization
- Certificates of Citizenship
- Declarations of Intention to Become a Citizen