Step 1: Make Sure You Qualify to Be a Hawaii Notary

Before you can become a remote online notary in Hawaii, you need an active Hawaii notary public commission.

Hawaii's general eligibility requirements include being at least 18 years old and being a resident of Hawaii. The state also has citizenship or qualifying U.S. national/permanent-resident requirements. Applicants should review the current Hawaii Attorney General eligibility language before applying.

Hawaii's traditional notary application process also requires supporting information that includes a justification letter and a character recommendation.

Step 2: Obtain Your Hawaii Notary Commission

If you are not already commissioned, complete Hawaii's regular notary application process through the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General.

The state currently lists a $20 application fee for a new notary commission. If the Attorney General approves your application, you must also take and pass Hawaii's written notary examination.

Hawaii's fee schedule also lists a $100 fee for issuance of the regular notary commission.

Don't Forget the Hawaii Surety Bond

Hawaii law requires most non-government notaries to obtain an official $1,000 surety bond before beginning their notarial duties.

This is a bond requirement—not an E&O insurance requirement. There is no need to insert an optional E&O coverage amount into Hawaii's state-required checklist.

A standard Hawaii notary commission generally lasts four years, unless it ends earlier under applicable state law.

Step 3: Choose Your Remote Online Notary Technology

Hawaii requires remote online notarizations to take place using technology that satisfies the standards established by the Attorney General.

This is an important step because your Hawaii RON application requires information about the communication technology and devices you intend to use. You must also identify vendors that will directly provide the technology.

A Hawaii RON solution needs to support the functions required for a legally compliant remote session, including secure real-time audio-video communication, identity verification, electronic document handling, an electronic notary journal, and required session records.

Step 4: Obtain a Digital Certificate

Hawaii's RON rules require a remote online notary to use a digital certificate as part of the electronic stamping process. The state's technology standards call for an X.509-compliant digital certificate.

The digital certificate helps bind your electronic signature and electronic notary seal to the notarized document and makes later changes to the electronic document detectable.

Hawaii's RON application requires the applicant to certify that a qualifying digital certificate has been obtained from a qualified certificate authority or trusted service provider.

Follow the onboarding instructions of your selected RON platform to make sure the digital certificate you obtain works properly with its electronic notarization workflow.

Step 5: Apply for Your Hawaii Remote Online Notary Commission

Once you have an active traditional commission and have selected your RON technology, you can submit your application to become a Hawaii remote online notary public.

The Hawaii Attorney General currently charges a $20 non-refundable application fee for the remote online notary commission application.

Be prepared to provide information such as:

• Your existing Hawaii notary commission information;
• The communication technology you intend to use;
• The technology vendor or vendors involved;
• How your electronic journal and audiovisual records will be securely backed up;
• Confirmation that you have obtained the required digital certificate; and
• Confirmation that your selected technology satisfies Hawaii's requirements.

Make sure the information you submit matches the actual technology you plan to use. Hawaii requires notification if you later begin using another technology provider that was not identified in your application.

Step 6: Take and Pass the Hawaii RON Examination

Hawaii does not automatically issue a remote online notary commission simply because you already passed the state's traditional notary exam.

The administrative rules require applicants to take and pass an examination specifically covering notarizations for remotely located individuals.

Hawaii's current fee schedule lists $10 for each examination.

Before taking the RON exam, become familiar with Hawaii's rules governing communication technology, signer identification, knowledge-based authentication, electronic seals, electronic signatures, journals, audiovisual recordings, and remote notarial certificates.

Step 7: Receive Your RON Commission and Complete the Final Filings

Hawaii's administrative fee schedule currently lists a $100 fee for issuance of a remote online notary public commission.

Receiving the commission is not quite the final step.

Within 30 days after receiving your RON commission, Hawaii requires you to file a copy of the remote online notary commission with the clerk of the circuit court for the circuit in which you reside.

You must also submit a tangible copy of your electronic notary seal and electronic signature to the Hawaii Attorney General.

Step 8: Follow Hawaii's Signer Identity Verification Rules

Identity verification is one of the most important differences between an in-person notarization and a remote online notarization.

Hawaii allows a remote notary to establish a remotely located signer's identity through permitted methods such as personal knowledge, a qualifying credible witness, or the state's required identity-proofing process.

Where technology-based identity proofing is used, Hawaii's administrative rules provide for credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication (KBA), along with real-time visual comparison of the signer and the identity credential.

Your RON platform should handle the required identity-verification workflow before the signer enters the notarization session.

Step 9: Conduct the Notarization While You Are Located in Hawaii

A Hawaii remote online notary must be physically located in Hawaii while performing the remote notarial act.

The signer, however, may be remotely located. Hawaii law also permits certain notarizations for individuals located outside the United States when the additional statutory requirements for those transactions are satisfied.

During the session, the notary and signer must be able to communicate simultaneously by sight and sound. The notary must also be able to confirm that the electronic document being notarized is the same document on which the signer made the statement or executed the signature.

The resulting notarial certificate must indicate that communication technology was used to perform the notarization.

Step 10: Maintain Your Electronic Journal and Session Recording

Hawaii requires remote online notarizations to create a comprehensive electronic record.

A Hawaii remote online notary must maintain an electronic journal of RON transactions as well as the required audiovisual recording.

These records must be protected against unauthorized access, securely backed up, and maintained in accordance with Hawaii's retention requirements.

Hawaii's administrative rules generally require the electronic journal and audiovisual recording to be retained for 10 years after the last notarial act chronicled in the journal.

Choosing a RON platform with secure journal and audiovisual record retention can make this obligation considerably easier to manage.

How Much Does It Cost to Become a Remote Online Notary in Hawaii?

If you already hold an active Hawaii notary commission, the state RON fees currently include:

You should also budget separately for your digital certificate, RON technology provider, and any other supplies or filing costs applicable to your situation.

Remember: Hawaii does not currently impose a state-required E&O insurance amount.

How Long Does a Hawaii Online Notary Commission Last?

Hawaii's regular notary commission generally has a four-year term. Your remote online notary commission does not create a separate four-year period.

Instead, the Hawaii remote online notary commission expires on the same date as your underlying notary public commission.

That makes it important to keep both commissions current and complete your renewal requirements on time.

How Much Can a Hawaii Remote Online Notary Charge?

Hawaii Revised Statutes section 456-17 lists a $25 fee for covered notarial acts performed for a remotely located individual.

Notaries should always follow the current Hawaii fee statute and any other applicable rules when setting or collecting notarial fees.

Hawaii Online Notary FAQ