What Is Remote Online Notarization in New Jersey?

Remote online notarization allows a commissioned New Jersey notary to perform a notarial act for a signer who is not physically in the same room. Instead, the notary and signer communicate through technology that allows them to see and hear each other in real time.

New Jersey's modernized notary law authorizes both remote notarization and electronic notarization. That means a properly equipped New Jersey notary can serve clients online while still following the state's rules for identity verification, certificates, electronic records, journals, and audiovisual recordings.

One important distinction: becoming a New Jersey online notary does not mean replacing your traditional commission. Your active New Jersey Notary Public commission is the foundation of your authority to perform remote notarizations.

1 Confirm You Qualify for a New Jersey Notary Commission

Before you can perform remote online notarizations, you must qualify to hold a New Jersey Notary Public commission.

Under New Jersey law, a person commissioned as a notary must:

• Be at least 18 years old;
• Be a legal resident of New Jersey or have a qualifying place of employment or practice in New Jersey; and
• Not be disqualified from receiving a commission under New Jersey notary law.

New Jersey also permits certain nonresidents to obtain a commission when they have the employment or business connection to New Jersey required by state law.

2 Become a Commissioned New Jersey Notary Public

If you are not already a New Jersey notary, start with the state's Notary Public Application system.

For new non-attorney applicants, New Jersey currently requires applicants to complete the state's education process and pass the New Jersey Notary Public Exam before completing their registration application.

New Jersey attorneys are treated differently for the state's education and examination requirements, so attorneys should follow the instructions provided by the Department of the Treasury.

A New Jersey Notary Public commission is issued for a five-year term. The statutory state fee for a commission or renewal is $25.

Visit the official New Jersey Notary Public Application for the state's current application process.

3 Complete Your Oath of Office

Receiving your commission is not the end of the commissioning process. New Jersey requires a newly commissioned notary to take and subscribe the required oath before the appropriate county clerk.

Once you have completed the commissioning and oath requirements, you can move on to setting up your remote online notary services.

4 Choose Technology That Supports New Jersey RON Requirements

You cannot perform a New Jersey remote online notarization using an ordinary video call alone. Your technology and workflow need to support the state's requirements for remote notarization.

A compliant RON workflow should support requirements including:

• Real-time audio and video communication between the notary and signer;
• A secure and interactive remote session;
• Signer identity verification;
• Identity-proofing technology;
• Creation of an audiovisual recording of the notarial act;
• Electronic documents and tamper-evident technology when electronic records are used;
• An electronic notarial certificate, signature, and stamp when applicable; and
• Required recordkeeping and journal functionality.

New Jersey does not require notaries to use one specific commercial RON brand. However, the technology you select must allow you to comply with New Jersey law and the standards applicable to the notarization.

5 Notify the New Jersey State Treasurer Before Your First RON

This is one of the most important New Jersey-specific steps.

Before performing your first remote notarial act, you must electronically notify the New Jersey State Treasurer that you will be performing remote notarizations and identify the technology you intend to use.

If you already hold an active New Jersey commission, use the state's Notary Public Application portal and select Remote/Electronic Notarization.

Access New Jersey's Remote/Electronic Notarization filing .

6 Set Up Your Electronic Notary Tools

If you will notarize electronic records, make sure your setup can properly apply your electronic signature, electronic notarial certificate, and official New Jersey notary stamp in a tamper-evident manner.

A New Jersey official notary stamp must include:

• Your name;
• The title "Notary Public, State of New Jersey"; and
• Your commission expiration date.

For electronic notarizations, the stamp is attached to or logically associated with the electronic notarial certificate. The electronic record should also use technology that makes later changes detectable.

Your RON provider may have additional technical onboarding requirements, so make sure your electronic credentials are compatible with the system you plan to use.

7 Follow New Jersey's RON Procedures for Every Session

Once you are commissioned, properly registered, and equipped with compliant technology, you can begin performing remote online notarizations.

The Notary Must Be in New Jersey

A New Jersey notarial officer performing a remote notarization must be physically located in New Jersey when performing the notarial act.

The Signer Appears by Audio and Video

The notary and remotely located signer must communicate simultaneously by sight and sound using communication technology.

Verify the Signer's Identity

New Jersey's remote notarization rules require satisfactory identification of the remotely located individual. The state's guidance calls for visual verification of an acceptable identification document together with an authorized identity-proofing method.

Depending on the compliant process being used, identity proofing may involve technology such as:

• Dynamic knowledge-based authentication;
• Qualifying biometric identity verification; or
• A qualifying digital public key certificate.

Confirm the Document

The notary must be able to reasonably confirm that the record being notarized is the same record on which the remotely located individual made the statement or executed the signature.

Record the Session

New Jersey requires creation of an audiovisual recording of the remote notarial act.

Use the Correct RON Certificate Wording

When a notarial act is performed using communication technology, the notarial certificate must indicate that communication technology was used.

New Jersey Journal and Recording Requirements

Recordkeeping is a major part of New Jersey notary compliance.

Notary Journal

New Jersey generally requires a notary public to maintain a journal of notarial acts. A journal may be maintained on a tangible medium or electronically.

An electronic journal must be maintained in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format. New Jersey generally requires a notary to maintain only one journal at a time for notarial acts involving both tangible and electronic records.

Journal entries include information such as:

• Date and time of the notarial act;
• Type of notarial act;
• Name and address of each person for whom the act is performed;
• How the person's identity was established;
• Applicable identification information; and
• An itemized list of fees charged.

The journal generally must be retained for 10 years after the last notarial act recorded in it, unless it is transmitted as permitted by New Jersey law.

Audiovisual RON Recordings

The audiovisual recording created for a New Jersey remote notarization must generally be retained for 10 years.

Can a New Jersey Online Notary Notarize for Someone Outside New Jersey?

Yes. A New Jersey notary who is physically located in New Jersey may perform a remote notarial act for a remotely located individual even when that signer is not physically located in New Jersey.

When a signer is located outside the United States, additional restrictions apply. Among other requirements, the document must have the connection to the United States required by New Jersey law, and the act of signing or making the statement cannot be prohibited where the signer is located.

This ability to serve remotely located signers is one of the biggest advantages of becoming a New Jersey remote online notary.

Why Become a Remote Online Notary in New Jersey?

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming an Online Notary in New Jersey

Official New Jersey Resources

Requirements can change. Before beginning or performing a remote notarization, confirm the latest requirements directly with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.

• New Jersey Department of the Treasury — Notary Public Law
• New Jersey Notary Public Application
• New Jersey Notary Public Manual