I get the same question from escrow and title officers almost every week: “What are the requirements for a remote online notarization?”
Here’s the whole answer in one place. What I need from you, what your signers need, how the identity checks work, and how the signed documents come back to you. Bookmark it, or forward it to your signers.
I’m Jim Allen. I’ve been an Idaho notary since 2018, I’m commissioned as an Idaho remote online notary, and I’ve done more than 4,500 signings. I’m an NNA Certified Signing Agent and I carry $1 million in E&O. Remote online notarization (RON) has been legal in Idaho since January 1, 2020, under Idaho Code 51-114A. Your signers can be anywhere. I stay in Idaho.
You hand me the file. I handle the signers, the scheduling, and the session, and you get the documents back the same day.
What I need from you
Send me an email with:
- The documents to be signed, as PDFs
- Every signer’s full name, exactly as it appears on their ID
- Every signer’s email address
- Every signer’s phone number
That’s it. I take it from there.
How it works, step by step
- You ask. You email or call me and ask if I can do a RON for your file. The answer is yes.
- You send the details. The documents plus each signer’s full name, email, and phone number.
- I schedule the signers. I contact your signers myself and set a time that works for them and for me. Then I send a confirmation email to both your escrow team and the signers, so everyone has the same time in writing.
- I set up the session. I load the documents into my secure online notary platform and tag them with each signer’s information and my notary information.
- Everyone gets an invitation. Each signer gets an email invitation to the session. You get one too, as an observer.
- Each signer passes two identity checks. Before anyone can see or sign a document, they pass a knowledge-based quiz and an ID validation. Details are in the next section.
- I conduct the session. I verify each signer on video, confirm they’re signing willingly, and walk them through where to sign. When we’re done, the documents are closed out and saved as a secure, tamper-evident PDF.
- You get everything back right away. The notarized documents, the audit trail, and a certificate of completion, through a secure link. More on that below.
The two ID checks
Idaho requires two different identity checks for every remote signer. Both happen on the signer’s own device, before they can see a single page.
1. Knowledge-based authentication (KBA). This is a short quiz built from public and private records about the signer, such as past addresses and lenders. Under Idaho’s rules:
- At least five questions, each with at least five answer choices
- The signer has to get at least 80% right
- All questions have to be answered within two minutes
- I can’t see the questions or the answers. Nobody on the call can.
If a signer misses it:
- Fail once: they get one retry, with some new questions.
- Fail twice: they have to wait 24 hours before trying again with me.
That’s why I ask signers to log in 15 minutes early. If they need the retry, it doesn’t push back the signing.
2. ID validation (credential analysis). The signer takes a picture of their U.S. government photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport) and uploads it. The system checks the ID for signs of tampering or a fake and validates it. Then I compare the photo on the ID with the person on camera.
Signer stuck? Call me. Under certain circumstances there are other options so the signing can still finish the same day, as long as the required identity verification is met.
Can a non-U.S. citizen sign online?
Yes, if they have three things:
- A Social Security number
- A U.S. credit history
- A current U.S. government photo ID (a state ID or driver’s license works; a foreign passport won’t)
Citizenship isn’t the test. My most recent example was a green-card holder with a state-issued ID who passed both identity checks.
The quiz draws on U.S. records like past addresses and lenders, so what matters is whether the signer has a credit history here. A U.S. citizen who has lived overseas for years with no recent U.S. credit can actually have a harder time than a green-card holder with a mortgage and a car loan.
No Social Security number or no U.S. credit history? There are options, case by case. Contact me before you schedule so we can sort it out first, not in the middle of a closing.
Your observer seat
I invite you to every session as an observer. You can join any time, answer your signers’ questions about the transaction, and you’re on video just like they are.
You don’t have to attend. But if you’ve got a signer who’s nervous about a seller package, or a question only escrow can answer, you’re one click away instead of a phone call after the fact. Here’s how it went on a recent RON closing for escrow.
What you get back (and how)
As soon as the session closes, I send you three things:
- The notarized documents as a secure, tamper-evident PDF
- The audit trail, including the signers’ IDs
- A certificate of completion
They arrive through a secure file delivery service. You get a link in your email, and you open it to download. Closing documents are never attached to a plain email. Not once.
The session recording is kept for 10 years, as Idaho law requires.
Send this to your signers: what you’ll need
Forward this list to anyone signing remotely:
- Your own device. A computer, tablet, or phone with a working camera and microphone. One device per signer. If two of you are signing, you each need your own.
- Internet that can handle a video call. About 3 Mbps or better. If Zoom works for you, this will too.
- A current, unexpired U.S. government photo ID. Driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport. Foreign passports and IDs won’t pass the ID check. Have it in hand.
- A Social Security number and U.S. credit history. The identity quiz draws on U.S. records like past addresses and lenders.
- A quiet, well-lit room. I need to see your face clearly, and you need to be able to hear me.
- 15 minutes early. Open the email invitation and start the two ID checks 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
- Nothing to install. The invitation link opens in your web browser. Use Google Chrome if you can; it works best.
The signing itself usually takes 15 to 20 minutes for a few documents. A full seller package runs longer.
When RON isn’t the right fit
RON handles most seller packages, deeds, and trailing documents. It’s not the right tool for:
- Anything the receiving party requires wet-signed. If your lender, underwriter, or county wants original ink signatures, I’ll do it in person in the Treasure Valley instead.
- I-9s.
- Signers with no Social Security number or U.S. credit history, unless we’ve worked it out ahead of time. Call me first.
- Signers overseas where the host country prohibits it. Overseas signers are fine when the document has a U.S. connection and the country they’re in doesn’t prohibit it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a remote online notarization?
Each signer needs a current, unexpired U.S. government photo ID, a Social Security number and U.S. credit history for the identity quiz, their own computer, tablet, or phone with a camera and microphone, a steady internet connection, and a quiet, well-lit room. Nothing to install. From you, I need the documents plus every signer’s full name, email, and phone number.
Can my signers be in different places?
Yes. Each signer joins from their own device, wherever they are. One can be at home and the other at work across the country, in the same session. I stay in Idaho and notarize under Idaho law.
What happens if a signer fails the identity quiz?
They get one retry, with some new questions. If they miss it a second time, Idaho rules make them wait 24 hours before trying again with me. If that puts your closing at risk, call me. There may be another way to finish the same day, as long as the required identity checks are still met.
Can a non-U.S. citizen sign online?
Yes, if they have a Social Security number, a U.S. credit history, and a current U.S. government photo ID. Citizenship isn’t the test. My most recent example was a green-card holder with a state-issued ID who passed both identity checks. If a signer has no Social Security number or no U.S. credit history, there are options, case by case. Contact me before you schedule.
Can I watch the signing?
Yes. I invite you as an observer. You can join any time during the session, answer your signers’ questions, and you’re on video just like they are.
How do I get the signed documents back?
Right after the session I send you the notarized documents as a secure, tamper-evident PDF, the audit trail with the signers’ IDs, and a certificate of completion. They come through a secure link to your email that you open to download. I never attach closing documents to a plain email.
How long does a remote online signing take?
Once everyone is logged in and through the ID checks, a few documents take 15 to 20 minutes. A full seller package runs longer.
What can’t be done by remote online notarization?
Anything the receiving party requires wet-signed in ink, plus I-9s. If your lender, underwriter, or county wants original ink signatures, I’ll do it in person in the Treasure Valley instead.
Send me the file
If you’ve got a signer who can’t make it to your office, send me the documents and the signers’ names, emails, and phone numbers. I’ll take it from there and keep you posted until the documents are back in your inbox.
Email: hello@idahonotarysigningagent.com
Call or text: (208) 826-1210
— Jim Allen, Notary Boss