How Online Notarization Works

Every affidavit of search must be sworn before a notary to be valid. Traditionally, this meant finding a local notary, traveling to their office, scheduling an appointment, and signing in person. Today, U.S. courts increasingly recognize Remote Online Notarization (RON) — a fast, secure process completed by video call.

Here’s what you need to know about how online notarization works, why courts accept it, and what to expect during the process.

Why Notarization Is Required

Courts insist on notarization because affidavits are sworn statements made under oath. When you sign in front of a notary, you are:

Proving your identity.
Confirming that the information is true to the best of your knowledge.
Swearing that your statements can be relied upon in a court of law.

Without notarization, an affidavit has no legal weight. Judges require it before they will accept the affidavit of diligent search or affidavit of due diligence as proof that you tried to locate your spouse.

What Makes Online Notarization Different

In the past, notarization meant:

Taking time off work to travel to a notary’s office.
Scheduling around office hours.
Bringing paper copies and waiting for stamps and seals.

With Remote Online Notarization, the process is entirely digital. You verify your identity on camera, meet a notary by video conference, and receive your affidavit electronically — usually within 10 minutes.

Step 1: Identity Verification

The first step is confirming that you are who you say you are. This protects courts from fraud and ensures the affidavit is legally binding.

Valid ID Required: You must present a U.S. government-issued photo ID — such as a passport, driver’s license, or state ID card.
AI Verification: The system asks you to hold up your ID and show your face. AI-powered software checks the ID for authenticity and matches it against your live video image in real time.
Additional Security: Some sessions include knowledge-based authentication (answering questions from your credit history or public records).

This step takes only a minute, but it provides the strongest safeguard against fraud.

Step 2: Virtual Waiting Room

Once identity verification is complete, you enter a secure digital waiting room.

Average Wait: 3–5 minutes before a notary joins.
Comfort: You can use your computer, tablet, or smartphone, as long as it has a camera, microphone, and internet connection.
Security: Your place in line is encrypted and logged to maintain compliance.

Step 3: Live Session with a Notary

When the notary connects, you’ll meet them in a secure video session.

Procedural Questions: The notary will ask you to confirm your name, that you understand the affidavit, and that you are signing voluntarily.
Electronic Signing: You sign the affidavit digitally on your screen.
Notary Seal: The notary applies an electronic seal and digital certificate to your document.

This step usually takes no more than 5 minutes.

Step 4: Receive Your Notarized Document

Once the session is complete:

Your notarized Affidavitincludes a tamper-evident digital seal and full audit trail.
It is legally valid and accepted in courts that recognize online notarization.

In most states that permit RON, this affidavit can be filed electronically with your court, saving additional time.

What You’ll Need

To complete your notarization, you must have:

A valid U.S. government-issued photo ID (passport, driver’s license, or state ID card).
A computer, tablet, or smartphone with camera and microphone.
A stable internet connection.

Optional but recommended: a quiet, private space to avoid interruptions during the video call.

Why Choose Online Notarization?

Convenience: No need to travel, find parking, or make office appointments.
Speed: Most notarizations take less than 10 minutes start to finish.
Security: AI-powered ID checks and full video recordings protect against fraud.
Court-Ready: Online notarizations are recognized by courts in most U.S. jurisdictions.
Nationwide Access: Available anywhere online notarization is permitted.

Security and Compliance

Many people worry about whether online notarization is “safe” or “real.” In fact, RON often provides stronger security than in-person notarization because:

Every session is recorded and archived for compliance.
Digital certificates and tamper-evident seals are applied.
AI verification is harder to fool than a human eye.
Logs create a permanent audit trail if the affidavit is ever challenged in court.

Court Acceptance

Most U.S. states now recognize remote online notarization for affidavits. However, a few states still require in-person notarization.

Where RON Is Allowed: Your affidavit is valid and enforceable in court.
Where RON Is Not Allowed: We help clients coordinate traditional notarization through local options.

Courts increasingly accept RON because it maintains the oath’s integrity while saving time for both litigants and the judicial system.

Why We Use BlueNotary.com

All of our online notarization is completed through BlueNotary.com, a secure, nationwide provider of remote notary services. Their system meets all compliance standards, including:

AI-driven ID verification.
Encrypted waiting rooms.
Recorded video sessions.

Important Note

Online notarization is not yet available in every state. Where permitted, we provide notarization through BlueNotary.com. If online notarization is not available in your jurisdiction, we will guide you toward local alternatives so your affidavit can be notarized without delay.

Take the Next Step

Notarization is the final step that transforms your affidavit of diligent search into a court-ready legal document. With secure, fast, and fully remote notarization, you can complete this requirement in minutes — without leaving your home.

Notarize My Affidavit Online

Century Legal encourages attorneys and licensed professionals to offer unbundled and/or limited representation legal services to the public. Century Legal technologies leverage the internet as a way to streamline the delivery of legal services in order to reduce costs for both the attorney and consumer. Century legal works with attorneys and other professionals who want to improve their ability to provide great services in the most efficient and effective way. By using Century Legal’s methods attorneys and licensed professionals can offer reduced rates allowing consumers professional choices. These choices protects the public from unlicensed and untrained legal service providers who prey on consumers by offering low cost services that are often inadequate for the intended legal purpose.

MissingSpouseDivorce.com is not a law firm; we do not provide legal advice; no attorney-client relationship is created by using this website. Completing Professional Search or Diligence Execution Documentation does not start a court case; does not file documents with any court; does not guarantee any result. Courts may require additional search efforts; courts may deny requests for alternative service or a divorce. Services after these two services may or may not be offered in your state. Full-service attorney assistance for completing your missing spouse divorce may be available for separate fees. Paying for the Search or Diligence services is not hiring an attorney to complete your divorce. In other states, we may offer self-help document kits with instructions to file and finalize a missing spouse divorce; availability and scope may change without notice. Duly licensed, independent attorneys provide any legal services through a separate engagement agreement and separate payment; attorney participation is required where applicable. Eligibility note: if you perform diligence yourself, we do not provide other services through this website. Government fees and publication costs are separate and paid by you. Timeframes are estimates only. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide, including names, dates of birth, and last-known addresses. If your spouse may be overseas, additional service rules may apply; where a valid foreign address exists, you must follow applicable service requirements. Viewing this website or contacting us does not establish an attorney-client relationship and you should not send any confidential information until an attorney relationship has been established with the online attorney via this website.
‍

In an agreed divorce, the spouses can file their divorce in any County in Washington. The Circuit Court in Lee County, Washington, allows you to complete your agreed divorce without a court appearance. As such, to offer a genuinely virtual, 100% online divorce, we prepare divorce documents for filing in Lee County Circuit Court. There may be other counties where a court appearance is not required, but most counties require a court appearance. Should you wish to file in a county other than Lee County, we can prepare your documents for that county, but we charge $100 extra to draft documents for counties other than Lee. If you wish to file in a county other than Lee County, a court appearance will likely be required to finalize your agreed divorce. We know that some people – even other attorneys – might tell you that at least one of the parties (you or your spouse) must go to court at least once before your divorce can be granted. This is not accurate. We have assisted thousands with their agreed Washington divorce, for which no court appearance was required using the Circuit Court in Lee County, Washington.