What Is Electronic Notarization Vs Remote Notary Vs Mobile Notary

If you’re in the market for getting a document notarized, you may have stumbled upon different terms. Traditional Notary Public, Mobile Notary, Electronic Notary or E-Notary and Remote Online Notary, are terms that come up most often. This can be confusing and you may be wondering “What is the difference between a traditional notary public, mobile notary, electronic notary or e-notary and remote online notary?” Don’t worry, we understand all the confusion. We’re here to break down what each one means and what the differences are.

What is a Notary Public?

A Notary Public is a person appointed by the state government who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents. A notary public's main job is to help deter fraud. Traditional notary publics are the most common type of notary. They are usually found in places like banks, shipping stores, legal offices etc and have a traditional notary seal. Notary Publics like this usually have set hours they work so you’ll have to work around their schedule. If you’re looking for a traditional notary, you’ll want to plan ahead and plan to travel.

What is a Mobile Notary?

A Mobile Notary is a traditional notary who travels to you to perform the acts of notarization. A mobile notary may also sometimes be referred to as a traveling notary public. Mobile Notaries take the guesswork out of where to find a notary because they come to you, which means it will need to be scheduled. However, unlike traditional notaries that are restricted to a set fee, mobile notaries can charge extra for travel and other travel-related expenses. So at the end of the day, you may find yourself paying a hefty convenience fee. Afterall, they are traveling to your location.

What is an Electronic Notary/ E-Notary?

An Electronic Notary is a notary public that will notarize a document for you electronically while all participants are present in the same room. An electronic notary is also sometimes referred to as an E-Notary. Instead of adding a regular ink signature on paper to your document, the notary adds an electronic tamper evident seal. This basically means that any unauthorized attempts to alter the document will become evident. While this creates a more secure document if the recipient is requesting the document electronically instead of in paper form, you’ll still face many of the same issues with that of a mobile notary and a traditional notary.

What is an Online Notary/ Remote Online Notary?

An Online Notary is a live notary who performs a notarial act online. The participants are not physically present in the same location, and the entire process is done through an audio/video feed using a computer or mobile device.

Online notaries have grown in popularity recently, especially with the travel restrictions related to COVID-19. This process is also often referred to as RON (remote online notarization.) The online notarization process may seem daunting if it’s something you’ve never tried before, but you’ll be surprised just how easy it is with NotaryLive. In just 4 easy steps you’ll have your document notarized. Simply upload your document, verify your identity, connect with one of our live notaries, then download and print your document. That’s it. You could connect to a live notary to notarize a document in less time than it would take to finish reading this article.

Now you may still be wondering, are online notarization and electronic notarization the same?

Online Notarization is different from Electronic Notarization in that for online notarization you’re in 2 separate places. While during an electronic notarization both the notary and the signer are in the same room. Although the two types of notarization use most of the same technology, they’re kind of like squares and rectangles- all online notaries are electronic notaries, but not all electronic notaries are remote online notaries

The convenience factor of an online notary is undeniable. For both the notary and the person utilizing the notary service, the process could not be more simple. Neither party needs to leave the comfort of their own home to accomplish what they need. No one needs to drive anywhere or impede on their day-to-day routine.

So imagine this: it’s 8pm, you just put the kids down and are about to eat dinner when you remember you forgot to get that document notarized. It’s late, and you needed to have that document notarized, yesterday. Well, that’s one of the best parts of remote notarization. NotaryLive has Live Notaries available 24/7. So when the panic strikes, you can turn to us. We’ll help you notarize your document whenever you need us, wherever you are. Gone are the days of spending hours on the internet trying to find a “notary near me.

NotaryLive is an online notary platform designed with you in mind. We provide top customer service and want to give you the best experience possible. We pride ourselves on our quick and easy service to everyone involved. So what are you waiting for? Get started notarizing with NotaryLive today and see for yourself just how easy online notarizing can be.