Seeking convenience while maintaining legal validity of document notarizations? Then it‘s time to upgrade old-fashioned ink-and-paper notarization for the digital age with online notary software.
This definitive guide will explain what online notary solutions offer over traditional in-person processes. We’ll highlight must-have capabilities in leading platforms and profile the top software picks on the market today. Equipped with expert insights distilled here, you can confidently transition your notarization workflows to faster, more secure digital methods.
The Rising Popularity of Online Notarization
As remote work and digital transactions accelerate across every economic sector, demand has surged for online document notarization capabilities removing traditional physical barriers.
Industry research predicts the US market for electronic notarization will grow at over 10% annually, reaching $367 million by 2028 as more businesses integrate e-notarization workflows.
Many industry leaders have already incorporated e-notarization across internal and customer-facing processes:
- In 2020, 63% of notaries reported completing online video notarizations, up from just 15% in 2019.
- 73% of American mortgage closings used remote online notarization technology in 2021.
- Over 50% of surveyed businesses confirmed they will expand availability of online notarization services for customers in the coming year.
With major financial institutions now validating the legal standing of online notarizations, expanded adoption seems inevitable.
Clearly for enterprises or professionals managing high document volumes, transitioning notarization online unlocks immense time and cost savings. But what specific capabilities should you look for in leading online solutions?
Must-Have Features for Online Notary Software
As you evaluate software options for transitioning notarization workflows online, here are 6 key capabilities to prioritize:
ID Verification
Confirming signers’ identities is the crux of any notarization. Leading online solutions match government-issued IDs against facial recognition databases for authentication. They also run security checks analyzing ID hallmarks like holograms to catch forgeries.
Seeking out robust identity confirmation protocols is key to prevent fraud in digital workflows.
Signature & Seal
Once identities are validated, applying official digital signatures & notary seals locks documents into a final legally binding state.
Top solutions implement digital signatures at the cryptographic level to prevent tampering. Qualified e-notaries also stamp documents with embedded digital seals containing signing logs, adding an extra layer of repudiation protection.
Recording
Many platforms provide audiovisual recording of online notarization proceedings as supplemental proof against accusations of misconduct or process violations.
Storing such records also provides helpful evidence in the case signatures or seals are ever called into question legally. Seek out platforms delivering thorough artifact capture capabilities.
Access Controls
Not all documents merit visibility to all parties. Leading online notary solutions implement system access policies restricting document visibility to only those requiring access for signing, witnessing or storage purposes.
Pricier enterprise software often provides extremely granular control over access permissions assigned to specific roles, groups or document types. Evaluate your confidentiality needs around managed documents to determine the contextual access controls required.
Audit Trails
Retaining permanent system logs of every transaction provides essential notary accountability. Having detailed chronological audit trails ensures online workflows prove just as transparent as traditional paper trails.
Review the reporting comprehensiveness and search flexibility provided by candidate online notarization systems to satisfy your obligations around process visibility.
Validations
While multi-factor authentication, biometrics and document sealing provide strong legal standing on their own, some platforms pursue additional validations directly through government entities, certificate authorities or distributed ledger networks. These extended verifications provide confidence for more stringent use cases like contractual agreements.
If your documents demand unassailable proof of online notarization validity under intense legal scrutiny, seek out providers with deep integrated institutional validations.
Let’s explore how leading packages deliver against these key digital notarization capabilities.
The Top 6 Online Notary Solutions
Here we profile the 6 top platforms for secure and legally valid online notarizations, highlighting strengths suiting common use case needs:
1. PandaDoc
Delivering video-enabled remote notarization with patented identity confirmations, PandaDoc allows users to notarize documents entirely online with certified protections against repudiation claims.
PandaDoc’s combination of multi-point identity proofing, certificate-based digital sealing for tamper evidence and seamless workflows positions it as one of the most intelligently designed end-to-end online notarization platforms.
It’s no wonder over 10,000 trusting enterprises rely on PandaDoc for streamlined digital notarization capabilities.
Use Cases:
Streamlined individual/consumer document notarization needs demanding minimal training overhead.
Standout Capabilities:
- Session recordings of video notarization proceedings
- Dynamic routing to validate documents requiring multiple approvals
- Qualified certificates for digital seals
Pricing:
- Personal – $10 per user/month
- Business – $25 per user/month
- Enterprise – Custom Quotes
With top-tier identity verification protections paired with an easy user experience, PandaDoc hits the sweet spot for the majority of basic online notarization needs.
2. DocuSign
As the runaway leader in total eSignature market share, it follows that DocuSign offers stellar capabilities for online notarization as well. Supporting complex document routing across both internal and external stakeholders, DocuSign shines for intensive digital transaction use cases.
DocuSign’s SaaS platform processes over a billion transactions annually across global 2000 corporations, financial institutions and specialized verticals like healthcare and biopharma. This immense scale promotes continual advancement of DocuSign’s market-leading security provisions for documenting binding legal agreements.
Use Cases:
Enterprise-scale transaction volumes requiring support for robust identity management integration, API connectivity and global regulatory compliance.
Standout Capabilities:
- Custom document routing conditional on approval requirements
- Granular permissions aligned to internal access policies
- Over 50 pre-built integrations with standard business systems
Pricing:
- Personal – $10 per user/month
- Business Pro – $25 per user/month
- Enterprise Pro – Custom Quotes
If your online notarization needs demand seamless integration with heavy existing enterprise systems, DocuSign is likely your best fit.
3. Notarize
Not restrict document access to only authorized partiesize focuses exclusively on delivering online notarization functionality without any wider document management capabilities. This tight scope allows Notarize to optimize around the specific security and user experience concerns of online notarization.
Notarize authenticates identity by crosschecking government IDs against official databases in real time. Once confirmed, users directly apply legally binding e-signatures and notary seals.
Support options for high-volume use cases like title companies showcase Notarize’s capabilities facilitating complex remote online notarizations at scale.
Use Cases:
High daily online notarization volumes such as mortgage/refinancing transaction documents.
Standout Capabilities:
- ID database crosschecks in real-time
- Custom notary seal designs
- Dedicated account management
- API access
Pricing:
- Per notarization – $25
- Monthly enterprise subscriptions
If your business centres around high notarization volumes, Notarize delivers optimized scalability.
4. Secured Signing
Where other entries in this roundup focus solely on online functionality, Secured Signing takes a more holistic document lifecycle management approach inclusive of online notarization capabilities.
Secured Signing allows authoring, signing, witnessing, validating and storing business documents completely digitally. Consummate access controls and encrypted storage options qualify Secured Signing for stringent industries like finance and healthcare.
Integration support further extends Secured Signing’s utility, allowing adopters to introduce online notarization into existing workflows.
Use Cases:
Sensitive documents subject to rigorous regulatory confidentiality standards, requiring tightly restricted access.
Standout Capabilities:
- Custom document authoring
- Storage in encrypted repositories
- Assured long-term archival with migration planning
- Over 20 standard system integrations
Pricing:
- Business – $15 per user/month
- Enterprise – Quotes available
Where medical records, financial agreements or other sensitive documents necessitate air-tight security controls, Secured Signing is best suited.
5. SIGNiX
While SIGNiX facilitates end-to-end online notarization workflows, its core competency lies in unparalleled upfront identity verification capabilities.
Employing biometric facial analysis, SIGNiX thwarts spoofing attempts often missed by competitors reliant purely on human video observation. Backed by automated consultation across legal, financial industry and government watchlists, SIGNiX approval essentially equates to clearing background checks.
Qualified documents then undergo multi-layer cryptographic sealing. Paired attestations tracked through blockchain-based ledgers provide for effortless long-term authentications.
Use Cases:
Verifying identities for sensitive agreements where upholding legal standing against fraud claims takes precedence.
Standout Capabilities:
- Liveness testing via biometric facial recognition
- Background checking integrated with AML and OFAC sanctions lists
- Decentralized certificate management leveraging blockchain
Pricing:
- Enterprise – Quotes available
If your online notarization validity ever comes into question, SIGNiX delivers unimpeachable audit trails cementing signer identities beyond doubt.
6. NotaryCam
Shining for its flexibility, NotaryCam allows users to select their preferred identity confirmation method from numerous options including knowledge questions, ID scans, private online conference rooms and even in-person witness screening.
By supporting bring-your-own-authenticator flows, NotaryCam earned praise for facilitating secure online notarizations globally across cultural norms leaning towards varying identification methods.
Bulk upload capacity, document pre-screening and API access similarly bring NotaryCam implementation ease beneficial for quirky enterprise needs.
Use Cases:
Organizations seeking a flexible online notary solution capable of aligning to region-specific identity proofing standards globally.
Standout Capabilities:
- Multiple authenticator options (quiz, scan, video, in-person)
- Pre-upload for high volumes
- API hooks for customization & automation
Pricing:
- Per notarization – $25
- Monthly enterprise subscriptions
If your workflows demand flexibility accommodating international variance in authentication techniques, NotaryCam delivers with multi-mode identity confirmation.
Choosing Your Best Online Notarization Fit
With this comprehensive guide covering top providers, now you can zero-in on the ideal software match for your unique notarization use case and objectives.
First consider whether you require basic functionality for occasional consumer digital notarizations, or enterprise-grade versatility handling immense document volumes with custom integrations.
If simple and user-friendly suits your needs, explore PandaDoc and Notarize. Seeking advanced features around stringent access controls or fraud detection? Check SIGNiX and Secured Signing.
No matter where you land, modern online notary solutions unlock immense efficiency gains through cutting-edge cryptographic protections suppliers once impossible outside physical notary offices.
The Future of Online Notarization
While still gaining mainstream traction today, reliable predictions forecast online notarizations overtaking traditional manual methods entirely within the decade. Already trusted by Fortune 500 titans across banking, insurance, retail and technology sectors, electronic notarization adoption seems imminent.
This sea change promises savings of both time and resources while bolstering security and accountability through pioneering authentication standards. We hope this guide has broken down the transition to digital workflows in approachable terms!
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding online notarization. Our team of experts always love helping businesses modernize key processes through intuitive technology adoption.
