What is Notary / Notarization?
A formal certification by a public officer that a signer's identity is verified and the document was executed willingly.
A notary public is a state-appointed officer who verifies a signer's identity, witnesses the signing, and applies a notarial seal to the document. Notarization is required for transactions where the law demands a higher level of identity assurance than a witness provides — typically real-estate transfers, powers of attorney, certain affidavits. Remote Online Notarization (RON) is now legal in over 40 U.S. states and several EU jurisdictions. PDF Verified supports RON workflows via partner integrations on Enterprise.
In-person vs remote notarization
Traditional notarization requires the signer to appear before the notary physically with government ID. Remote Online Notarization (RON) lets the signer appear via video, with the notary using identity-proofing tech (KBA + ID document analysis + credential analysis) to verify the signer remotely.
When you need a notary
Real-estate deeds (in most U.S. states), powers of attorney, affidavits, statutory declarations, and certain corporate filings. Most commercial contracts don't need notarization.
PDF Verified notarization
Available on Enterprise via U.S. RON partners (Notarize, Proof, Stewart) and EU notary directories. The notary's seal and electronic journal entry are appended to the PDF Verified audit certificate.