SECURE Notarization Act of 2025

This bill would let notaries use secure video to notarize documents for people who aren’t in the same room, and it sets nationwide basics for how to do it safely. It allows electronic and remote notarizations for records that involve interstate business. The signer must appear by live audio-video, prove identity (through personal knowledge, two different third‑party checks, or a credible witness), and the session must be recorded and kept for years. If the signer is outside the U.S., the document must relate to a U.S. matter or property, and the act can’t be illegal where they are. If a law says you must “appear in person,” a verified video session counts for these kinds of transactions. Federal courts, and states, would have to accept notarizations done in another state if they were valid there, whether done on paper, electronically, in person, or by video .

Notaries don’t have to offer electronic or remote services. States can add training or special authorizations for notaries, and can discipline or block notaries who break the rules or advertise in misleading ways (for example, using “notario” to suggest they can give legal or immigration advice). Even if a notary slips up on a technical step, the notarization still counts, but people can still challenge a document for real problems like fraud, forgery, or coercion. States can update their own laws as long as they meet the core protections, including keeping the video record for at least five years .

• Who is affected:

  • People who need documents notarized, including those who can’t meet in person or are out of state/country.
  • Notaries, who get clear rules for electronic and remote work.
  • Courts and state agencies, which must accept valid notarizations from other states .

• What changes:

  • Clear, national standards for video notarization: strong ID checks, live audio‑video appearance, recorded sessions, and record retention.
  • Cross‑state recognition of notarizations for both paper and electronic records, done in person or by video.
  • States may set extra guardrails and enforce against misconduct, while core protections remain the same nationwide .