New Jersey remote notary: notice to the Treasurer, a notary in New Jersey, a signer almost anywhere

The law in one place

New Jersey’s remote notarization rule is N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10, “remote notarial act.” It lets a notarial officer perform a notarial act for a remotely located person using communication technology. Our New Jersey scorecard grades the companies that sell those sessions. This page reads the statute, so you can tell whether a given notary can finish your document.

The notary has to notify the Treasurer first

Before a notary public performs a first remote act, the statute says the notary must notify the State Treasurer and identify the technologies the notary will use. The Treasurer may set standards for the technology and for identity proofing, and the technology has to meet them.

So a New Jersey commission alone is not enough. Ask the notary: did you notify the Treasurer for remote acts, and which platform did you name? A notary who has not done that should see you in person.

The statute also says the communication technology must let the notary and the signer communicate with each other simultaneously by sight and sound. A phone call is not enough. Whether a general meeting app can be used is covered in Teams notary.

Where you and the notary can be

• The notary must be located in New Jersey.
• You may be in New Jersey or in another state. The act is treated as performed in New Jersey and is governed by New Jersey law.
• Outside the United States, the record must be filed with or relate to a matter before a U.S. court or government body, involve U.S. property, or relate to a transaction substantially connected with the United States. The country you are in must not prohibit you from making the statement or signing.

For someone abroad, a New Jersey remote notary is one of several choices. The others are compared on notarize documents from abroad.

How your identity is checked

The statute gives the notary three ways to be satisfied you are who you say:

1. The notary knows you personally.
2. A credible witness vouches for you. The witness may appear in person or by communication technology.
3. At least two different types of identity proofing. The statute describes identity proofing as checking your identity against personal information from public or private data sources.

Ask the company which checks it uses before you start. If you do not have a current photo ID, or you expect trouble with the questions, plan for an in-person notary instead. The list of what to bring is on what do you need to get something notarized.

The recording and the certificate

The notary, or a person acting for the notary, must make an audio-visual recording of the act. The statute says it must be kept for at least 10 years, unless a rule of the State Treasurer sets a different period, and a repository may hold it for the notary.

The certificate must say communication technology was used. A short-form certificate is enough if it includes a statement substantially like: “This notarial act involved the use of communication technology.” If the office receiving your document asks how it can tell the act was remote, that sentence is the answer.

The document decides if you need an acknowledgment or an oath. See what is a jurat. Why a 10-year record matters to our grades is on the methodology page.

How New Jersey compares

The details are on Tennessee online notary and Massachusetts remote notarization.

When a video session is the wrong choice

• The receiving office wants ink. A county clerk, a court, or a lender may want a paper original. Ask before you book. If they do, use a walk-in or a mobile notary.
• The document needs witnesses in the room. A will is the common example. See can a notary notarize a will.
• You are abroad and the matter has no U.S. connection. The statute limits remote acts for signers outside the United States.

Next step

Compare the video notaries for a New Jersey signer on the New Jersey scorecard. Or start with the buttons below, ordered by grade. Each uses notaries who hold a commission for remote acts in their own state.