Online notarization by document
Real estate documents notarized online: check the recorder first
A deed or affidavit can be signed on video, but three parties get a say before it does any good: the title company, the lender, and the county office that records it.
Starting at $40 per session, online, no travel · quote confirmed before you book · fees
Matthew Coleman, NJ Notary Public and NNA Certified Loan Signing Agent. Cranford, NJ. Fee confirmed before your session. Card charged only after it is complete. We aim to confirm within 15 minutes, 7am to 9pm.
What this document is
This page covers individual real estate documents a signer needs notarized: deeds (including quitclaim deeds between family members), affidavits of title and seller's affidavits, powers of attorney used at a closing, and similar papers. A full loan closing is different: the lender or title company chooses the closing platform and the closing agent, so ask them whether a remote closing is offered.
What kind of deed to use and what it should say is for the attorney or title company handling the transfer. The notary identifies the signers and completes the acknowledgment.
Does online notarization usually work for it?
New Jersey law lets the maker of a deed acknowledge it using communication technology. It also says a county clerk, a register of deeds and mortgages and a county surrogate shall accept for recording a paper copy of an electronically notarized record as the original, if the notary certifies that the paper copy is accurate. That settles the legal question in New Jersey, but not the practical ones. Check these before you book:
- County recorder: does it accept electronically notarized documents through electronic recording, or a paper-out copy certified by the notary? What formatting, cover sheet and fees apply?
- Title company or closing attorney: will the title insurer accept this document notarized remotely, and do they want to see it before the session?
- Lender, if there is one: does it allow an electronic notarization for this document?
- Property in another state: that state's recording office sets its own rules. Ask it, or the title company there.
Pitfalls to avoid
Every owner signs. Each person on the title who must sign needs their own ID check. Co-owners in different places can join the same session from their own devices.
Names that differ from the old deed. If an owner's name on the prior deed differs from their ID (marriage, a missing middle initial), the title company may want an affidavit or a particular form of the name. Sort it out before the call.
Exhibits and legal descriptions. The legal description and any schedules have to be in the PDF you upload. Pages added after the session aren't covered by the notarization.
Recording deadlines. If a closing date depends on recording, ask how long the county takes to process the paper copy or electronic file you plan to send.
A recorder that wants ink. For property outside New Jersey, a recorder may insist on an inked original. Then remote ink-signed notarization or an in-person signing is the route.
Readiness checklist
- A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID for each signer. We ask for a current ID for online sessions; if yours has expired, call the desk before you book.
- A computer, tablet or phone with a working camera and microphone.
- A stable internet connection, somewhere quiet enough to hear and be heard.
- The complete document as a PDF, with every page and no blanks, not yet signed.
- A yes from the receiving party that it accepts an electronic notarization.
- Your location: anywhere in the United States is fine. Outside the U.S., the document has to meet New Jersey's conditions (see below).
- The title company's or attorney's contact details, so the desk can confirm the approach.
- A separate device for each signer who is in a different place.
Signing from outside the U.S.? New Jersey requires that the record be filed with or relate to a matter before a public official, court, governmental entity or other entity subject to U.S. jurisdiction, or involve property in the U.S. or a transaction substantially connected with the U.S.; and that signing it is not prohibited by the country you are in. See signing from outside the U.S.
How the session works
- Confirm acceptance. Tell the desk the document, the county and who prepared it. If anything is uncertain, ask the title company first.
- Upload the final document. Upload the deed or affidavit with its legal description and exhibits, unsigned.
- Identity steps for every signer. Each signer completes the ID check before joining.
- Acknowledgment on video. Each signer confirms they are signing willingly, signs on screen, and the notary completes the acknowledgment noting communication technology.
- Recording. The notarized file goes to the title company or recording office in the form the county accepts: an electronic file, or a paper copy the notary certifies as accurate.
Your notary is a commissioned New Jersey notary working from New Jersey. The video session is recorded and the recording is kept for at least 10 years, as New Jersey requires.
What it costs
Remote online notarization starts at $40 per session, online, no travel. Your price depends on the number of signers and documents, and the desk confirms it before anything is booked. State notarial fees are listed on the fees page.
Related pages
- How to record a deed in New Jersey
- Hybrid closings and RON for mortgages
- Quitclaim deed between family members
- Sell a house from abroad
- Online notary by state
- Remote online notarization
More online notarization by document and signer
- Power of attorney
- Affidavits and sworn statements
- Vehicle title and DMV forms
- Medical and school consent forms
- Business and corporate documents
- Seniors and their families
Official sources
- R.S.46:14-2.1 (acknowledgment of a deed, including by communication technology), as amended by P.L.2021, c.179, section 30. New Jersey Legislature (checked November 6, 2026)
- N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.15 (electronic records; recording a tangible copy), P.L.2021, c.179, section 24. New Jersey Legislature (checked November 6, 2026)
- N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10 (remote notarial acts), enacted by P.L.2021, c.179, section 19. New Jersey Legislature (checked November 6, 2026)
- N.J.A.C. 17:50-1.13 and 17:50-1.14 (identity documents, remote notarial acts), as published on nj.gov (PRN 2021-103, 53 N.J.R. 1809(a)). NJ Department of the Treasury (checked November 6, 2026)
General information, not legal advice. We notarize; we don't draft or explain documents. Questions about what a document says or which one you need are for your attorney. The office that receives the document decides what it accepts. Updated November 6, 2026.
FAQ
Real estate documents: common questions
Do New Jersey counties have to record an electronically notarized deed?
New Jersey law says the county clerk, register of deeds and mortgages and surrogate shall accept for recording a paper copy of an electronically notarized record as meeting any requirement for an original, if the notary certifies the copy is accurate. Each county still sets its own formatting, cover sheet and fee requirements, so check with the county.
Can you handle my whole closing?
No. For a loan closing, the lender or title company chooses the closing agent and platform. We notarize individual documents.
Can co-owners sign from different states?
Yes. Each signer can be anywhere in the United States and join from their own device. The notary is in New Jersey.
Which deed should we use to add a spouse?
That is a question for your attorney or title company. We notarize; we don't draft or explain documents.
What if the property is in another state?
That state's recording office decides what it records. Ask it, or the title company handling the property, before you book.