Let’s face the facts: since 2020, the industry has been steadily moving toward digital notarization instead of traditional in-person notarizations. Let’s take a look at why this change is happening.
Digital notarization offers convenience, added safety, stronger security, and electronic evidence that traditional notarizations usually cannot provide. With identity verification, recorded sessions, and secure digital audit trails, online notarizations create extra protection for both the signer and the notary while allowing documents to be completed from almost anywhere. The technology also continues to evolve to help combat AI-generated fraud and deepfake attempts.
On top of that, there’s no travel time, gas expense, printing supplies, stacks of documents, or making trips for drop-offs. With fewer overhead costs and a more efficient process, lower fees are naturally becoming part of the digital notarization industry, and notaries also get paid faster without having to fight for payment through third-party companies.
@antonio Yes, while Remote Online Notarization (RON) has undoubtedly made noticeable strides and begun to establish itself within the loan signing industry, it’s crucial to recognize that traditional, in-person notarizations still hold a dominant position in the market, especially when we analyze the overall volume and widespread nature of the typical signing assignments being processed today. In my own experience, the signing orders that offer the highest compensation in my business are almost exclusively in-person, even though I’ve observed a significant increase in the number of RON assignments I’m receiving. While I personally find RONs to be more convenient and preferable to in-person notarizations, when it comes to financial outcomes, I consistently earn more through in-person services. Regarding security and the overall functionality of the process, I firmly believe that in-person notarizations, particularly when conducted by a Loan Signing Agent (LSA) who possesses extensive experience and expertise, remain a superior choice compared to RON. Ultimately, it’s essential to remember that the effectiveness of any technology is only as strong as the people who create and maintain it, and at the present time, RON systems still exhibit certain limitations.
@tlbennett0 Yes, given the escalating operational expenses currently impacting our businesses, it is clear that strategic adjustments are now essential. As a dual-licensed notary, I actively provide both traditional in-person services and Remote Online Notarization (RON) solutions to my clients. Consequently, I’ve recently initiated contact with various companies and have proactively implemented necessary revisions to my fee structure to ensure the long-term viability and profitability of my operations. Currently, my ratio of mobile signing engagements to RON assignments stands at approximately 4:1 ratio. In practical terms, this signifies that the combined earnings from four RON sessions are typically equivalent to the compensation received from a single, in-person signing order. There have been situations where I’ve accepted a RON assignment, and this commitment has, on occasion, meant that I’ve had to decline potentially higher-paying in-person signing opportunities that arose concurrently. However, I firmly adhere to the principle of maintaining my integrity and commitment, and once I have accepted and committed to a RON assignment, I never abandon it, regardless of the possibility of securing a more lucrative signing order elsewhere. So far, things are paying off and it has been a win win for all parties.
@johnsonps306 You’re spot on. It’s the same with ATMs and self-checkout lines – some folks just don’t trust them, even after all these years. There’ll always be those who are wary of new tech, I guess.
Self-checkout lines and ATMs, while they certainly have their advantages, are still not practical for heavy-duty transactions. I imagine that RON will fall into that same category.
“There are still some signers who do not fully trust the electronic process of closing their loan.” However, that mindset is slowly fading as a new generation of consumers expects services to be fast, reliable, and accessible from anywhere. Remote closings eliminate the need to wait for a notary to travel to them or for the signer to travel to a notary, making the process far more convenient and efficient.
Had a signing last week with an almost 30-year-old who was purchasing his second home on a full paper package. He also happens to be a mortgage broker (and got a really sweet deal). Anyway, I asked if he had deals with or had considered electronic signing. He said no, he doesn’t trust 'em and for his clients, he never suggest them.
I found his comment interesting coming from someone in that age group.
We signed at his lender’s office at 6:30am and, per title’s written instructions, I left package with mortgage broker as mom would hand-deliver to title.
My son is a platform engineer who writes AI code for internet security services.
He said everything can be hacked. He refused a RON closing on his house. While he does many things electronically, he said he didn’t like that process. I think he is less alone than a lot of folks would like to believe.
The only thing I trust ATMs for is if I need some quick cash. Maybe I’m too paranoid, but I would never make a deposit through one of them. I make deposits online all the time, but that’s something different. Online, the deposit will either go through or it won’t. You can always take the check to the bank teller if it doesn’t. With an ATM, once you put it through that machine, it’s gone, and you have no control over the outcome…except prayer
Here is some stats;
As of 2026, there are approximately 4.4 million notaries in the United States. While the vast majority still practice traditional in-person notarization, the number of notaries authorized to perform Remote Online Notarization (RON) has grown steadily alongside legal adoption.
Key RON Statistics (2026)
Authorization Rate: According to the National Notary Association (NNA), approximately 27% of notaries (roughly 1.18 million) are authorized to perform remote notarizations as of 2022–2023, though many active RON notaries reported performing fewer than five sessions.
Legal Adoption: As of early 2025/2026, 45 to 47 states (plus the District of Columbia) have passed laws permanently allowing RON.
Geographic Leaders: States like Texas and Florida have the highest concentrations of notaries overall (nearly 500,000 each) and were early adopters of RON frameworks.
Average Active RONs: Experienced RONs frequently handle 3 to 4 loan signings per day, with some maxing out around that number to avoid chaotic schedules.
Full-Time Volume: A dedicated full-time loan signing agent, often, manages roughly 15 to 30 signings per month, or about 4-6 per week, depending on if they are direct or through a service.
High Volume: Some, notaries, especially, those utilizing, on-demand, Notarize (now Proof) or working within, established platforms, may handle higher volumes per day. Key Trends & Context:
Increasing Adoption: RON use in, mortgage closings has become a standard in 2026, with over, 15,000–16,000 eClosings occurring monthly as of 2020-2022, a number that has grown with the SECURE Notarization Act.
Efficiency: RON sessions generally take 10-15 minutes, allowing for more efficiency than, in-person, signings, though the complexity of the loan package (refinance, purchase, HELOC) dictates the overall time.
Workload: Some notaries reported doing over 100+ notarizations, in a, few months, while others find 1-3 a day to be, manageable, due to the, meticulous, nature of reviewing, digital documents
It’s obvious some of you completely missed my point, especially you and another female notary in Florida. Most of you are constantly complaining about slow payments or not getting paid at all, yet refuse to look at alternatives.
I’m simply showing another option that may or may not help your bottom dollar. As for marketing, I have a team marketing my other business every weekday starting at 6 PM. That’s the difference between waiting for work and building work. And to be clear, I don’t market myself as a Remote Online Notary.
I’ve not posted about slow/no pay for myself. Most, if not all, of my hiring entities pay in 1-2 weeks and pay well. Caveat: I had 2 uncollectible signings in 2007 with a company who filed bankruptcy.
California currently does not allow RON. Therefore, that is not an option for me or any other California notary.
I firmly and vehemently believe in marketing. I do it (myself) almost on a daily basis. I strongly recommend it to all newbies and urge them (and all seasoned notaries as well) “to market, market, market and when you’re tired of that, market some more.” I’ve been at this business for over 20 years, so yes, I understand the importance of marketing.
You may not advertise yourself as RON; however, you’ve made it abundantly clear that you are completely pro-RON.
How can 15-30 signings per month be considered full time? I would lose my home, car, and be eating beans and rice if I was only doing that volume. I live in VA, so expenses are higher here…but likewise so are many other states. Where did you get your information from?
