Notary digital certificate providers, compared
For a notary who signs remote acts with a digital certificate: who issues one to notaries, how your identity is checked before it is issued, how its term sits against your commission, and which RON platforms take a certificate you bring. The journal and the e-seal that go with it are under journals, records and e-seals.
Table last checked
Best if you notarize on more than one platform
IdenTrust says one certificate works on any platform that accepts its certificates, and 18 of the platforms we compare appear on its eNotary partner page.
Best if you also sign PDFs outside a platform
Its individual validated document signing certificate signs in Adobe and Microsoft Office, with your identity checked against a government ID first.
Best if you want the platform to supply it
Secured Signing issues the X.509 certificate itself and partners with IdenTrust for Federal Bridge certificates where a state requires them.
Fig. 1The certificate authorities, against the rule
Two certificate authorities that sell to notaries could be read from their own pages on the date shown: IdenTrust and SSL.com. The National Notary Association's site and Entrust's notary page did not load for us that day, so neither is in the table; a short table beats an invented row. The rows are what a rule like Texas's asks of the certificate, not what the vendors advertise.
| Certificate authority | X.509 certificate from a third-party PKI provider (Texas requires one for online notaries)X.509 certificate from a third party | Your identity is checked before the certificate is issuedIdentity checked before issue | Certificate term stated, so you can match it to your commission (Texas checks that the certificate is unexpired)Certificate term stated | Says which RON platforms accept the certificateSays which platforms accept it | Seal attaches together with your digital certificate, so later changes showAttaches with your certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IdenTrust | Meets | Meets | Meets | Meets | Meets |
| SSL.com | Meets | Meets | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Issuer | Product | Check before issue | Where the key lives |
|---|---|---|---|
| IdenTrust | IGC Notary Basic | Express, electronic identity verification. | Not stated on the page read; check with the vendor. |
| IdenTrust | IGC Notary Medium (individual) | Notarized identity verification, for a higher assurance level; the vendor says some eNotary organizations require it. | Not stated on the page read; check with the vendor. |
| IdenTrust | IGC Notary Medium (business) | Notarized identity verification, plus proof of your affiliation to the employing company. | Not stated on the page read; check with the vendor. |
| SSL.com | Document signing, individual validated (IV) | Identity checked against a government-issued ID before issue. | A FIPS-validated YubiKey token, or the vendor's eSigner cloud signing. |
This check is on you, the notary, before the certificate exists. It is a different step from proofing your signer in each session.
IdenTrust
A certification authority that sells IGC digital certificates for notaries doing remote and in-person electronic notarization.
A notary who needs a certificate that works across several RON platforms, or one whose platform names IdenTrust.
- X.509 certificate from a third-party PKI provider (Texas requires one for online notaries)
- Meets
- The vendor says RON needs an X.509-compliant IGC certificate built on PKI, and that is what it issues.
- Your identity is checked before the certificate is issued
- Meets
- Two assurance levels on the page: an electronic identity check for the basic notary certificate, a notarized identity check for the higher one.
- Certificate term stated, so you can match it to your commission (Texas checks that the certificate is unexpired)
- Meets
- The page lists its notary certificates by the year; check longer terms against your commission with the vendor.
- Says which RON platforms accept the certificate
- Meets
- The vendor says it is compatible with most RON services and one certificate can be used on any platform that accepts IdenTrust; confirm with your platform.
- Seal attaches together with your digital certificate, so later changes show
- Meets
- IdenTrust does not make the seal, but lets you add a seal you bought elsewhere to your certificate's signature appearance.
SSL.com
A certification authority whose document signing certificates (individual validated) are offered to notaries for remote online notarization.
A notary who signs and seals PDFs directly in Adobe or Microsoft Office and wants a certificate from a publicly trusted CA.
- X.509 certificate from a third-party PKI provider (Texas requires one for online notaries)
- Meets
- The vendor calls its document signing certificates X.509-compliant and points RON notaries to them.
- Your identity is checked before the certificate is issued
- Meets
- The vendor says it checks identity against government-issued ID before issuing an individual validated certificate.
- Certificate term stated, so you can match it to your commission (Texas checks that the certificate is unexpired)
- Not stated
- No term for notaries on the pages read; check with the vendor.
- Says which RON platforms accept the certificate
- Not stated
- The vendor says its signatures are trusted in Adobe and Microsoft Office; it names no RON platforms. Check with your platform.
- Seal attaches together with your digital certificate, so later changes show
- Not stated
- The vendor says you buy the e-seal separately; it does not say how the two attach.
What your state's rule asks of the certificate
Most states do not tell you which certificate to buy. They ask for tamper-evident technology under your sole control and leave the method to you and your platform. A few name the standard, and those are the states where a certificate you choose yourself matters most.
| State | Standard named | What the rule asks, and where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| TXTexasNames X.509 | Names X.509 | A digital certificate issued by a third-party provider, using PKI technology and X.509 compliant, that makes any later change to the document evident; plus an electronic seal with 'Notary Public, State of Texas' around a five-point star, your name, notary ID number and commission expiration date.Tex. Gov't Code § 406.109(d); 1 TAC §§ 87.4(b)(7)(B), 87.41(j)read |
| VAVirginiaNames X.509 | Names X.509 | Sign with a digital certificate that conforms to X.509 and is issued and managed by a trusted root Certificate Authority, together with a seal image or text showing your commissioned name, registration number, 'Electronic Notary Public', 'Commonwealth of Virginia' and the commission expiration date. The certificate may not be used past your commission's expiration.Virginia Electronic Notarization Assurance Standard § 2.1(b)-(e); Va. Code § 47.1-16(D)-(E)read |
| KSKansasRequires a digital certificate | Requires a digital certificate | To use a RON platform a notary must obtain a digital certificate that verifies the notary's identity and makes the notarized document tamper evident; platforms may provide one or explain how to get one.Kansas Secretary of State RON requirementsread |
| COColoradoTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | The electronic seal must match the official stamp and the electronic signature must match the official signature on file; both stay under the notary's sole control and must make the document tamper-evident.8 CCR 1505-11, Rule 5.2.3read |
| FLFloridaTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Attach or logically associate your electronic signature and seal using tamper-evident technology capable of independent verification. The electronic signature must carry the seal information: full commissioned name, 'Notary Public State of Florida', commission expiration date and commission number. The statute sections read do not name a certificate standard such as X.509.§§ 117.021(2)-(3), 117.255(1)(c), Fla. Stat.; R. 1N-7.001(7)read |
| MEMaineTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | For electronic records the provider's technology must let the notary affix an electronic signature that is attributable to the notary and tamper evident, and attach or logically associate the certificate in a tamper-evident manner.29-250 C.M.R. ch. 700, § 6(2)(F)-(G)read |
| MDMarylandTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | A notary may select one or more tamper-evident technologies for electronic records; for an electronic record the official stamp may be attached to or logically associated with the certificate. No digital-certificate type is named in the statute.Md. Code, State Gov't §§ 18-215(b)(3), 18-220(a)read |
| MOMissouriTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Attach a registered electronic signature and registered electronic notary seal that are unique, independently verifiable, under the notary's sole control and that show any later alteration. The seal shows the name, commissioning jurisdiction, "Electronic Notary Public", commission or registration number and expiration date.RSMo §§ 486.1165(2), 486.1170read |
| NENebraskaTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | The electronic signature and online notary seal must be under the notary's sole control; the seal carries a border, the name as commissioned, identifying number, expiration date, "Online Notary Public" and "Nebraska".433 NAC ch. 8, §§ 006-007read |
| PAPennsylvaniaTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | The technology must let anyone inspecting the electronic record detect tampering with the certificate, and must carry the official stamp information as part of, or securely attached to, the record. No digital-certificate type is named in the rule.4 Pa. Code § 167.86(7)-(8)read |
| WAWashingtonTamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Tamper-evident technology; no certificate standard named | Use a tamper-evident technology from a provider that enrolls only endorsed notaries and requires password or other secure access; your electronic signature must be capable of independent verification through the Department, and your electronic stamp is a digital image matching the physical stamp's requirements. The rules read do not name a certificate standard such as X.509.WAC 308-30-130, 308-30-170, 308-30-180read |
No certificate rule was found in a primary source for Louisiana; check your state's current rule.
Texas: the checks your certificate has to pass
Texas is the state that names the standard most plainly: a digital certificate issued by a third-party provider, using PKI technology and X.509 compliant, that makes any later change to the document evident; plus an electronic seal with 'Notary Public, State of Texas' around a five-point star, your name, notary ID number and commission expiration date. (Tex. Gov't Code § 406.109(d); 1 TAC §§ 87.4(b)(7)(B), 87.41(j))
The certificate is part of the online commission application itself: you apply with it, with an image of your electronic seal and with a statement of officer signed with that certificate (Tex. Gov't Code § 406.105; 1 TAC §§ 87.4, 87.11; SOS 'Getting Started as an Online Notary'). The Secretary of State keeps no approved provider list and says it cannot recommend one. The full path is in the Texas online notary requirements guide.
Texas digital certificate check, juratkit.com
Your certificate against the Texas checks
Tick each line your certificate meets. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Checks your certificate meets
0 of 8
Still open: Issued to you, the notary; Issued by a third-party provider; Not expired; Signed by a trusted source; Uses public key infrastructure (PKI); X.509 compliant; Contains the certificate chain, including the CA certificate; Includes an image of your electronic signature.
Platforms that supply a certificate, and platforms that take yours
Before you buy a certificate, find out whether your platform will use it. Some platforms issue their own and accept nothing else; some ask you to upload one; a few hand you a voucher. A certificate bought for one platform can be dead weight on the next. 18 of the platforms we compare appear on IdenTrust's eNotary partner page, which tells you who works with IdenTrust, not that each one accepts a certificate you bring. The e-signature suites with a notary feature split the same way, and so do the electronic notary tools: some supply a certificate and some expect yours, for remote and in-person electronic acts.
| Platform | What the platform says about the certificate | On IdenTrust's partner pageIdenTrust partner |
|---|---|---|
| The platform supplies the certificate | ||
| Proof | Issues each notary a Proof Digital Certificate plus a free electronic seal; its title FAQ says it does not support certificates or seals bought from other vendors.(read ) | Not on the partner page |
| Docusign Notary | Issues digital certificates to notaries and adds a tamper-evident Certificate of Completion to each session.(read ) | Yes |
| SIGNiX | Plans include an X.509 digital certificate; it says its standards-based digital signatures protect the document from tampering.(read ) | Yes |
| Secured Signing | Issues X.509 certificates (with IdenTrust Federal Bridge certificates where a state requires them) and calls its PKI signing tamper-evident.(read ) | Yes |
| You bring your own certificate | ||
| OneNotary | The notary uploads their own digital certificate (it names IdenTrust) to digitally stamp notarizations; it does not support certificates issued by other RON providers.(read ) | Yes |
| OneSpan Notary | The notary uploads their own PKI X.509 digital certificate; digital signatures after each signature make the document tamper-evident.(read ) | Yes |
| Notary Hub | The notary adds a digital document signing certificate; the finished PDF is digitally signed so later changes can be detected.(read ) | Yes |
| NotaryCam | Asks independent notaries to provide a current digital certificate and a RON notary seal; how the certificate is applied is not described, check with the vendor.(read ) | Yes |
| Qualia | Its terms make the notary "solely responsible for meeting any digital certificate requirements"; check how a certificate is applied with the vendor.(read ) | Yes |
| A voucher or a named source | ||
| ProNotary | Its plans include IdenTrust X.509 certificate vouchers; how the certificate is applied is not described. Check with the vendor.(read ) | Yes |
| Snapdocs | Its notary FAQ says a RON notary's digital certificate from a provider must come from Proof, NotaryCam or Snapdocs RON; how Snapdocs RON issues or applies it is not described. Check with the vendor.(read ) | Not on the partner page |
| Online Notary Center | Its Texas page has the notary buy an IdenTrust digital certificate, which attaches to the notarized document and makes it tamper-evident; it partners with IdenTrust and does not accept certificates from other vendors.(read ) | Yes |
| Uses a certificate; who issues it is not stated | ||
| BlueNotary | Says the notary's digital certificate (a .p12 file) is encrypted into every exported document, with PKI encryption.(read ) | Yes |
| PandaDoc Notary | Seals documents with X.509 signing certificates, which it calls tamper-proof.(read ) | Yeslisted as LiveNotary |
| Stavvy | Uses digital certificates and tamper seals on closing documents.(read ) | Yes |
| OnlineNotary.us | Describes the notary signing with a personal digital certificate and electronic seal in a way capable of independent verification; whether the platform issues the certificate is not stated.(read ) | Yes |
Not described on the pages we read: NotaryLive, Clear Sign (Rocket Close), Simplifile eSign Events (ICE), Expedite (ICE, formerly DocVerify), Blend Close, DocMagic eNotary (Total eClose), Epic River eNotary, Pavaso. Ask each one which certificate it applies, and whether it accepts one you already hold.
Certificate term against your commission
A certificate and a commission run on separate clocks. IdenTrust lists its notary certificates by the year; SSL.com states no term for notaries on the pages we read. Your commission usually runs longer, so a certificate bought today will need renewing inside it, and the last renewal should line up with the new commission.
Two of the rules we read tie the two dates together. Texas checks that the certificate is not expired when you apply. Virginia goes further: the certificate may not be used past your commission's expiration (Virginia Electronic Notarization Assurance Standard § 2.1(b)-(e); Va. Code § 47.1-16(D)-(E)). Put both dates in one calendar; the online commission term check works out the commission side.
Questions notaries ask
Do I need a digital certificate to notarize online?
It depends on your state. Of the 11 states whose certificate rules we read, Texas and Virginia name an X.509 certificate and Kansas requires a digital certificate; the other 8 ask for tamper-evident technology without naming a certificate standard. Your platform may supply a certificate or ask you to bring one. The state table above carries each rule's cite.
Will an IdenTrust certificate work on every RON platform?
No. IdenTrust says one certificate works on any platform that accepts IdenTrust certificates. Proof issues its own certificate and says it does not support certificates bought from other vendors, and OneNotary names IdenTrust but does not take certificates issued by other RON providers. Confirm with each platform before you buy, and with every platform you plan to work on.
Is the digital certificate the same thing as my electronic seal?
No. The certificate is the credential that signs the document and makes later changes visible; the seal is the image carrying your commission details. IdenTrust does not make seals and SSL.com says the seal is bought separately. Texas asks for both when you apply for an online commission. Seal sellers are compared in electronic notary seal providers; what the seal must show in each state is in electronic notary seal requirements, and the words the certificate must carry in remote certificate wording by state.
How long does a notary digital certificate last?
IdenTrust lists its notary certificates by the year; SSL.com states no term for notaries on the pages we read. Virginia bars using a certificate past your commission's expiration and Texas checks that it is not expired, so set the renewal date against your commission date.
Does the Texas Secretary of State approve certificate providers?
No. The Secretary of State says it cannot recommend any third-party providers. It checks the certificate itself: issued to you by a third party, not expired, signed by a trusted source, PKI, X.509 compliant, carrying the CA certificate chain and an image of your electronic signature.
Related
- Electronic notary seal providers, comparedWho supplies an electronic seal, how it pairs with a tamper-evident certificate, and which platforms accept one you bring.
- Electronic notary seal requirementsWhat an electronic seal must contain, how it differs from the digital certificate, and how states have you register it.
- RON platforms for Texas notariesTexas keeps no approved list, so each platform is read against the Texas rule itself.
- Texas online notary requirementsThe Texas path: commission, digital certificate, electronic seal, online application and record keeping.
- Online commission and certificate term checkCheck that your digital certificate does not expire before your commission does.