Online Notary Public

Online Notary Public

An Online Notary Public is a regular Florida notary who has also registered to notarize over live video. The commission, the duties and the penalties are the same ones that apply to any Florida notary. Only the meeting place changes. I'm Javid Owji, and I've held that commission while closing loans for more than 18 years.

Hiring an Online Notary Public shouldn't feel like a leap of faith. Below is what I'm allowed to do, what I'm not, and how to check me before you upload anything. For the practical side, see Remote Online Notary, or call or text 407-252-5276.

A Florida notary can take acknowledgments, where you confirm to me that you signed willingly and I certify it. Deeds and most real estate documents use this. I can give oaths, called jurats, where you swear or affirm that the contents are true and then sign in front of me, which is how affidavits and sworn statements work. I can also attest that a photocopy matches the original, except for vital records such as birth certificates and public records the custodian can copy.

The certificate wording is chosen by whoever drafted the document, or by you with your attorney's help. An affidavit needs a jurat, and a Florida power of attorney needs an acknowledgment. When the wording is already printed on the page, I complete it exactly as written. I can tell you whether the certificate on your page is complete and matches the act we're performing. I can't tell you which one you should use, or whether you should sign at all. That's legal advice, and a notary isn't allowed to give it.

Both titles show up at closings, but a notary and a signing agent aren't the same job. A notary public is commissioned by the state to identify signers, take acknowledgments and oaths, and complete certificates, for any document and any signer. A notary signing agent is a notary trained to handle full loan packages: initials, name matching, lender-specific forms and return instructions. Title companies hire one for Remote Notary Services. I'm both, a commissioned Florida notary and an NNA Certified National Signing Agent.

To notarize on video in Florida, I have to be registered as an online notary, use an approved platform, and be physically in Florida during the session. You can be anywhere. Every session is recorded, and I keep the recording and an electronic journal for at least 10 years. Those records protect you: if anyone ever questions the signature, there's a video of you signing it. If you'd like to know Virtual Notary Services, I've written that up separately.

Documents for use abroad usually need an Online Apostille Services after the notarization, so tell me the country when you book. Notarization confirms who signed and that they did it willingly. It doesn't make the contents true or the contract valid. The notarial act itself doesn't expire, though banks and foreign offices often want a recent one.

Florida is specific about what a notary may not do. I can't notarize without seeing you, in person or on a live session. I can't notarize for a spouse, son, daughter, mother or father, or for a document I'm a party to or have a financial interest in. I can't sign a blank certificate for someone to use later, give legal advice or pick the form for you, or charge more than the law allows for the notarial act.

Not sure which act your paperwork needs? Start with Online Document Notarization. If it's a Notarizing a Power of Attorney in Florida, Florida requires two witnesses in addition to the notary, so read the rules before you book.

Florida is also one of the few states that lets a notary Wedding Officiant Services, so I officiate weddings as well. The limit on what I can charge surprises people, so here's Online Notary Services, and what's billed separately.

To check a notary, search the name on the seal in the Florida notary search, confirm the commission is active, and for video sessions ask whether they're registered as an online notary. The statute behind all of it is Chapter 117, and the longer explanation is Is Online Notarization Legal in Florida? The NNA also has a good page on what a notary public is. Questions? Use the Contact or call or text 407-252-5276.