Does Georgia Allow Online Notarization? HB 289 and RON Rules

Online notarization in Georgia is not currently available through Georgia-commissioned notaries. The state’s temporary pandemic-era authorization for remote online notarization (RON) expired on December 27, 2021, and no permanent replacement has been enacted. House Bill 289, which would create a lasting framework, cleared committee in early 2026 and is still pending. Until something passes, Georgians who need a document notarized remotely generally use a notary commissioned in another state that allows RON, and Georgia agencies broadly accept the result.

Where Georgia Stands Today

Georgia first allowed remote notarizations through emergency executive orders during COVID-19. Those orders let notaries complete notarial acts over audio-video technology, but they lapsed at the end of 2021. Since then, a notary holding a Georgia commission has no authority under state law to perform a notarization remotely.

Remotely notarized documents are still useful in Georgia, though. The Georgia Department of Revenue has stated it accepts remote notarizations performed by notaries in states where RON is legal, treating them the same as in-person notarizations for tax purposes.¹ Other Georgia agencies and courts generally follow the same approach under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (O.C.G.A. § 10-12-1 et seq.).

How to Get a Document Notarized Online Right Now

The practical workaround is to use a RON platform staffed by notaries commissioned in a state that permits remote notarization, such as Virginia, Florida, or Texas. You create an account, upload the document, show a government-issued photo ID through your camera, and sit through a short video session with the notary. Most of the national platforms handle Georgia residents routinely.

For real estate closings, many title companies already arrange remote closings this way. If you are buying or selling property in Georgia and want to sign from home, ask the title company whether they work with an out-of-state RON provider.

Expect to pay between $25 and $50 per session for a typical platform, which covers the technology and convenience charge on top of the notarial act itself.

What You Need on Your End

Regardless of which platform you use, the setup is similar: a computer or tablet with a working camera and microphone, a stable internet connection, and a valid government-issued photo ID. A standard laptop with a webcam is enough in most cases.

You will also go through knowledge-based authentication (KBA), a short set of computer-generated questions pulled from your personal credit and financial history. If you fail the first set, platforms typically allow a second attempt with different questions. Fail twice and the notary cannot proceed; there is no override. In that situation you would need to sign in person before a notary instead.

House Bill 289: A Permanent Georgia RON Law

HB 289 would amend Article 1 of Chapter 17 of Title 45 to authorize remote online notarization by Georgia notaries on a permanent basis.² As of early 2026 the bill received a favorable committee report in the Georgia House. If enacted, remote notarizations performed under it would carry the same legal weight as traditional in-person notarizations, including for deeds and mortgages. The bill also provides that RON performed by a notary commissioned in another state has the same effect under Georgia law as if performed by a Georgia-appointed notary.

A Georgia notary who wanted to offer RON would need an active commission, specialized training approved by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), and registration with that agency as a remote online notary.³ The notary would also need to use a RON platform meeting GSCCCA standards. A Georgia-resident remote notary must maintain a residential domicile and physical presence in the state.²

Documents You Cannot Notarize Online

HB 289 carves out one category even if it passes: wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts. The bill expressly bars both electronic in-person notarization and remote online notarization for notarial acts governed by the laws on creating and executing those estate planning documents.² A will would still need to be signed before a notary in person.

Everything else that normally requires notarization would be eligible, including real estate deeds, mortgage documents, powers of attorney, and affidavits. The bill defines “real estate document” broadly to cover any instrument entitled to recording in the county real property records, along with any document executed in connection with a land conveyance whether recorded or not.²

Where You Can Be When You Sign

Under HB 289, the notary must be physically in Georgia, but the signer has considerable flexibility:

Anywhere within Georgia, with no restrictions.
Anywhere else in the United States, with no restrictions.
Outside the United States, if the notary has no reason to believe signing is prohibited where the signer is located, and the signer confirms the document relates to a U.S. court proceeding, property in the United States, or a transaction with a substantial connection to the United States.²

Wherever the signer sits, the notarized document is legally deemed executed in Georgia, which matters for recording and for determining which state’s law governs the act.

What It Costs

Current Georgia law caps the fee for any notarial act at $2.00, with an optional additional $2.00 for a certificate of commission effectiveness from the Clerk of Superior Court.⁴ HB 289 does not appear to set a separate, higher cap for remote notarizations. If the bill passes in its current form, the $2.00 cap would likely apply to the notarial act itself, while RON platform providers would continue to charge their own technology fees outside the state cap.

For an out-of-state RON session today, you are paying under the other state’s fee rules plus the platform’s charge, which lands in the $25 to $50 range for most providers.

1
Department of Revenue. ADMIN-2025-03 – Acceptance of E-Signatures, Remote Notaries, and Electronic Filings
2
Georgia General Assembly. House Bill 289 – Remote Online Notaries Public and Remote Online Notarizations
3
Fulton County Superior Court, GA. Apply to Become a Notary
4
GSCCCA. Georgia Notary Law