Mississippi online notarization is not currently authorized for fully remote sessions. State law still requires the signer to appear physically before the notary, so a notarization conducted entirely over video by a Mississippi-commissioned notary is not permitted. What the state does allow is in-person electronic notarization, where the signer and notary are in the same room but sign and seal the document digitally. If you need a truly remote session, your realistic path is a remote online notary commissioned in another state.
Why Fully Remote Notarization Is Not Available
The Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts, which took effect July 1, 2021, requires the signer to be physically present before the notary when signing a document or making a sworn statement.1Justia. Mississippi Code Title 25, Chapter 34 – Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts That single requirement is what rules out remote video sessions.
During the pandemic, Governor Tate Reeves issued an executive order in April 2020 that temporarily waived the in-person requirement and let Mississippi notaries perform remote ink-signed and remote online notarizations for the duration of the declared state of emergency. The Secretary of State’s guidance called it “only a temporary waiver,” and the authority ended with the emergency.2Mississippi Secretary of State. Remote Notarization Order Guidance
The legislature has tried to make remote online notarization permanent and has not yet succeeded. In 2024, House Bill 1168 and Senate Bill 2546 proposed adding RON provisions to the notary statutes; neither became law.3BillTrack50. Mississippi Code HB1168 – Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts In 2025, House Bill 1154 passed the House and would have authorized remote online notarization effective July 1, 2025, but it died in a Senate committee on March 4, 2025.4Mississippi Legislature. HB1154 Bill History A companion Senate bill, SB 2456, also died in committee in February 2025. Mississippi remains one of the few states without permanent RON legislation.
In-Person Electronic Notarization in Mississippi
Mississippi does authorize in-person electronic notarization, often called IPEN. The signer and notary are in the same room, but the document, the signature, and the notary seal are all electronic through an approved digital platform. Physical presence is still required; only the paper is gone.5Mississippi Secretary of State. Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts Notary Rules
Not every Mississippi notary can perform electronic notarizations. The notary must hold a current, unrestricted commission, submit a separate application to the Secretary of State for electronic notarial acts, and get approval before using an electronic system. The electronic system itself has to let both parties apply electronic signatures, let the notary affix an electronic seal, use a public key certificate to identify the signer, and render each notarized document tamper-evident.5Mississippi Secretary of State. Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts Notary Rules All the usual identity verification and certificate requirements still apply.
If you want IPEN, call ahead. Many notaries are not registered for it, and showing up expecting a digital workflow at a bank or shipping store will usually get you a paper notarization instead.
How to Get a Remote Notarization If You Need One
The practical workaround is using a remote online notary commissioned in another state. States that have enacted RON laws generally allow their notaries to serve signers located anywhere, including Mississippi, because the notarization is governed by the law of the state where the notary is commissioned, not where you happen to be sitting. Several national platforms connect signers with notaries in RON-authorized states and handle the identity verification and video session.
Before you go that route, confirm the receiving party will accept it. A lender, title company, court clerk, or county recorder may have its own policy on out-of-state RON, especially for real estate records or filings that have to be recorded in Mississippi. Ask first; don’t assume.
If the document specifically requires a Mississippi notary, remote is off the table and you need to appear in person. A mobile notary who travels to you is the closest substitute. Banks and shipping stores that offer notary services are the other common option when you can reach a business location but not a specific notary.
What You Can Expect to Pay
Mississippi caps notary fees by act. Standard services such as acknowledgments, oaths, affirmations, and signature witnessings are capped at $5.00 per act.6Legal Information Institute. 1 Miss Code R 5-9.1 – Fees for Notarial Acts When the notary uses an electronic notarization system, an additional fee of up to $25.00 is allowed on top of the standard charge, bringing the maximum for an electronically notarized document to $30.00.7Mississippi Secretary of State. Part 5 Chapter 9 – Fees A notary is not required to charge anything at all.
Mississippi does not set a statutory cap on travel fees for mobile notaries, so any travel charge is a separate negotiation and should be agreed to before the notary heads your way. Out-of-state RON platforms set their own prices, which typically run higher than the Mississippi in-person cap because they include the technology and identity-proofing services.
What a Future Mississippi RON Law Would Likely Look Like
HB 1154 gives a reasonable preview of where any future bill would start. It defined remote online notarization as a notarial act performed for a remotely located individual using communication technology and an electronic notarization system, and it included definitions for credential analysis, identity proofing, and communication technology.8Mississippi Legislature. HB1154 As Introduced – 2025 Regular Session Notaries would have had to verify a signer’s identity through at least two different methods, register separately with the Secretary of State to perform remote acts, use approved technology, and keep an audio-video recording of each session. The bill also addressed international signers, requiring confirmation that the record was not tied to a U.S. court proceeding or U.S. property.
None of that is law. But because HB 1154 cleared the House before stalling in the Senate, a similar framework could realistically pass in a later session. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s office is the authoritative place to check for any change in the rules before you plan around them.