Every Remote Online Notarization (RON) session gets recorded. That part is easy to understand. What’s less obvious to most signers is what happens to that recording after the session ends: how long it’s stored, who’s legally allowed to view it, and what safeguards keep it out of the wrong hands.
If you’ve completed or are about to complete an online notarization, here’s a straightforward look at the retention and access side of the process, not just the “how it works” part.
Why Retention Periods Exist in the First Place
A notarized document can matter again years after it’s signed in probate, a title dispute, a loan audit, or a lawsuit. If a question ever comes up about whether a signing was done properly, the recording is the evidence that settles it. That’s why states with RON laws require the session recording (and the notary’s electronic journal entry) to be kept for a defined stretch of time rather than deleted once the transaction closes.
Retention windows differ by state and by the specific notarial act involved, but the general pattern across most RON-enabled states lands somewhere in the five-to-ten-year range. Because these requirements can be updated through state legislation, the specific number that applies to your notarization ultimately depends on where the notary is commissioned, not where you happen to be sitting when you sign.
Whose Job Is It to Store the Recording?
The notary is ultimately responsible for making sure their recordings are retained for the required period, even though in practice the technology platform usually does the actual storing. A compliant RON provider builds this into the workflow automatically encrypted storage, redundant backups, and no manual step for the notary to forget.
This matters for you as a signer in one practical way: if you ever need your recording later, you’re not depending on one person’s personal filing system. It should live in a secure, provider-managed vault for the full retention period, independent of whether that particular notary is still actively working.
Who Is Actually Allowed to Access It
Access to a RON recording is intentionally narrow. It isn’t a public file, and it isn’t searchable or discoverable by casual request. Generally, access is limited to:
- You and the other parties to the transaction signers typically have the right to request their own session recording.
- Courts, through a subpoena or formal discovery process if the notarization becomes relevant to litigation.
- State regulators, such as a Secretary of State’s office, during an audit or a complaint investigation into a notary’s conduct.
- Authorized third parties with a legitimate interest, like a title company or lender who needs to confirm proper execution but only with appropriate authorization tied to the transaction itself.
Random third parties, marketers, or anyone without a documented connection to the transaction don’t get a look. That boundary is one of the built-in privacy protections that distinguishes a compliant RON platform from just “a recorded Zoom call.”
The Consent Step You Actually Agree To
Before a RON session starts, you’re asked to consent to being recorded. This isn’t a throwaway checkbox; most state laws require this consent to be affirmative and informed, meaning you understand recording will happen before it does. If you decline, the session can’t proceed as RON; you’d need traditional in-person notarization instead.
For most signers this is a non-issue, but it’s worth knowing the option exists if privacy is a specific concern for a particular document.
How the Recording Is Actually Protected
Beyond who’s allowed to see it, there’s the separate question of how it’s kept safe from people who aren’t allowed to see it. Reputable platforms apply:
- End-to-end encryption during the live session itself
- Strong encryption for the file at rest in storage
- Access logs that record every time the file is opened, by whom, and when
- Secure deletion once the legally required retention window has passed
These measures are the same category of protections you’d expect from any platform handling sensitive financial or identity data which, functionally, is exactly what a notarization session recording is.
What This Means If You’re Choosing a RON Provider
If you’re evaluating notarization platforms for yourself or for a business integrating RON into a closing or onboarding workflow, retention and access practices are worth asking about directly, the same way you’d ask about SOC 2 compliance or identity verification standards. A platform that can clearly explain its retention schedule, its access controls, and its deletion process is one that’s built recording compliance into the product rather than treating it as an afterthought.
BlueNotary structures session recording, storage, and access around these state-law requirements as a core part of the remote online notarization process, not a bolt-on feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a RON recording kept?
It depends on the notary’s commissioning state, but most RON states require somewhere between five and ten years of retention.
Can I get a copy of my own session recording?
Generally yes. Signers can typically request their recording from the notary or the platform that hosted the session.
Who can view my recording without asking me first?
Courts (with a subpoena), state regulatory bodies conducting an audit or investigation, and in limited, transaction-specific cases authorized parties like a title company. Not the general public, and not anyone without a documented legal basis.
What happens to the recording if the notary stops practicing?
The recording still has to remain accessible for the rest of the required retention period. Most states allow records to be transferred to an approved repository so access isn’t lost when a notary retires or lets their commission lapse.
Do I have to agree to be recorded?
Yes consent is required before a RON session begins, and it must be informed consent. If you’d rather not be recorded, in-person notarization remains an option.
For any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
