Yes, online notarization is legal in Missouri. Since August 28, 2020, registered Missouri notaries can notarize acknowledgments and jurats by live audio-video while physically in Missouri, for signers in the state or elsewhere. The notarial fee is capped at $5 per signature, but a separate agreed platform fee is allowed.
Is online notarization legal in Missouri?
Yes. House Bill 1655 of 2020 added remote online notarization to Missouri’s notary law, in sections 486.1100 through 486.1205 of the Revised Statutes. A Missouri notary must be commissioned and register the capability with the Secretary of State. The notary must be physically in Missouri during the act, but the signer can be elsewhere.
The Secretary of State’s Notary Handbook says the notary must perform a remote online notarization only while physically located in Missouri, and may do so for a person located in Missouri, elsewhere in the United States, or outside the United States if the electronic notarization is not prohibited where the person is located. The validity of the act is governed by Missouri law (Missouri Notary Handbook, § 486.1155). The National Notary Association’s state page confirms that Missouri notaries could register for remote online notarization as of August 28, 2020 (NNA).
How does an online notary service work in Missouri?
You upload an unsigned document, verify your identity, meet the notary on live video, sign while the notary watches, and receive the sealed file. Missouri adds requirements: the notary uses software approved by the Secretary of State that records and archives the session, and the identity check includes credential analysis and identity proofing.
1. Prepare the document as a PDF, complete and unsigned; a notary may not notarize a blank or incomplete document.
2. Confirm that the person or office receiving it accepts online notarization.
3. Upload the document, choose Notarize Now or schedule, and verify your identity.
4. Join the live video session and present your ID on camera.
5. Sign while the notary watches; the notary completes the certificate and applies the electronic seal.
6. Download the sealed copy and send it as delivered.
Under the statute, the Secretary of State approves and certifies remote notarization software, which at a minimum must record and archive the session, provide live audio and video, and protect the recording and the identity verification methods from unauthorized access (§ 486.1115). Identity is confirmed by personal knowledge, or by remote presentation of a credential such as a passport or driver’s license with a photograph and signature, credential analysis, and identity proofing, if approved by the Secretary of State’s rules (§ 486.1145).
On BlueNotary, the steps follow its signer instructions, last updated July 14, 2026, and its identity guide lists a driver’s license, REAL ID or state ID, passport card, passport book, and permanent resident card as accepted options, with KBA or a biometric scan and a passport book plus biometrics for non-U.S. citizens. For a full walkthrough, see BlueNotary’s guide to how online notarization works.
Have an unexpired government-issued photo ID ready, plus a device with a camera and microphone and a stable connection. Missouri requires the software to provide live audio and video clear enough for the notary and signer to see and communicate with each other, and the notary must be able to judge that you understand the transaction and are acting of your own free will, so use a quiet, well-lit place.
How much does an online notary service cost in Missouri?
Missouri caps the notarial fee at $5 per signature for an acknowledgment, jurat, or signature witnessing, including electronic acts. A remote online notary may also charge a separate transaction fee if both sides agree in advance. So online notary service cost depends on the platform’s fee, not only the capped notarial fee.
| Charge | What Missouri law provides |
| Notarial fee, acknowledgment | Up to $5 per signature (§ 486.960) |
| Notarial fee, jurat | Up to $5 per signature (§ 486.960) |
| Remote online transaction fee | Allowed if agreed in advance; must be explained as separate from the notarial fee and not mandated by law (§ 486.1160) |
| Travel fee | Allowed if agreed in advance and explained as separate from the notarial fee (§ 486.960) |
| Certified copy (paper) | $1 per page, minimum $3 (§ 486.685) |
These fees are in the Missouri Notary Handbook. Several third-party sites quote different Missouri caps, including $2 and $25, so rely on the statute as printed by the Secretary of State.
BlueNotary’s published rates are $25 for one signer and one stamp, $8 for each extra stamp, and $5 for each extra signer, with a witness free if you bring one and $10 if BlueNotary provides one (checked October 2026, fee schedule). Because Missouri separates the capped notarial fee from an agreed platform fee, a platform’s total can exceed $5, so ask for a breakdown. A two-signer document with one stamp would be $30. Teams that notarize often can see plans on the pricing page.
What can be notarized online in Missouri?
Missouri lets remote online notaries perform two acts remotely: acknowledgments and jurats. Remote signature witnessing and copy certification are not on that list. Most documents in PDF form that need an acknowledgment or a jurat qualify, subject to what the receiving party accepts.
The statute says acknowledgment and jurat may be performed using communication technology under the remote online notarization sections, and by no other method (§ 486.1140). A notary also may not notarize a signature on a blank or incomplete document or on a document without notarial certificate wording (§ 486.665), and a notary who is not an attorney may not help you draft or select a document (§ 486.675).
BlueNotary’s help center says it can accept most documents, excluding those submitted to a foreign embassy, codicils and testamentary trusts, and Form I-9, and that acceptance is up to the receiving party. Real estate documents, court filings, and wills deserve extra care, so check with the lender, title company, court, or attorney first.
What must a Missouri remote online notary do?
A Missouri remote online notary must be commissioned, complete extra instruction and an exam, register with the Secretary of State, use approved software, be physically in Missouri during the act, and keep journals. The certificate must state that the signer appeared by remote online means and carry the title Electronic Notary Public.
| Duty | What Missouri law provides |
| Registration | Register the capability with the Secretary of State before performing remote acts (§ 486.1120) |
| Training | Complete a course on remote online notarization and pass an exam (§ 486.1125) |
| Location | Be physically in Missouri during the act (§ 486.1155) |
| Certificate | Include an electronic signature and a seal with the title Electronic Notary Public; wording notes appearance by remote online means (§ 486.1165, § 486.1175) |
| Tamper-evidence | The electronic signature must show evidence of any later alteration (§ 486.1170) |
| Journals | Keep an electronic journal and a permanently bound journal, retained at least ten years (§ 486.1180) |
These duties are set out in the Missouri Notary Handbook. Ask any provider how its Missouri notaries are registered and which approved software they use.
When is an in-person notary better in Missouri?
In-person can be better for a single simple signature, because the notarial fee cap is only $5 and many local notaries charge little. It is also better when you need copy certification or signature witnessing, which cannot be done remotely, or when a recipient requires wet ink or a paper original.
| Your situation in Missouri | Better first choice |
| One simple signature and a local notary is nearby and open | In-person notary, given the $5 cap |
| After hours, a weekend, or you cannot travel | Online notary by video |
| Signers in different cities or states | Online notary; each signer joins from their own device |
| You need a certified copy or signature witnessing only | In-person notary |
| Recipient requires wet ink or a stamped paper original | In-person notary |
If you only need a signature and no notary, BlueNotary’s eSign may be enough. See the remote online notarization page for how BlueNotary’s service works.
Document ready to sign? Notarize Online in Missouri with BlueNotary after you confirm the receiving party accepts it.
FAQs
1. Is online notarization legal in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri’s remote online notarization law, effective August 28, 2020, lets registered Missouri notaries perform acknowledgments and jurats by live audio-video.
2. Does the notary have to be in Missouri?
Yes. The remote online notary must be physically located in Missouri during the act. The signer may be in Missouri, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad if not prohibited there.
3. What is the most an online notary can charge in Missouri?
The notarial fee is capped at $5 per signature for an acknowledgment or jurat. A separate remote online transaction fee is allowed if agreed in advance.
4. Can a Missouri online notary certify a copy?
Not remotely. Remote online notarial acts are limited to acknowledgments and jurats under § 486.1140, so copy certification needs another method.
5. Is the session recorded?
Missouri requires approved remote notarization software to record and archive the session, and the notary keeps electronic and bound journals for at least ten years.
6. Will the other party accept an online notarization?
Often, but not always. Courts, lenders, agencies, and some recipients set their own rules, so confirm before you book.
