Your buyer is in Bogotá, the condo is in Brickell, and the title company says "we can do it by RON." Before you promise her a closing from her living room, know what Florida's remote online notary law requires, and where it breaks for people who live abroad.
Our guide to closing from abroad compares remote online notarization (RON) with embassies, apostilles and powers of attorney. This post covers Florida RON only.
This is not legal advice. The title company, a real estate attorney and the lender decide what they accept. Every source below was checked on October 30, 2026.
Florida's RON law in one page
Online notarization lives in part II of chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes, sections 117.201 through 117.305 in the 2026 statutes. The basics:
- The notary is in Florida; the signer can be anywhere. A Florida online notary physically in Florida may notarize whether or not the signer or witnesses are in Florida, and the act is governed by Florida law wherever they are (s. 117.209(3)–(4); s. 117.265(1)).
- Signers outside Florida must opt in. The notary must confirm, verbally or in writing, that the signer wants a Florida notary and Florida law to govern the act (s. 117.265(3)).
- The certificate says so. The electronic certificate must show the notarization was online, for example by placing "online notary" in or next to the seal (s. 117.265(7)).
- Mistakes don't automatically void it, but they can be used as evidence of fraud, duress or undue influence (s. 117.265(9)).
Online notaries and RON service providers
Who can be a Florida online notary
Only someone who already holds a Florida notary commission, a civil-law notary appointment or a commissioner of deeds appointment can register (s. 117.225). A Florida notary must be at least 18, a legal resident of Florida and able to read, write and understand English; commissions run four years (s. 117.01).
To register with the Florida Department of State, the notary files a sworn registration and:
- completes a course on online notary duties; a 2-hour approved course qualifies (s. 117.295(6));
- posts a $25,000 bond and carries at least $25,000 of errors and omissions insurance (s. 117.225);
- names the RON service provider or providers they will use (s. 117.225), and reports any change within 30 days (s. 117.265(5)(b));
- pays the registration fee, which the Department's rule sets at $10 (rule 1N-7.001).
The registration ends when the underlying commission ends (rule 1N-7.001(4)). You can check whether a notary is registered in the Department's remote online notary search.
What the RON service provider must do
The platform is the "RON service provider": the company supplying the audio-video technology and related services (s. 117.201). Under s. 117.295 and rule 1N-7.005, a provider must:
- file a self-certification with the Department that its technology meets chapter 117; each one is effective for one year, and the Department publishes the list;
- use tamper-evident technology, so any later change to the document is visible;
- carry at least $250,000 of errors and omissions insurance in the annual aggregate;
- not sell or share signers' personal information except for listed purposes, such as fraud detection.
The notary chooses the platform, and no one may require a particular one, unless a contract or employer requires the notary to perform online notarizations (s. 117.265(5)).
Identity checks and the recording
Unless the notary personally knows the signer, Florida requires all three, and if any step fails the notary may not go ahead (s. 117.265(4)):
- Remote presentation of a government-issued ID.
- Credential analysis: software checks the ID's security features and data against the issuer or other authoritative sources (s. 117.295(3)(b)).
- Identity proofing, such as knowledge-based authentication (KBA).
Until the Department adopts its own rules, KBA means at least five questions with five answer choices each, drawn from data tied to the signer's Social Security number or other identifying information. The signer has 2 minutes and needs 80% correct, with one retry that may reuse no more than three questions (s. 117.295(3)).
The session is recorded. The notary keeps an electronic journal, the journal and recordings are kept at least 10 years, and the RON service provider keeps an uninterrupted, unedited copy of the recording (s. 117.245).
Witnesses, vulnerable adults and the extra questions
A Florida deed needs two witnesses, and they may attend by video (s. 689.01). A remote witness must confirm they are a US resident and physically in the US (s. 117.285(4)).
Stricter rules apply to certain documents when fewer than two witnesses are physically with the signer: wills, some revocable trusts, health care advance directives, spousal waivers, and a power of attorney with the banking or investment powers listed in s. 709.2208 (s. 117.285(5)). For these:
- The platform asks first: whether the signer is under the influence of drugs or alcohol that impair decisions, has a condition or long-term disability that impairs daily activities, or needs help with daily care. Any "yes" means only physically present witnesses will do.
- A written notice follows: documents signed by a vulnerable adult are not valid if witnessed by video.
- The notary asks on the recording: are you married, and to whom; who helped you join this call; who helped prepare these documents; where are you; who is in the room with you.
Video witnessing is not effective for a vulnerable adult's signature (s. 117.285(5)(g)). Separately, these rules don't stop such a power of attorney from being effective for its other powers or for a real property transaction or loan (s. 117.285(5)(h)). A seller abroad signing a power of attorney by RON should expect these questions.
Signers outside the United States
Florida law does not limit online notarization to signers in the US. Three points matter:
- ID: For a signer not located in the US, a foreign passport counts as government-issued ID even without the US immigration stamp normally required (s. 117.201(6)).
- Identity proofing still applies. The passport covers step 1, not step 3. Proof, a provider on the state list, says its KBA needs a US Social Security number or ITIN tied to enough records, such as credit history, and that its notarizations are for documents used in the US (Proof Help Center). A buyer with no US records may fail.
- The title insurer may need to approve it. Attorneys' Title Fund wrote in July 2024 that its members' most frequent RON question is the approval requirements when the signer is a foreign national, and that these deals need extra analysis (The Fund).
The statute does not address whether the signer's country allows it. Ask the title company before setting expectations.
- Hola, la compañía de título dice que puedo firmar con un notario en línea. ¿Sirve mi pasaporte colombiano?Hi, the title company says I can sign with an online notary. Does my Colombian passport work?
- En Florida puede servir si estás fuera de EE. UU. Pero también hay preguntas de verificación que suelen depender de registros en EE. UU. ¿Tienes SSN o ITIN?In Florida it can work if you're outside the US. But there are also verification questions that usually depend on US records. Do you have an SSN or ITIN?
- No, ninguno.No, neither.
- Entonces le pido hoy a la compañía de título que confirme si su plataforma lo acepta. Si no, vemos el consulado.Then I'll ask the title company today to confirm whether their platform accepts it. If not, we look at the consulate.
- ¿Y la firma por internet es legal en Colombia?And is signing online legal in Colombia?
- Eso te lo confirma un abogado, no yo. ¿Quieres que la compañía de título te recomiende uno?A lawyer has to confirm that, not me. Do you want the title company to recommend one?
Fees, acceptance and providers
Fees
A Florida online notary or their employer may charge up to $25 per online notarial act. Platform services are separate, are "not considered closing services," and can carry their own fee (s. 117.275). Ask the title company for the total, not just the notary fee.
Do lenders, title insurers and recorders accept RON?
| Who | What they say |
|---|---|
| Fannie Mae | Florida is on its list of eligible states. The platform must meet the MISMO RON standards, the notary must be licensed and physically in the state where the act happens, the county recorder must accept the document, the title insurer may take no exception, and the lender may not require a borrower to use remote notarization (Selling Guide A2-4.1-03, dated May 6, 2026). |
| Freddie Mac | Florida is on its permitted-states list (Exhibit 48). It requires two-factor identity authentication, a recording stored for the longer of state law or 10 years, a title policy with no RON exception, and no forced RON if the borrower asks for another option (Guide 1401.3(f)). |
| Title insurers | Underwriters set their own RON rules, often published only to their agents. The Fund says foreign-national signers raise approval questions and need extra analysis (see above). |
| County recorders | Under Florida's electronic recording law, a notary's electronic signature satisfies a notarization requirement, and recorders that accept electronic documents must still accept paper (s. 695.27). The online notary's seal conclusively establishes compliance with Florida law, though fraud claims remain open (s. 695.03(4)). |
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules apply to loans sold to them. On a cash deal, the title insurer's rules are the ones that count.
RON providers registered in Florida
The Department of State lists every provider that has filed a self-certification in its RON service provider search. Three well-known names, alphabetically, from their own sites. Not a ranking or an endorsement; the notary chooses the platform.
| Provider | Latest Florida filing on the state list | From its own site |
|---|---|---|
| Docusign | July 23, 2026 | Notary On Demand verifies ID with a photo ID and knowledge-based questions; notaries come through partner OneNotary, available 24/7 (Docusign) |
| Proof (Notarize, Inc.) | December 3, 2025 | For documents used in the US; KBA needs a US SSN or ITIN (Proof Help Center) |
| Snapdocs | March 25, 2026 | RON, eSign and ID verification for lenders and settlement; "your notaries or ours" (Snapdocs) |
A self-certification is effective for one year from filing (rule 1N-7.005), so check the list for the current date.
Checklist: your buyer or seller is abroad
- Ask the title company, in writing, whether it will close this deal by RON and on which platform.
- Ask whether the underwriter needs approval for a foreign-national or out-of-country signer.
- Ask whether your client has an SSN or ITIN with US records. If not, ask whether the platform can verify them at all.
- If there is a loan, confirm the lender accepts RON for this loan.
- Confirm witnesses: who, and whether they are US residents in the US.
- If a power of attorney will be signed by RON, warn the client about the extra recorded questions.
- Keep a backup route ready: consulate or apostille.
- Send legal and tax questions to the attorney or accountant, not your WhatsApp.
Where Replint fits
International clients write at their hours, not yours. Replint answers WhatsApp leads in seconds, 24/7, in English or Spanish, and books calls into your calendar. When a client asks a legal question, like whether online signing is valid in their country, Replint in smart auto mode doesn't answer it: it turns it into a draft for you with an alert. Replint is in early access for US agents and teams.
