Louisiana permits remote online notarization, but not for every document. The process can replace an in-person appearance before a notary only when the document is eligible and the session satisfies the state’s technology, identity, signature, location, and recordkeeping rules.
That distinction matters when someone sends a link and describes the signature as routine. Remote notarization verifies execution in a prescribed way. It does not explain the agreement, decide whether its terms are fair, or turn an invalid transaction into a valid one.
What remote online notarization means in Louisiana
Louisiana Revised Statute 35:622 defines communication technology as an electronic device or process that allows substantially simultaneous communication by sight and sound. A remote online notarial act is an instrument executed before a notary through technology that meets the standards adopted under the Remote Online Notarization Act.
The law does not authorize an ordinary video call followed by a pasted image of a notary’s signature. The notary must be authorized to perform remote online notarizations and must follow the statutory procedure. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s current RON requirements explain the registration, instruction, technology-provider, and approval process for notaries.
Documents that cannot be executed by RON
Louisiana Revised Statute 35:623 says an otherwise compliant remote online notarial act can satisfy a requirement that a party appear before a notary. The same statute excludes specific instruments:
- testaments and codicils;
- trust instruments and acknowledgments of trust instruments;
- donations inter vivos;
- matrimonial agreements and acknowledgments of them; and
- acts modifying, waiving, or extinguishing a final spousal-support obligation and acknowledgments of those acts.
The statute also says remote online notarization may not be used to execute an authentic act as defined by Civil Code article 1833. An authentic act generally requires execution before a notary and two witnesses in the manner the article prescribes. Except for the specifically prohibited instruments, a document that fails to be authentic because it was executed through RON may still qualify as an act under private signature or an acknowledged act. Whether that fallback is enough depends on what the underlying transaction requires.
In 2026, the Louisiana Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 35, asking the Louisiana State Law Institute to study possible legislation allowing some authentic acts to use RON. That study request did not itself change R.S. 35:623. As of September 29, 2026, the statute continues to bar use of RON to execute an authentic act.
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| Question | Current Louisiana rule | What to confirm before signing |
|---|---|---|
| May the signer be outside Louisiana? | Yes. R.S. 35:626 permits the party to be in or outside the state. | Tell the notary where every party and witness will be physically located. |
| May the notary be outside Louisiana? | No. The Louisiana notary must be physically located in a parish where the notary may act. | Confirm the notary’s commission, RON authorization, and parish location. |
| May a required witness join from a third location? | No. A witness to the RON act must be physically present with the party. | Ask whether the document needs witnesses and arrange their physical presence with the signer. |
| Can RON create an authentic act? | No under current R.S. 35:623(C). | Ask the drafting lawyer whether the transaction requires authentic form. |
| Is the session recorded? | Yes. The notary must retain an audio and video recording for at least ten years. | Keep the notary’s name, platform, date, and instructions for requesting the record. |
Where the notary, signer, and witnesses must be
Louisiana Revised Statute 35:626 controls location. The notary must be physically present in a Louisiana parish where that notary has authority to act. The party may be located in Louisiana or elsewhere. A witness to the remote act must be physically present with the party, not merely visible on a separate video feed.
The act is deemed executed in the Louisiana parish where the notary was physically located and authorized to act. For a contract that is a remote online notarial act, the statute also permits an action in any parish where a party was physically located during the notarization. Recording each person’s physical location before the session can prevent confusion later.
How identity and the electronic document are verified
Louisiana Revised Statute 35:627 requires the notary to verify the identity of a remotely appearing party or witness through the communication technology and either personal knowledge or a process that includes all three of the following:
- remote presentation of a government-issued identification credential containing a photograph and signature;
- credential analysis; and
- identity proofing.
The act must state that it is a remote online notarial act. The notary must attach or logically associate an electronic signature and digitally sign the act so later changes are evident.
Under R.S. 35:628, the notary must take reasonable steps to protect the communication from unauthorized interception and to ensure the electronic record before the notary is the same record the party signed or on which the party made a statement.
The session record lasts at least ten years
Louisiana Revised Statute 35:629 requires the notary to keep printable electronic copies of remote online notarial acts and an audio and video recording of each session for at least ten years. The records must be reasonably protected against corruption, loss, destruction, interception, and alteration. A qualified custodian may maintain them, but the notary must retain unrestricted access.
If a later dispute concerns identity, location, voluntariness, or the document presented during the session, identify the notary and platform promptly. Do not assume a platform account will remain available to the signer for the full statutory retention period.
Notarization is not advice about the document
A remote notarization can establish how a signature was obtained without answering whether the signer understood the agreement or should have accepted it. This is especially important with insurance releases, settlement agreements, medical authorizations, assignments, and sworn statements.
Before signing, read every page and ask for a complete copy in advance. Check the parties, amount, claims being released, confidentiality language, indemnity provisions, liens, payment timing, and whether the document reaches claims or people beyond the issue being settled. Ask questions in writing and save the answers.
For a Louisiana injury claim, the firm’s Louisiana personal injury services page explains how legal representation fits into the larger claim. If the document accompanies a vehicle payment, read whether to accept a property damage check before the injury claim ends. A related guide on towing and storage charges after a wreck explains why a payment breakdown should identify what has and has not been resolved.
A practical checklist before the session
- Confirm that Louisiana law permits RON for this document and that authentic form is not required.
- Verify the notary’s current commission and RON authorization.
- Tell the notary where each signer and witness will be physically located.
- Arrange any required witness to be physically present with the signing party.
- Obtain the final document before the session and compare it with the version displayed for signature.
- Use a secure connection and do not share identity-proofing answers with anyone.
- Download the fully executed document and record the notary, platform, date, time, and parish of execution.
Questions before a remote signature
If you are hospitalized, taking medication or having difficulty understanding the document, tell the notary and get legal advice before signing. A minor’s claim, a government-related claim or an out-of-state signer may raise additional questions; remote notarization alone does not resolve them.
For a review, gather the document, the requesting person’s emails or texts, and the notary’s and platform’s contact details. If it concerns an injury, bring the incident date, location, involved parties, report number and relevant treatment information. Do not delay asking for help because some records are missing.
The Babcock Benefit describes the firm’s evidence-preservation and trial-preparation approach. You can also browse our practice areas, client reviews and office locations, or contact us. Attorney profile: Stephen Babcock.
If a release, settlement, authorization, or sworn statement could affect a Louisiana injury claim, legal review before the session can be more useful than trying to undo the document later. Call Babcock Injury Lawyers at (225) 500-5000 or use the free case-review form below.
This is general information, not legal advice about a particular document.
Sources checked: September 29, 2026. Previous version last reviewed: September 28, 2026.