Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana)

This blog contains general legal and safety information and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and outcomes depend on specific facts.

Last reviewed / updated: February 25, 2026

Reviewed, updated, and authored by: Stephen Babcock, Louisiana trial lawyer

This page helps Louisiana residents and out-of-state signers understand what remote online notarization (RON) can legally do in Louisiana, what it cannot do, and the location rules that can make a remote notarization valid (or unusable) for a real-world document.

Remote Online Notarization in Louisiana: What You Can Do, What You Can’t, and Where You Must Be

Remote Online Notarization (“RON”) is real in Louisiana, but it is not “hop on a quick video call and you’re done.” Louisiana has a defined RON framework and an authorization process run through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Remote Online Notarization program.

If you are signing something that could affect a claim, a property right, a support obligation, or a family matter, the details matter. Louisiana law recognizes many remote online notarial acts, but it also draws hard lines—especially around prohibited instrument types and “authentic acts” under
La. R.S. 35:623.

When a document matters—especially after an injury—you don’t want “close enough.” You want the fastest, cleanest path to a defensible paper trail. We are not built for volume. We are built for leverage. Speed + evidence preservation + insurer-insider knowledge + trial-ready preparation = The Babcock Benefit.

With RON, leverage often means locking in a sworn statement before memory fades and avoiding a rushed release pushed by an adjuster; by insurer-insider knowledge, we mean understanding how claims get evaluated and the tactics used to pressure fast signatures.

If you are inside the first 72 hours, call (225) 500-5000 or use the free case review form before evidence changes.

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Quick Answers: Louisiana RON in Plain English

• Louisiana defines RON using live audio-video “communication technology” in La. R.S. 35:622.
• Many remote online notarial acts can satisfy an “appear before the notary” requirement if the RON requirements are met under La. R.S. 35:623(A).
• Louisiana flatly prohibits RON for certain instruments (including wills/testaments and trusts) under La. R.S. 35:623(B).
• Louisiana also bars using RON to execute an “authentic act” under La. R.S. 35:623(C).
• The “place of execution” for a remote online notarial act can matter for venue and paperwork, and Louisiana addresses it in Act 192 of 2022 (amending La. R.S. 35:626).
• Notaries must keep electronic copies and an audio-video recording for at least ten years under La. R.S. 35:629.

What Louisiana Law Means by “Remote Online Notarization”

Louisiana’s RON framework treats “remote online notarization” as a process where an instrument is executed before a notary using “communication technology,” which Louisiana defines in La. R.S. 35:622.

The important practical takeaway is that RON is a legal substitute for physical presence only when your document fits within the statute’s permission and the session follows the statute’s safeguards under La. R.S. 35:623.

If you are trying to use RON because you are injured, stuck out of state, or being pressured to sign quickly, start with the question Louisiana law actually asks: “Is this the kind of instrument that can be executed by remote online notarization?” That question is controlled by the exclusions and authentic-act rule in La. R.S. 35:623(B)–(C).

Where you must be: Notary, Signer, Witnesses, and “Place of Execution”

1) Where Must the Notary be?

In Louisiana, the notary’s physical location is not optional: the notary must be physically located in a Louisiana parish where the notary is authorized to act, which is part of the location rule in La. R.S. 35:626(A).

2) Where may the Signer be?

The signer (the “party”) does not have to be in the same room as the notary during RON, and Louisiana law allows the party to be located in or outside Louisiana under La. R.S. 35:626(A).

3) What About Witnesses?

If your document requires a witness, Louisiana adds a wrinkle: a witness to a remote online notarial act must be in the physical presence of the party, as stated in La. R.S. 35:626(A).

That means a “three-way video call witness” may not satisfy Louisiana’s witness rule for RON even if the notary can see and hear everyone. If witnesses are required for your particular instrument, confirm the witness setup before you schedule the session.

4) Where is a Louisiana RON act “Deemed Executed”?

Louisiana states that a remote online notarial act is deemed executed in any Louisiana parish where any party is physically located at the time of the RON session under La. R.S. 35:626(B) (as amended by Act 192 of 2022).

If no party was physically located in Louisiana during the session, Louisiana deems the act executed in the parish where the notary is physically located (if the notary has jurisdiction there) under La. R.S. 35:626(B) (as amended by Act 192 of 2022).

Louisiana also addresses venue for contract actions tied to RON, allowing suit in any parish where a party was physically located during the session under La. R.S. 35:626(C) (enacted by Act 192 of 2022).

Leverage Note: Save the date, time, platform, and physical locations used for the session. That is what we mean by leverage when a defense later questions where (and how) a key signature happened.

What you can do with RON in Louisiana

The core benefit of RON is that, for many documents, it can satisfy the legal “appear before the notary” requirement without physical presence, which Louisiana recognizes in La. R.S. 35:623(A).

But Louisiana still expects the act to comply with other applicable execution rules even when RON is permitted, which is built into the “in all other respects” language of La. R.S. 35:623(A).

In real life, we most often see RON used for documents like sworn statements, acknowledgments, and other paperwork where the signer is traveling, working offshore, injured, hospitalized, or simply cannot get to a notary. If you are dealing with an accident claim, RON sometimes comes up for items connected to evidence and claim administration (affidavits, authorizations, and releases), which is why it’s useful to understand the guardrails before you click “Start Session.”

One underappreciated feature is that Louisiana requires long-term retention of the session record by the notary, including audio-video recordings for at least ten years under La. R.S. 35:629.

Leverage Note: When a statement matters, we push to preserve evidence early and cleanly. This is why we treat a properly recorded RON session like evidence—not “just paperwork.”

What you can’t do with RON in Louisiana

1) The Statute’s “do not use RON for these” List

Louisiana law lists instrument types that shall not be executed by remote online notarization in La. R.S. 35:623(B).

• Testaments (wills) or codicils are excluded by La. R.S. 35:623(B).
• Trust instruments (or acknowledgments of trust instruments) are excluded by La. R.S. 35:623(B).
• Donations inter vivos are excluded by La. R.S. 35:623(B).
• Matrimonial agreements (or acknowledgments of them) are excluded by La. R.S. 35:623(B).
• Acts modifying, waiving, or extinguishing a final spousal support obligation (or acknowledgments of those acts) are excluded by La. R.S. 35:623(B).

2) RON and “Authentic Acts” in Louisiana

Separate from the prohibited-instruments list, Louisiana law also states that remote online notarization may not be used to execute an authentic act under La. R.S. 35:623(C).

Louisiana defines an authentic act as a writing executed before a notary and two witnesses (and signed in the required manner) in Civil Code art. 1833.

Here’s the practical point: if the reason you need notarization is that the document must be an authentic act (common in certain high-stakes Louisiana transactions), RON may be the wrong tool even if it feels “official.”

If you are not sure whether your document must be authentic, ask the drafting attorney or seek Louisiana legal advice before you rely on a remote session.

Louisiana does add an important fallback concept: except for the specific prohibited instruments, an act that “fails to be authentic” because it was executed via RON may still be valid as an act under private signature or an acknowledged act under La. R.S. 35:623(C).

How a Louisiana RON Session Typically Works

Step 1: Confirm the Notary is Authorized for RON

Louisiana requires a commissioned notary to obtain authorization to perform RON from the Secretary of State, and that authorization process is described in Act 254 of 2020 (enacting La. R.S. 35:625.1).

From the user side, the simplest verification step is to start with the program guidance published by the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Step 2: Identity Verification and “Identity Proofing”

Louisiana defines “credential analysis” and “identity proofing” (including knowledge-based authentication or biometric analysis) in La. R.S. 35:622.

Practically, that means you should expect to show government-issued ID to the camera, answer identity questions, or complete a platform-based verification process when the notary does not personally know you.

Step 3: The Notary’s Duties During the Session

Louisiana requires notaries to take reasonable steps to ensure the communication technology used for RON is secure from unauthorized interception under Act 254 of 2020 (enacting La. R.S. 35:628).

Louisiana also requires the notary to take reasonable steps to ensure the electronic record being notarized is the same record on which the party signs under Act 254 of 2020 (enacting La. R.S. 35:628).

Step 4: Recordkeeping (the part people forget)

Louisiana requires the notary to maintain both printable electronic copies of the RON act and an audio-video recording of the session for at least ten years under La. R.S. 35:629.

If your case later turns on “what was said,” “who was present,” or “whether the signer appeared coherent and voluntary,” that recording can be a major piece of evidence—so treat it like one.

Common Pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Pitfall: Assuming “Notarized” means “Safe”

Notarization (remote or in-person) is not the same thing as legal review. A notary’s role is fundamentally different from a lawyer’s role, and RON is primarily about identity, execution, and records—not whether the document is a good deal for you.

Pitfall: Forgetting Louisiana’s Witness Requirement for RON

If your document needs a witness, remember Louisiana’s rule that the witness must be physically with the signer under La. R.S. 35:626(A).

Pitfall: Using RON for something that must be Authentic

Louisiana’s “no authentic acts by RON” rule is explicit in La. R.S. 35:623(C).

Pitfall: Losing the Record (or not Knowing who has it)

Louisiana requires long-term record retention by the notary under La. R.S. 35:629, but in practice you still want to know which notary performed the act, which platform was used, and how to request a copy if a dispute arises.

What we see in Practice

What we see in practice is that “remote signing” gets used as a pressure tool. If someone is injured, stuck at home, or out of state, insurers and defense teams know it’s easier to get a quick “yes” on a release, authorization, or recorded statement when the process is frictionless.

We also see predictable defense narratives when signatures are later challenged: “They knew what they signed,” “they had time,” “they confirmed it on camera,” or “the location/identity process proves it was voluntary.” That is why we treat RON as part of the evidence story—because it can help you when it’s done carefully, and it can hurt you when it’s rushed.

Leverage Note: Do not let convenience become consent. This is why we try to stop insurer-driven “just sign this today” moments before your narrative hardens and your options narrow.

Next Steps if you are Being Asked to Sign Something Remotely

If you’re considering (or being pressured into) a Louisiana RON session, these questions usually prevent the biggest mistakes:

• Is this instrument barred from RON under La. R.S. 35:623(B)?
• Does it need to be an authentic act under Civil Code art. 1833 (meaning RON is not allowed under La. R.S. 35:623(C))?
• Will any witnesses be physically with the signer as Louisiana requires under La. R.S. 35:626(A)?
• Where will each party physically be located, given Louisiana’s “deemed executed” rule under La. R.S. 35:626(B)?
• Who will keep the audio-video record and how do you request it later under La. R.S. 35:629?

If you want more Louisiana injury-related resources, start with our practice areas page and choose the category that fits your situation.

Talk with a Lawyer before you Sign or Notarize Something Remotely

We are not built for volume. We are built for leverage.

If remote notarization is being used to speed up a release, lock in a statement, or move paperwork while you’re injured, that is exactly when calm, trial-ready preparation matters—the practical heart of the Babcock Benefit approach.

Call (225) 500-5000 or complete the free case review form at the bottom of the page.

Urgency should come from reality, not hype: video overwrites, vehicles get repaired, witnesses disappear, and the story you “confirmed on camera” can harden quickly.
Add in deadline risk, and a convenient remote signature can become a permanent problem.

These items are helpful to have with you when you call, but do not delay calling because you do not have them. If you have them handy, keep them nearby for the call.

• The document you’re being asked to sign (PDF or screenshots, if available)
• The name/contact info of the notary or platform (if known)
• Any email/text from the insurer/adjuster requesting the signature
• Crash report number or incident details (date, location, involved parties)
• Your current treatment/providers (if applicable)

Call today if…

• You are being asked to sign a release or “full and final” settlement document
• You are medicated, hospitalized, or feel foggy but someone says it “can’t wait”
• A city/parish/state/federal vehicle or facility may be involved
• A minor’s claim is involved and you are asked to sign as parent/guardian
• You’re out of state and being told to “just do RON” without checking whether Louisiana allows it for that document

What happens next

• We triage the evidence and identify what can be preserved immediately (video, vehicles, records, witnesses).
• We spot deadlines and special procedures early (including whether different rules may apply for government-related claims).
• We set a communication strategy so insurers do not control the narrative through rushed statements or paperwork.