Why Time Zones Matter in Remote Online Notarization

When completing a Remote Online Notarization (RON) session from another state or country, it is important to understand how time zones affect the notarization record.

In a remote notarization, the official date and time of the notarization are based on the notary public’s physical location and commissioning state, not the signer’s location. This means the timestamp associated with the notarization may differ from the signer’s local date or time zone.

For example, a signer located in Europe or Asia may complete a notarization on what is already the “next day” locally, while the notary in the United States is still operating on the previous calendar date. In that situation, the notarized document would reflect the date and time from the notary’s U.S. location.

This distinction is important because some receiving agencies, recording offices, banks, or third parties may compare:

• The document signing date
• The notarial certificate date
• Supporting transaction or filing timestamps

Understanding the time zone difference in advance can help avoid unnecessary confusion or questions during document review.

Remote Online Notarization laws generally tie the notarial act to the notary’s commissioning jurisdiction, meaning the notarization is legally considered to occur in the notary’s state, regardless of where the signer is physically located at the time of signing.

If you are signing documents internationally or across multiple time zones, it is often a good idea to verify any timing-sensitive requirements with the receiving party before your notarization session.