Remote Notarizations in New York State Must Be In-State

This past March, the Governor of the State of New York issued Executive Order No. 202.7, which authorized notarial acts to be performed remotely during the COVID-19 emergency under certain conditions.

A memo posted by the Secretary of State explains the parameters of the order to notaries public. Note the following:

1. A photo ID has to be shown to the notary public during a video conference - it cannot be presented separately. The notary must have a live video link to the person who requests their services.

2. The notarized document has to be signed and sent to the notary on the same date.

3. The person who requests the services of the notary public must confirm that they are in the State of New York, and if he or she is in a different county than the notary, the notary has to indicate which county that is on the document.

This may mean that reporters may not be able to take the oath of deponents who are questioned on a Zoom conference call if they are in another state.