Last updated 2026-08-18
TL;DR
California does not yet have a permanent remote online notarization law. Standard notary commissions renew every four years through the Secretary of State for a $40 state fee plus a roughly $20 exam fee. Until RON legislation passes and takes effect, California notaries cannot perform RON under a California statute. Confirm current status at sos.ca.gov before making any business decisions.
Do you need a license for remote online notarization in California?
The short answer: there is no California RON license to get right now. California has not enacted permanent remote online notarization legislation as of mid-2025. The state issued temporary emergency RON authority during the COVID-19 pandemic under Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-58-20, but that authority expired when the emergency declaration ended. What remains is a standard California notary commission, which does not carry RON authority.[1]
Several RON bills have moved through the California Legislature in recent years. AB 1093 (2023) and related measures advanced but did not fully clear both chambers and reach the Governor's desk before session ended. The Legislature has continued to take up the issue in later sessions. The California Secretary of State tracks pending notary legislation, and that is the only authoritative source for current status.[2]
So what does this mean for you? If you are a California-commissioned notary hoping to do RON work, you have two realistic paths right now. First, you can hold your existing commission and wait for California's own law to pass. Second, some notaries commission in a second state that has a live RON statute, perform RON under that state's rules, and notarize documents for signers located in California, which is permissible because RON laws are generally signer-location-neutral. States like Virginia, Florida, and Arizona have active RON frameworks you could work under as a commissioned notary in those states.
Neither path is simple. Neither guarantees California will treat the resulting notarization identically to an in-person act. Talk to a California-licensed attorney before building a RON business around documents that will be recorded or relied upon in California courts.
What is the current status of RON legislation in California?
California's RON history is genuinely complicated. The emergency pandemic authority let notaries use audio-video technology temporarily, but it was never codified into permanent law before it lapsed.[1] Since then, the Legislature has introduced multiple bills aimed at establishing permanent RON authority under the California Government Code.
The National Notary Association tracks state RON legislation and lists California as a state with pending RON legislation but no enacted permanent statute.[3] The Uniform Law Commission's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), which California has not adopted, is the model most states used when building their RON frameworks. California tends to write its own versions of uniform laws rather than adopting them wholesale, which partly explains the delay.
What this means for the renewal question: there is nothing RON-specific to renew in California today. Your renewal obligation is entirely around your base notary commission. Once California does pass a RON statute, there will almost certainly be a separate registration or technology-platform approval layer on top of the commission, similar to what states like Florida and Arizona have built. Budget for that extra step when the time comes.
Check sos.ca.gov/notary and the California Legislative Information site (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) directly. Both update when bills move. Do not rely on third-party summaries for something this consequential.
How does a California notary commission renewal work?
A California notary public commission lasts four years.[4] Renewal is not automatic. You reapply, pass the exam again, clear a background check again, and file the oath and bond before your current commission expires, or you lose your commission number and start from scratch.
Here is the renewal sequence as the Secretary of State describes it:
1. Apply online or by mail at sos.ca.gov/notary during the renewal window. 2. Pass the California notary public exam administered by a Secretary of State-approved vendor. The exam fee runs around $20, though you should confirm the current amount with the exam vendor because it can vary by testing center.[4] 3. Pass the background check (Live Scan fingerprinting). The Live Scan fee varies by rolling agency, typically $20 to $49 for the service fee plus the DOJ and FBI processing fees, which the California DOJ publishes.[5] 4. Pay the $40 state filing fee to the Secretary of State.[4] 5. File your oath of office and a $15,000 surety bond with your county clerk within 30 calendar days of your commission start date, or the commission is void.[4] 6. Buy a new notary seal and journal (required by California Government Code Section 8206).[6]
Total out-of-pocket at renewal runs roughly $150 to $250 once you add up the exam fee, fingerprinting, state fee, bond premium (typically $25 to $75 for a four-year term from major bond providers), and seal cost. That is a real-world range, not a guarantee. Get quotes before you budget.
Processing time after the Secretary of State receives your complete application has historically been four to six weeks, though that varies with workload. The Secretary of State does not publish a guaranteed turnaround. Start the renewal at least 90 days before your commission expires to give yourself room.
How much does remote online notarization cost in California?
Because California has no active RON law, there is no California-specific RON platform registration fee, RON exam fee, or RON renewal surcharge to quote. The cost picture for California right now is entirely the standard commission renewal cost described above: roughly $150 to $250 all-in every four years.[4][5]
For comparison, states with live RON frameworks typically add a technology platform step that costs $0 to $100 per year depending on the platform and the state's requirements. Florida charges a small state RON registration fee and requires use of an approved platform; those platforms then charge notaries a monthly or per-transaction fee. Colorado has a similar structure. If California follows the same model, expect platform costs to be the dominant ongoing expense rather than any state filing fee.
On the consumer side (what a signer pays a notary), California Government Code Section 8211 caps the per-signature notarization fee at $15 for in-person acknowledgments and jurats.[6] There is no California cap published for RON fees because there is no RON statute yet. When a permanent law passes, watch for whether the Legislature sets a separate RON fee ceiling or leaves it to the market. Other states have gone both directions.
If you are a California notary doing RON work under a second-state commission right now, the fee you charge is governed by that second state's rules, not California's. Confirm that with the second state's regulator.
How long does remote online notarization take in California?
Two different timing questions get bundled into this one, so let's separate them.
The session itself: in states with live RON laws, a single RON session typically takes 5 to 20 minutes, depending on document complexity, the number of signatures, and how smoothly identity verification goes. That is a reasonable planning benchmark if and when California establishes RON, because the underlying technology and process will look similar to other states.
The commission renewal timeline: getting your California notary commission renewed takes however long the Secretary of State needs to process your application, plus the time to complete the exam, fingerprinting, and county clerk filing. Historically that has meant about six to ten weeks from start to finish if you have no background issues. The Secretary of State's office does not commit to a specific processing window.[4] Rushing is not really possible. Live Scan results go directly from the DOJ to the Secretary of State, and you cannot hand-carry them.
If you are waiting for California to pass RON and want to be ready the moment it does, the smartest move is keeping your base commission current and watching the Legislature. Some notaries also use the wait to get commissioned in a RON-active state, get comfortable with the technology and workflow, then add California authority when it arrives. States like Idaho and Illinois have simpler RON onboarding paths that work as a training ground.
What California Government Code sections govern notaries right now?
California notary law sits primarily in Government Code Sections 8200 through 8230.[6] Key provisions for renewal:
Section 8201 sets the four-year commission term and the $40 filing fee.[4] Section 8206 requires notaries to keep a sequential journal of all notarial acts and a notary seal, both replaced at each new commission.[6] Section 8211 caps per-signature fees at $15 for acknowledgments and jurats, and $10 for certain other acts.[6] Section 8214.1 lists grounds for suspension or revocation, which the Secretary of State can act on at any time during a commission, not only at renewal.
None of these sections reference RON, because the Legislature has not yet amended the Government Code to add RON authority. When a bill does pass, expect new sections in the 8200s range or a separate article entirely. The California Legislative Information site (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) is where you will find the actual text when it lands.
One practical note: the bond requirement under Section 8212 is often overlooked at renewal. The $15,000 surety bond must be filed with the county clerk within 30 days of the commission date printed on your commission certificate. Miss that window and your commission is void by statute, meaning you start the entire application over.[10] Set a calendar reminder the day your commission certificate arrives.
What should California notaries do right now to prepare for RON?
Keep your commission current. That is the non-negotiable foundation. Everything California eventually builds for RON will require an active notary commission underneath it.
Beyond that, a few things are worth your time now. Read the actual text of whatever RON bill is currently active in the Legislature. The language around identity proofing, electronic journal requirements, platform approval, and credential analysis will tell you exactly what you will need to buy or learn. Get familiar with remote identity proofing technology. The major RON platforms (Notarize, Pavaso, SIGNiX, Proof) all offer demos, and understanding how credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication work before you use them professionally is genuinely useful. And if you have clients who need RON services now, refer them to a notary commissioned in a RON-active state. Do not try to improvise RON under California's in-person framework.
For notaries who want a structured way to organize compliance paperwork and platform research, RONPath offers a $99 state RON add-on kit at ronpath.com/start that covers the document checklist and fee tracking for states with live RON laws. It is not a California-specific product yet, for the obvious reason that California has no live law, but it helps if you are pursuing a second-state commission in the meantime.
When California does pass RON legislation, the window between enactment and effective date has ranged from 90 days to 18 months in other states. Use that window. Notaries who waited until the effective date to figure out platform registration and journal setup were almost always scrambling.
How does California compare to other states on RON renewal requirements?
California is one of a shrinking minority of states without a permanent RON framework. Roughly 40 states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of RON legislation.[3] California sits alongside a handful of holdouts, most with active bills in progress.
The table below shows where California sits relative to peer states on key RON credential facts. Where California data reads N/A, that reflects the absence of a permanent statute, not a gap in research.
| State | RON law enacted | Commission term | State RON fee | Platform registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | No (pending) | 4 years | N/A | N/A |
| Arizona | Yes (2020) | 4 years | $0 state | Platform-side |
| Florida | Yes (2019) | 4 years | Small state reg | Platform-side |
| Colorado | Yes (2020) | 4 years | $0 state | Platform-side |
| Idaho | Yes (2019) | 4 years | $0 state | Platform-side |
| Illinois | Yes (2021) | 4 years | $0 state | Platform-side |
Sources: individual state Secretary of State offices, NNA Legislative Tracker [3][7][9]
The pattern is clear. States rarely charge a separate RON fee at the state level. The real cost is the platform subscription or per-transaction fee, set by private vendors. California will almost certainly follow this model. The in-state comparison that matters most for California practitioners is probably Arizona, because Arizona is a neighboring state, has a mature RON framework, and accepts commission applications from non-residents in some circumstances. Check the Arizona Secretary of State for current eligibility rules before assuming you qualify.
What records does a California notary have to keep, and will that change for RON?
California Government Code Section 8206 requires notaries to keep a sequential journal of all notarial acts.[6] Every entry must include the date, time, and type of notarial act; the type of document; the signature, printed name, and address of each signer; the identity verification method used; and the fee charged. You keep the journal for ten years after the last entry.
The California Secretary of State can demand your journal for inspection, and a signer can request a copy of their entry. Losing your journal is a misdemeanor.
For RON, every state with a permanent law has added an electronic journal requirement on top of the paper journal, or replaced the paper journal with a mandatory electronic one. Some states also require video recording retention (Virginia requires 10 years; most states require 5 to 7).[7] California's eventual RON law will almost certainly set its own retention period for audio-video records. That is an extra storage cost to plan for, since video files are far larger than a paper journal entry.
The practical takeaway: if you are keeping a sloppy journal now, fix that habit before RON launches in California. RON electronic journals are auditable at a much finer level than paper ones, and regulators in other states have used journal discrepancies as the basis for enforcement actions.
Where do you actually file the renewal paperwork for a California notary commission?
All California notary commission applications and renewals go through the California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section.[2] The Secretary of State does not run regional offices for notary purposes. It is all centralized in Sacramento.
You can file online through the Secretary of State's portal or mail a paper application. Online filing is faster by a meaningful margin in most cases. The exam is taken separately at an approved testing location; you schedule it through the Secretary of State's approved exam vendor, which has been CPS HR Consulting for some examination cycles, though this arrangement can change. Confirm the current vendor at sos.ca.gov/notary before you schedule.[2]
After the Secretary of State approves your application and issues the commission certificate, you take the oath at your county clerk's office (or before another notary in some circumstances) and file the $15,000 surety bond with that same county clerk. The county clerk is not the Secretary of State. That is a two-office process, and missing either step means your commission does not activate.
For the RON layer, once California enacts legislation, watch for whether registration runs through the Secretary of State (most likely) or through a separate state agency. Some states route RON platform approval through the Secretary of State while the underlying commission stays there too; others split the oversight. California's final structure will be in the bill text.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for remote online notarization in California?
No California RON license exists to get. California has no enacted permanent RON statute as of mid-2025. The emergency pandemic RON authority expired with the state emergency declaration. To do RON work legally, a California notary must currently commission in a second state that has a live RON law and operate under that state's rules. Confirm the current California legislative status at sos.ca.gov before acting.
How much does remote online notarization cost in California?
Because California has no active RON law, there is no California-specific RON fee. Standard notary commission renewal costs roughly $150 to $250 every four years, covering the $40 state fee, roughly $20 exam fee, fingerprinting, bond premium, and seal. When California passes RON legislation, expect an additional platform cost similar to other states, typically $0 at the state level plus a vendor subscription fee.
How long does remote online notarization take in California?
A RON session itself typically takes 5 to 20 minutes in states with live RON laws, and California sessions will likely be similar once the law passes. Commission renewal processing by the Secretary of State has historically taken four to six weeks from a complete application. Start the renewal at least 90 days before your commission expires. The Secretary of State does not guarantee a processing timeline.
Did California ever allow remote online notarization?
Yes, temporarily. Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-58-20 authorized California notaries to use audio-video technology during the COVID-19 emergency. That authority expired when the emergency declaration ended. No permanent statute replaced it. Several bills have since been introduced to create permanent RON authority, but none has been signed into law as of mid-2025.
Can a California notary perform RON right now by using a platform from another state?
Not under California authority. California has no active RON statute, so there is no legal basis for a California-commissioned notary to perform RON under California law. Some California notaries hold a second commission in a RON-active state and perform RON under that state's authority. That is a separate commission, not an extension of the California one. Consult a California-licensed attorney before offering RON services.
What is the California notary commission renewal fee?
The state filing fee is $40, set by California Government Code Section 8201. On top of that, expect roughly $20 for the exam, $20 to $49 for Live Scan fingerprinting service fees plus DOJ and FBI processing charges, $25 to $75 for a four-year surety bond premium, and $20 to $50 for a new seal and journal. Total out-of-pocket at renewal is typically $150 to $250. Confirm current amounts with each vendor before budgeting.
How often do California notaries have to renew?
Every four years. California Government Code Section 8201 sets the commission term at four years. Renewal requires reapplying, passing the exam again, completing a new background check, and filing a new oath and bond with the county clerk within 30 calendar days of the commission start date. There is no automatic renewal. Missing the county clerk filing window voids the commission entirely.
Will California RON require a separate technology platform registration?
Almost certainly yes, based on how every other major state has structured RON law. States like Florida, Arizona, and Colorado all require notaries to register with or use an approved RON platform, even if the state itself charges little or nothing for that registration. The platform vendor charges a monthly or per-transaction fee. California's eventual law will specify the approval structure. Watch the bill text when it moves.
What surety bond does a California notary need, and does it change for RON?
California requires a $15,000 surety bond under Government Code Section 8212, filed with the county clerk within 30 days of the commission date. Missing that window voids the commission. The bond protects the public, not the notary. Whether a future California RON law increases the bond amount is unknown; check the bill text when legislation passes. Some states have required higher bond amounts for RON specifically.
Can a non-California resident get a California notary commission and do RON in California?
California generally requires notary applicants to be either a California resident or have their principal place of business in California. Government Code Section 8201 governs eligibility. California does not have a broad non-resident commission pathway like some states. This is separate from the RON question: even if residency were satisfied, there is still no California RON statute to operate under. Confirm current eligibility requirements at sos.ca.gov.
What journal records will California RON require?
California law currently requires a paper sequential journal under Government Code Section 8206, kept for ten years. When California enacts RON legislation, it will almost certainly add an electronic journal requirement and an audio-video recording retention period, based on how other states have written their laws. Virginia requires ten years of video retention; most states require five to seven. Budget for secure cloud storage when planning your RON setup.
Which states near California already have RON so I can get started now?
Arizona and Nevada both have active RON statutes and are geographically close. Arizona enacted RON in 2020 and has a mature platform-approval system. Nevada also has RON authority. Getting commissioned in one of these states lets you perform RON for signers regardless of where those signers are located, including California, under that state's rules. See our guide to remote online notarization renewal in Arizona for specifics.
Where can I track California RON bill progress?
The California Legislative Information site at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the authoritative source. Search by bill number or keyword (notary, remote online notarization). The California Secretary of State's notary page at sos.ca.gov/notary also posts updates when legislation affecting notaries moves. The National Notary Association's RON legislative tracker is a useful secondary source, but confirm anything you find there against the primary sources before acting.
Sources
- California Secretary of State, Notary Public Program: All California notary public commission applications and renewals are processed through the California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section
- California Government Code Section 8201, via California Legislative Information: California notary commission term is four years; state filing fee is $40; sets eligibility requirements for commissioners
- California Department of Justice, Live Scan Locations and Fees: Live Scan fingerprinting fees vary by rolling agency; DOJ and FBI processing fees are published by the California DOJ
- California Government Code Section 8206, via California Legislative Information: California notaries must maintain a sequential journal for ten years; seal required; per-signature fee capped at $15 for acknowledgments under Section 8211
- Virginia Code Section 47.1-6.1, Virginia Legislative Information System: Virginia requires ten-year retention of audio-video recordings from RON sessions
- California Government Code Section 8211, via California Legislative Information: California caps per-signature notarization fee at $15 for acknowledgments and jurats
- Arizona Secretary of State, Electronic and Remote Notarization: Arizona enacted RON in 2020 and requires use of approved platforms; no separate state fee beyond base commission
- California Government Code Section 8212, via California Legislative Information: California notaries must file a $15,000 surety bond with the county clerk within 30 days of commission start date or the commission is void