Washington State Adopts Paper Remote Online Notarization

The State of Washington recently passed, and the Governor has signed, House Bill 2158, authorizing Paper Remote Online Notarization.  The legislation permits Washington-commissioned notaries to perform acknowledgments on tangible (paper) records using communication technology.

Under the new law, a remotely located individual must sign the tangible record and a prescribed declaration under penalty of perjury on camera. These documents must then be delivered to the Notary within three days of the event. Upon receipt, the Notary executes a specialized certificate confirming they witnessed the signing via communication technology, and the notarial act is deemed effective on the date the signer executed the declaration, ensuring clarity for recording and compliance timelines.

HB 2158 becomes effective on January 1, 2027.