Published 2026-09-30 · 10 min read

Best Online Notary Services for Landlords 2026: Proof vs. BlueNotary vs. NotaryCam Compared

Most landlords will never notarize a lease — but every landlord eventually notarizes something. A power of attorney while you're traveling. An affidavit for an eviction filing due tomorrow. A guarantor agreement with a cosigner in another state. And whenever that moment arrives, it's always outside business hours, the signer is always somewhere else, and the document is always urgent.

Remote online notarization (RON) solves this: a legally valid notarization performed over live video instead of across a desk. I compared the three major platforms head to head, with verified pricing and an honest verdict on which one landlords should actually use.

Practical Landlord is reader-supported. This page contains referral links to Proof and BlueNotary — if you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. NotaryCam is included for completeness; we earn nothing from it. Our comparison is the same either way.

Key number: $25. Every service on this list charges the same entry price — $25 for a standard single-document notarization. The differences are in availability hours, identity-verification strictness, business features, and the fine print.

What online notarization is (and when landlords need it)

A quick honest baseline: most residential leases do not legally require notarization. In nearly every state, a signed lease is fully enforceable without a notary stamp. What matters is a solid, state-compliant lease — start with our best online lease agreements for landlords or lease agreement templates before worrying about notarization.

Where online notarization genuinely earns its keep for landlords:

• Powers of attorney — authorizing a property manager or family member to act while you're traveling
• Affidavits and sworn statements — eviction filings and move-out disputes that need a sworn statement
• Guarantor/cosigner documents — see our guarantor and cosigner guide when the guarantor lives in another state
• Out-of-state closings and refinances — deeds, loan affidavits, and title paperwork for rental properties

A document notarized online is as legally valid as one notarized in person — online notarizations are valid and enforceable in every state, with validity determined by the law of the notary's commissioning state. The one caveat that matters: confirm the receiving party (bank, court clerk, agency) accepts online notarizations before you pay for a session.

The three services compared

1. Proof (Notarize) — the largest network, available 24/7

The company formerly known as Notarize rebranded to Proof in 2023. The service now runs on proof.com (and notarize.com), with sessions delivered by the Notarize Network℠ of commissioned notaries. It's the original online notarization platform and still the one with the biggest footprint.

The pitch is simple: upload your document, verify your identity with knowledge-based questions plus a photo of your unexpired ID, and connect with a notary over live video — typically within seconds, at any hour, any day, including holidays. Sessions average under 15 minutes door to door.

Key number: $25 per seal, verified from Proof's official help center. Additional seals are $15 each, an on-demand witness is $15, and each additional signer is $10. There's no subscription for individuals — you pay per session.

Try it now: Get a document notarized online with Proof — upload your document and connect with a notary in minutes, any time of day.

Best for

• The 11 PM emergency. Affidavit due tomorrow, POA needed before a flight — the 24/7 network is the entire reason to pick Proof.
• Landlords with remote signers. Out-of-state tenants, guarantors, and co-owners can join a session from anywhere.
• Investors doing remote closings and refinances. Title companies increasingly run these through platforms like this.

Who should skip it

• Signers without a U.S. SSN or valid photo ID — the knowledge-based identity verification can fail for thin-file signers, and there's no override.
• Landlords whose documents must be notarized in person by law or by the receiving party's policy — check first.
• Anyone who just needs a free in-person witness — a bank branch or UPS Store handles routine documents at low or no cost during business hours.

Verdict: the best default choice for landlords. Same $25 price as everyone else, but the largest on-demand network means a notary is genuinely available at 2 AM. If you only use an online notary once a year, this is the one to bookmark.

2. BlueNotary — the security-first alternative

BlueNotary is the main 24/7 rival: same entry price, same on-demand availability, but a harder lean into security posture — biometric ID verification, SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance — plus dedicated real estate eClosing tools and a business API. We've linked BlueNotary before (see our full Proof/Notarize review for the head-to-head details).

Key number: $25 per document on the standard plan; $8 per additional certificate. (The free Basic Plan referral tier is how most readers will start; official paid pricing is $25/document.)

Try it now: Start a BlueNotary session — 24/7 on-demand notarization at $25 per document.

Best for

• Security-conscious landlords. If the biometric ID checks and SOC 2/HIPAA compliance matter to you or your lender, BlueNotary is the natural pick.
• Title and real estate closings. The eClosing tooling is built for exactly the rental-property purchase and refinance workflows landlords run.
• Businesses that want an API. If you're building notarization into a property management workflow, the business tier is designed for it.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who won't notice the difference in a one-off session — for a single affidavit at midnight, it's functionally interchangeable with Proof.
• Signers who may struggle with biometric ID verification — no online platform waives identity checks.

Verdict: effectively tied with Proof for one-off use at the same $25 price. Choose BlueNotary if security credentials and real estate tooling matter to your workflow; choose Proof if you value the largest raw network.

3. NotaryCam — the real-estate veteran, no referral needed

NotaryCam has been around since 2012–2014, longer than the other two, and it built its name on real estate: the eClose360 service handles full remote closings, there's a business API, and volume pricing kicks in at 10+ documents per month. For individuals, the price is the familiar $25 per notarization — but with a catch that matters for landlords: it jumps to $79 if you're outside the country during the session. Real estate closings start at $199 and wills/trusts at $175, with business pricing quoted by consultation.

We have no referral relationship with NotaryCam — it's here because it deserves to be, not because we earn from it.

Key number: $25 per session in the US — but check your calendar. The international upcharge is the biggest gotcha of the three services on this list.

Best for

• Real-estate-heavy investors. If you're regularly closing or refinancing rentals, eClose360 and volume pricing are purpose-built for you.
• Landlords who want an established, lender-integrated platform. The ConformX, DocMagic, and dotloop integrations speak to a title-company audience.

Who should skip it

• Anyone who might notarize while traveling abroad. The $79 international price is triple the headline rate — Proof and BlueNotary don't do this.
• The occasional user. For one POA a year, there's no advantage over the two 24/7 competitors, and availability hours are more limited.
• Landlords who need transparent published pricing — business pricing is quote-only, which makes cost comparison annoying.

Verdict: the specialist pick. If your notarization life revolves around real estate closings, NotaryCam's integrations and eClose360 are worth a look. For everything else landlords do, the two services above match the price with better availability.

The bottom line

For the typical landlord, this is a two-horse race: Proof (Notarize) and BlueNotary both charge $25 for a standard session and both answer at 2 AM. Pick Proof for the largest on-demand network, pick BlueNotary for the security-first posture and real estate tooling — or just try whichever interface you like and never think about it again. NotaryCam joins the shortlist only if your notarization needs center on real estate closings, and watch out for its $79 international upcharge.

And remember the honest baseline: you probably don't need any of them most of the time. Most leases don't require notarization, and a free notary at your bank covers routine documents during business hours. These services exist for the urgent, the remote, and the after-hours — which, for landlords, is exactly when notarization matters.

Ready when you need it: Proof — notarize a document now · BlueNotary — start a $25 session

Compare more landlord software

• Landlord software compared: all reviews & comparisons
• Notarize (Proof) Review 2026: Online Notarization for Landlords, Available 24/7
• ezLandlordForms Review 2026: Lease Forms & State-Specific Documents
• Best Online Lease Agreements for Landlords 2026
• Best LLC Formation Services for Landlords 2026
• Best Eviction Notice Forms for Landlords 2026

Practical Landlord is reader-supported. When you sign up for services through links on this site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to notarize my lease?

Almost certainly not. In nearly every state, a residential lease is fully enforceable with signatures alone — notarization isn't a legal requirement. Landlords typically use online notarization for higher-stakes documents: powers of attorney, affidavits, guarantor agreements with remote signers, and closing or refinance paperwork. Don't pay $25 to notarize a standard lease unless you have a specific reason.

Is a document notarized online legally valid?

Yes. Online notarization is just another method of performing a notarization — a document notarized online carries the same legal validity as one notarized with pen and paper. Online notarizations are valid and enforceable in every state, with validity determined by applying the law of the notary's commissioning state. The practical caveat: confirm the receiving party (bank, court, agency) accepts online notarizations before you pay for the session.

Which is better for landlords: Proof or BlueNotary?

For a typical one-off landlord notarization, they're functionally interchangeable: same $25 entry price, same 24/7 on-demand availability, same legal validity. Proof operates the larger, longer-established notary network; BlueNotary emphasizes security credentials (biometric ID verification, SOC 2 and HIPAA compliance) and real estate eClosings. This site's referral links support both. If your needs center on real estate closings specifically, NotaryCam is a third option worth comparing — but watch its $79 international upcharge.

How much does online notarization cost?

The going rate is $25 for a standard single-document session on all three services compared here. Proof adds $15 per additional seal, $15 for an on-demand witness, and $10 per additional signer; BlueNotary charges $8 per additional certificate; NotaryCam charges $79 per session if the signer is outside the US. None of them require a subscription for individual users.

What documents can't be notarized online?

It depends on state law and the document type. Birth certificates, death certificates, and some court documents commonly require in-person notarization, and certain federal forms have their own procedures. The safe move is to check both your state's remote-notarization rules and the receiving party's requirements before starting a session.