How to Become a Remote Online Notary in Washington, DC (2026 Guide)

Remote Online Notarization (RON) is fully live in Washington, DC, which means a DC-commissioned notary can notarize for a signer sitting anywhere in the country over a live, recorded, two-way video call.

But here's the thing most guides bury: in DC, RON isn't a standalone credential you apply for. It's an endorsement layered on top of a regular DC notary commission. So becoming a remote online notary is really a two-step climb, first you get commissioned for an year, then you add the electronic endorsement on top. This guide walks you through both, plus the ongoing compliance that keeps you out of trouble.

Let's get into it.

Before you start: Are you eligible?

DC's requirements are simple on paper, but one of them quietly disqualifies most people who ask. You need to be:

• 18 or older
• A U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
• Physically tied to DC, you must either live in DC or work in DC, with a verifiable physical address to prove it.

If you don't reside in the District and don't have a primary place of employment there, you can't hold a DC commission. This is the single most common reason out-of-jurisdiction applicants get turned away, so confirm it before you spend time on anything else. If you clear those three, you're good to move to Phase 1.

Phase 1 : Get your DC Notary Public commission

Step 1: Submit the DC Notary Application

The 2026 application is online: DC Notary Application 2026. Before you open it, it's worth reading the New Applicant Guide (PDF), it maps out everything the form is going to ask you.

Step 2: Complete New Notary Orientation

First-time applicants are required to complete orientation. It's the baseline the entire process is built on.

Step 3: Attach a Letter of Request

Your application needs a Letter of Request explaining why you'll be notarizing. DC asks for a "Letter of Request" as part of your application, and what it needs to say depends on your commission type:

• Business or Government: It goes on company or agency letterhead, and your supervisor writes a statement explaining how or why notarial services will be provided in the course of your work, including their name, title, and contact info.
• Dual or Residential: A statement explaining how or why you'll be providing notarial services.

Step 4: Pay the $75 fee

Submit the online DC Notary Application through ONCA and pay the $75 fee application fee.

Step 5: Wait for review (and watch your inbox)

Applications are reviewed in at least five business days, and ONCA emails you at each stage of the process. So keep an eye on your email — every milestone comes through there.

Step 6: Take your oath of office

Once you're approved, you take your oath of office. This is time-sensitive: you must take the oath within 60 business days of your commission's start date, or you have to reapply from scratch. ONCA does not send renewal or deadline reminders, so this one is on you to track.

Get through that oath and you're officially a commissioned DC Notary Public. Your term runs five years.

Phase 2: Add the RON endorsement

Now the part you actually came for. Remember: this is an endorsement on your existing commission, not a new commission. Visit the official Washington, D.C. ONCA website to stay updated.

Step 1: Confirm your commission is active

Ensure your Washington, D.C. notary commission is active and valid for at least one year.

Step 2: Complete RON training and keep the proof

DC requires new electronic-notary applicants to complete training through an approved outside vendor. Save your certificate of completion, you'll upload it as part of the endorsement application.

Step 3: Choose your technology vendor

This is where your RON platform comes in, the software you'll actually run sessions on screen sharing, ID verification, the recorded audio-video feed, the electronic seal, all of it. A purpose-built platform like BlueNotary handles the technical compliance layer so you can focus on the notarial act itself.

Step 4: Submit the IPEN & RON Endorsement Application

Here's the application: IPEN and RON Application for Endorsement Notification
Beyond being your endorsement application, it's the statutory notice to the Mayor (via ONCA) that you intend to perform RON and which technologies you'll use.

Step 5: Submit proof of your digital seal and electronic signature

You'll need to show ONCA your electronic seal and electronic signature as part of the endorsement package which you can easily get from Bluenotary.

Step 6: Take the endorsement oath

Unlike your original in-office oath, the endorsement oath is administered by phone. You'll complete the DC Notary Public: Remote Online Endorsement Oath Form to do it.
Watch the clock here. After ONCA contacts you, you have a limited window, reported as roughly 10 business days to take this oath. Miss it and the endorsement gets cancelled, and you're back to reapplying for the endorsement.

Step 7: Get your confirmation

Once your form is in and a vendor is selected, ONCA emails you confirmation that you're authorized to perform remote notarial acts. That email is your green light.
That's it, you're now a remote online notary in DC.

Once your endorsement is issued and you're set up on a compliant platform, you can start performing remote online notarizations. Stay current with your DC-local Online Notary laws!

What Instruments and Technology are Required for the Carrying Out of the Notarizations Remotely?

DC does true electronic RON, so you'll need more than a webcam. To run compliant remote sessions you need:

• A computer with a webcam, microphone, and secure internet connection capable of real-time, two-way audio-video communication.
• An electronic signature and electronic notary seal.
• A RON platform that supports identity proofing (credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication), a tamper-evident electronic journal, and audio-visual session recording.
• Recording retention: you must retain the AV recording of each remote session (DC's recording retention obligation runs for years, so store securely).

A platform like BlueNotary bundles the video session, electronic seal and signature, identity verification, the tamper-evident journal, and the recording in one place, so you're not stitching together separate tools to stay compliant.

Updated on: 07/08/2026