IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ELECTRONIC
NOTARY (E-NOTARY) APPLICANTS

   Effective September 25, 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of State is no longer accepting new applications for the
e-Notarization program.  The Department is currently reevaluating the existing process for obtaining a digital certificate and looks forward to implementing an improved program in the near future.

NOTE:  Pennsylvania notaries who have obtained and downloaded a digital certificate (Electronic Notary Seal) from the National Notary Association prior to September 25th will retain their certificates and may continue to notarize electronically using the existing digital certificate.  Digital certificates issued prior to September 25th, will be active through June 30, 2010, or the assigned date of expiration, whichever comes first.

The Electronic Notarization Initiative was established on January 30, 2006, to enhance economic development in Pennsylvania, and was the first of its kind in the nation. e-Notarization allows qualified Pennsylvania notaries public to perform notarizations electronically, in compliance with provisions of the amended Notary Public Law and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

The Department of State has taken new steps to make e-Notarization more accessible to Pennsylvania’s approximately 80,000 notaries public:

1. Starting January 30, 2008, the Department will begin the transition to a multi-vendor system, to increase the opportunities and choices for Pennsylvania notaries to electronically notarize electronic documents.

2. The Department will eliminate the $40.00 fee for electronic notarization applications submitted and received after January 30, 2008.