December 6, 2019
For all the people who don’t have a US Consulate nearby, or whose Consulate makes them wait 2 – 4 weeks for an appointment … note that there’s now another legitimate option to get US documents notarized while abroad: the app “Notarize”.
A good US attorney notes that US law dictates that several basic requirements be met for properly Notarizing a document:
~ The Notary must see you during the Notarization, to establish that you are the actual person who signs the document.
~ The Notary almost always has to be licensed in the jurisdiction of the document being Notarized.
Because “Notarize” does this through a video chat, it should be legal in all states since they appeared to be licensed in all states … because the “Notarize” Notary actually sees you at signing.
“Notarize” is at: https://www.notarize.com/
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
Surviving Yucatan 
Notarizations are to prove who you are to someone else. It is really a matter of what they will accept. In my experience most require a sworn personal appearance. We´ve all seen the fake videos that can be done today. As a retired lawyer, my advice is: Do what they other person will accept. Ask them first unless you want to spend money to litigate this.
Hi John,
As a “retired lawyer” how much have you experienced with this recent 21’st century legal development? … or Are you offering educated guesses?
Have you read any official decisions that negate or contradict the legality of Notarize.com’s lawyer’s claims about the legitimacy of their services?
Did you review the technical and legal language on Legalize’s website?
Some of your legal cohorts, actively serving the biggest expat communities in Mexico, have carefully reviewed the legal claims, and they have been telling their clients that this option is legal, in the states that Notarize.com lists on their website.
We welcome documented evidence that proves or disproves the legitimacy of Notarize’s services.
Cheers,
Steve