Is Remote Online Notarization Legal in North Dakota? (2026)

Remote online notarization is legal in North Dakota under NDCC ch. 44-06.1 (RULONA) and SOS guidance. Fee provisions in §44-06.1-27 apply, with advance disclosure of platform costs required. North Dakota’s RULONA framework covers all standard notarial acts for signers located anywhere.

Is remote online notarization legal in North Dakota? Yes — North Dakota authorizes remote online notarization under N.D.C.C. Chapter 44-06.1 (RULONA) and SOS guidance. Fee provisions in § 44-06.1-27 apply, with required advance disclosure of platform costs. North Dakota’s RULONA framework covers all standard notarial acts for signers located anywhere. Notaries must register for RON authority through the Secretary of State.

North Dakota’s RULONA Framework

North Dakota adopted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts through N.D.C.C. Chapter 44-06.1, bringing the state into alignment with the growing national consensus around this uniform framework. RULONA’s provisions for remote notarial acts — covering identity verification standards, audio-video communication requirements, electronic journal obligations, and interstate recognition — provide North Dakota notaries with a tested, nationally consistent legal foundation.

Fee provisions are addressed in § 44-06.1-27, with required advance disclosure of any platform or technology costs. All standard notarial acts are covered for remotely located individuals. North Dakota notaries must obtain RON authorization through the Secretary of State before conducting remote sessions.

North Dakota’s Geography: A Practical RON Case Study

North Dakota is the nineteenth-largest state by area and one of the least densely populated. The state’s vast geography — the Red River Valley in the east, the Missouri Plateau in the west, and extensive grasslands and farm country throughout — means that professional services are concentrated in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot, leaving large portions of the state distant from qualified notaries. RON’s ability to serve signers regardless of their location is particularly valuable in North Dakota’s geographic context.

The Bakken Oil Field and Energy Document Demand

The Williston Basin and Bakken Shale formation in western North Dakota transformed the state’s economy after 2008. North Dakota became one of the country’s leading oil-producing states, and the associated economic activity — oil and gas leases, mineral rights conveyances, royalty agreements, surface use contracts, pipeline easements, and financing documents — created significant legal document demand in a region that had previously been thinly served by professional services. RON provides efficient notarization for these energy sector documents without requiring parties to travel to regional centers.

Even with oil price cycles, the Bakken continues to generate ongoing energy sector document activity. Landowners in western North Dakota receiving royalty checks and lease amendments are consistent RON users.

North Dakota’s Agricultural Economy

North Dakota is the nation’s leading producer of durum wheat, sunflowers, and canola, and a major producer of spring wheat, barley, and lentils. Farm sales, cash rent leases, agricultural financing documents, FSA certifications, and estate transfers involving farm ground are consistent notarization demand drivers across the state’s extensive agricultural regions. RON provides farm families in remote counties with professional notarial access without requiring drives to county seats.

Getting Started in North Dakota

For North Dakota notaries pursuing RON authorization under N.D.C.C. Chapter 44-06.1 — including SOS registration, RULONA compliance, fee disclosure requirements, and step-by-step guidance — see the North Dakota RON notary how-to guide.