How can a remotely located individual satisfy RULONA's personal-appearance requirement?
Based on: RULONA 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1: Remote notarization
Pennsylvania Notary Exam · E-Notary
Pennsylvania Notary Exam Practice Questions: Electronic and Remote Notarization (2026)
Pennsylvania lets a notary notarize electronic records and perform remote online notarizations for a remotely located individual, under 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 306.1 and 320. Before your first electronic or remote act you must notify the Department of State and identify the tamper-evident technology you will use. For remote notarization the notary must be physically located in Pennsylvania, and the audio-visual recording of the session must be kept for at least 10 years under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(e).
Practice
Free practice questions
Who chooses the tamper-evident technology a notary uses for electronic records?
Based on: RULONA 57 Pa.C.S. § 320: Electronic records; selection of technology
How does RULONA interact with the federal E-SIGN Act?
Based on: RULONA 57 Pa.C.S. § 331: Relation to E-SIGN Act
Through what channel does a notary give the department notice before acting as an electronic notary?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.81: Notification to department
Whose technology platforms may Pennsylvania electronic and remote notaries use?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.82: Use of technology
A software company wants to sell tamper-evident e-notarization tools to Pennsylvania notaries. What must happen first?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.83: Electronic notarization technology provider application
What detection capability must approved electronic notarization technology give a person inspecting an electronic record?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.84: Standards for electronic notarization technology
Who must approve a company before it can offer remote (communication technology) notarization platforms to Pennsylvania notaries?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.85: Remote notarization technology provider application
How many identity-proofing processes must an approved remote notarization platform build in?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.86: Standards for remote notarization technology
What can cause the department to terminate a technology provider's approval?
Based on: 4 Pa. Code § 167.87: Termination of approval of technology
Electronic vs remote, and registering your technology
These are two different things the exam keeps separate. Electronic notarization, defined in 4 Pa. Code § 167.2, is performing a notarial act on an electronic record using a tamper-evident technology; the signer can still be in the room. Remote notarization under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1 adds communication technology so a remotely located individual can appear by audio-video link. For either one you must register first: 57 Pa.C.S. § 320(b)(1) requires you to notify the department and identify each technology before your initial electronic act, and § 306.1(f)(1) requires the same notice before your initial remote act. The regulation 4 Pa. Code § 167.81 directs you to do this electronically at the state's notary site, and the technology provider itself must be approved under 4 Pa. Code § 167.83.
Where the notary sits, and the recording
A common exam trap is who may be remote. Under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(b) it is the customer, the remotely located individual, who may be elsewhere: the notary must be physically located in Pennsylvania. To identify a remote signer, § 306.1(b)(1) allows personal knowledge, a credible witness, or at least two different identity-proofing processes. The session must be recorded, and the audio-visual recording must be retained for at least 10 years under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(e)(2), echoed by 4 Pa. Code § 167.86(6), which sets the technology standards. That 10-year retention is one of the single most-tested facts on this part of the exam.
| Feature | Paper | Electronic | Remote (RON) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record type | Tangible | Electronic | Electronic |
| Signer present in person | Yes | Yes | No, appears by AV link |
| Register technology first | No | Yes, 57 Pa.C.S. § 320 | Yes, 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(f) |
| Audio-visual recording | No | No | Yes, retain 10 years (57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(e)) |
| Where the notary must be | In Pennsylvania | In Pennsylvania | In Pennsylvania (57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(b)) |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania allow remote online notarization?
Yes. Pennsylvania permits remote online notarization under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1, allowing a remotely located individual to appear before a notary by communication technology. The notary must first notify the Department of State and identify the technology, and must be physically located in Pennsylvania when performing the act.
How long must a Pennsylvania remote notarization recording be kept?
The audio-visual recording of a Pennsylvania remote notarization must be retained for at least 10 years under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(e)(2), with the technology standards in 4 Pa. Code § 167.86 reinforcing the 10-year requirement. The notary keeps or downloads the recording, or arranges for the technology to retain it.
Where must a Pennsylvania notary be located for a remote notarization?
The notary must be physically located in Pennsylvania, under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(b), which authorises a notary located in this Commonwealth to act for a remotely located individual. It is the customer who may be remote, not the notary; the notary cannot perform Pennsylvania acts from another state.
What must a Pennsylvania notary do before performing electronic notarizations?
Before the first electronic act, a Pennsylvania notary must notify the Department of State and identify each tamper-evident technology to be used, under 57 Pa.C.S. § 320(b)(1) and 4 Pa. Code § 167.81. The technology provider must itself be approved by the department under 4 Pa. Code § 167.83 before it may be offered.
Practice questions