Online or in person?

Choose online when

• You are outside Lakeland, outside Florida, or outside the country.
• You need it today and cannot fit a visit in.
• Two signers are in different cities.
• The document is simple and the receiver accepts electronic seals.
• You are comfortable with a video call and have a valid, current ID.

Choose in person when

• The receiving office insists on paper with an ink signature.
• The signer is elderly, unwell, or in hospital or a care facility.
• The document needs two witnesses and you would rather have your own people there.
• The signer is not comfortable with technology, or the connection is unreliable.
• Several people are signing at once, which is often faster around a table.

The honest limits of online

Identity verification is stricter online, and it does fail: recently issued identification, thin credit history or a very common name can all trip it, even when everything is genuine.

Some documents and some receivers still refuse electronic notarization. Wills and certain court filings are the usual examples, and some banks and foreign consulates simply want paper. Always ask the receiver before booking.

What both have in common

In both cases I verify who you are, watch you sign, and complete the notarial certificate, and both are recorded in my journal. The legal weight is the same. What changes is the mechanics and the format of what you end up holding: a PDF with an electronic seal, or paper with an ink stamp.