Quality vs. Quantity
At OneNotary, we are committed to providing every signer with a professional, secure, and positive notarization experience. While efficient sessions are important, quality always comes first. No signer should feel rushed, confused, or unsure about the validity of their documents.
Guiding Principles
OneNotary operates in accordance with the National Notary Association (NNA) Notary Signing Agent Code of Conduct, ten core principles:
1. Qualifications | Notaries must meet and maintain all professional requirements necessary to perform signing services. |
2. Notarization | Notaries are required to follow all applicable laws, rules, and best practices for notarizations. |
3. Impartiality | Notaries must remain neutral and unbiased during every notarization. |
4. Unauthorized Advice or Services | Notaries may not provide legal, financial, or other advice, nor explain the terms of signing documents. |
5. Illegal and Suspicious Activity | Notaries are prohibited from partaking in illegal, deceptive, or harmful acts and must report any suspicious activity to OneNotary. |
6. Privacy and Confidentiality | Notaries must safeguard the privacy of signers and protect all documents from unauthorized disclosure. |
7. Fees | Notaries must follow OneNotary’s established fee structure and any contractual obligations. |
8. Advertising | Notaries shall not promote their services in a false, misleading, or unprofessional manner. |
9. Professionalism | Notaries are expected to always act respectfully with signers, partners, and OneNotary staff. |
10. Standards | Notaries should strive to elevate practices and standards in the signing industry. |
OneNotary Expectations
Notaries working on our platform are individually selected by OneNotary. They are required to comply in entirety with their state’s legal requirements for Remote Online Notarization (RON). This includes any required commission, training, bond, insurance, or digital certificate based on state law.
We strongly encourage the use of Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance. Minimum coverage amounts are determined by each state.
NNA Certification is preferred, but not required.
For more information on how to become an NNA Certified Signing Agent, we recommend visiting the NNA's website.
Conduct on the OneNotary Platform
While performing any notarial act on the OneNotary platform, notaries must maintain a professional appearance, environment, and demeanor consistent with industry standards and OneNotary policies.
To ensure consistency and clarity, please refer to the table below for examples of professional and unprofessional behavior during a session.
All notaries must also follow the Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility, as set forth by the NNA.
Professional Behavior (Required) | Unprofessional Behavior (Prohibited) |
Working in a clean, quiet, private space | Working in a car, a public place, or a noisy environment |
Business casual or professional attire | Pajamas, hoodies, tank tops, logos/slogans, or overly casual clothing |
Calm, clear, respectful communication | Profanity, sarcasm, rude tone, inappropriate comments |
Maintaining composure and control | Showing frustration, arguing, or losing control of the session |
Focused, attentive presence on camera | Eating, drinking, multitasking, and appearing distracted |
Stable camera, good lighting, neutral background | Poor lighting, cluttered background, unstable camera |
No interruptions | Pets, children, or other people interrupting |
Remaining impartial, neutral, and following procedures | Giving personal opinions, political views, or comments on the document content |
Using unprofessional behavior may result in the notary being immediately removed from the platform, regardless of the recipient (signatories, clients, business partners, or OneNotary colleagues).
OneNotary Profile Photo Requirements
OneNotary profile images must adhere to these minimal standards:
A clear, well-lit headshot with a neutral background
Business casual or professional attire
No hats or sunglasses
Avoid selfies, car photos, vacation photos, or any other photos that distract from a professional demeanor.
Please keep in mind, your profile photo is used for identification purposes and is presented to the signer when they are "Ready to Start" the session.
Please see What Photo Is Good for a Notary Profile for more pointers on taking a professional photo.
Uniformity & Consistency
Business partners and signers expect consistency across sessions.
When performing notarizations for OneNotary clients, notaries are required to follow the OneNotary - Notary Script.
In every session, notaries are required to present the four (4) basic questions in the One Notary script. These questions maintain the integrity of the session.
State law requires that notaries administer oaths and perform other requirements as stipulated by the state law.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter any technical issues, it's necessary to do some basic troubleshooting. This is to avoid having to terminate the session.
Please try first to troubleshoot:
Ask the signer to refresh or reconnect.
Check to be sure that they've permitted audio/video to join the session.
Ask the signer to reopen the session link.
Use the session chat to communicate with the signer before pausing or terminating.
About OneNotary Contracted Notaries
OneNotary works with independent-contractor notaries (1099).
Notaries may be compensated by the hour or by the session, depending on their role:
Notaries working assigned scheduled shifts are paid hourly.
Hourly notaries must clock in and out punctually, adhere to published schedules, arrange coverage when necessary, and record intended absences in advance.Notaries serving as backup or on demand outside of scheduled shifts are paid per completed session.
All notaries attend scheduled and accepted sessions. If unable to complete a session due to legal, technical, or procedural reasons, they must promptly notify Operations (Head of Notary Operations or Team Lead) to request reassignment.
As independent contractors and commissioned Notary Publics, notaries are responsible for maintaining the knowledge required to perform lawful notarial acts in accordance with their state’s laws and Remote Online Notarization requirements. OneNotary may provide general guidance or educational resources; however, state legal compliance is the notary’s responsibility.
Performance Metrics
All notaries are measured according to the following :
Session accuracy, efficiency, and professionalism
Compliance with state laws
Professional tone and communication
Timely session acceptance
Number of accepted, terminated, and missed sessions
Customer or business partner ratings (target: >4.8 stars)
Time to connect with the signer(s)
Shift adherence and reliability
Appearance and workspace compliance
Productivity expectations depend on the length and complexity of each session.
Refunds due to notary errors will lead to corrective actions, including written warnings.
Written Warnings
Any breach of the Code of Conduct, ethics, expectations, or performance metrics may result in corrective action, including Notices, Written Warnings, or Probation.
The number and severity of warnings vary based on the nature of the violation.
OneNotary reserves the right to immediately remove a notary from the platform for serious violations (e.g., compliance breaches, misconduct).
Additional & Miscellaneous Policies
All notaries serving OneNotary clients are held to these standards.
OneNotary may update or modify these policies at any time.
Some policies are designed for future scalability and may not always reflect current volume or enforcement. Corrective actions are issued at the discretion of the Director or Supervisor of Notary Operations.