MontanaRemoteNotary.com

Remote Notarial Services

• Location of Notary: The notarial officer must be physically located within the state of Montana at the time of the act.
  
• Location of Signer: The signer (principal) can be located anywhere in Montana, outside Montana within the U.S., or even outside the United States (provided the act is not prohibited where they are physically located).
  
• Communication Technology: The session must use a live, interactive audio-visual feed that allows continuous, simultaneous sight and sound communication, accommodating participants with impairments if necessary.
  
• Session Recording: The notary must execute the act in a single recorded audio-visual session and maintain a secure recording of the interaction.

Identification & Execution

• Identity Verification: The notary must verify the identity of the signer using personal knowledge, satisfactory evidence, or approved technologies like credential analysis and ID presentation (such as a passport or driver’s license).
  
• Digital Tamper-Evident Records: The process uses electronic documents, digital signatures, and a digital notary seal that renders the document tamper-evident.
  
• Notarial Journal: Montana law requires the notary to make a proper entry of the remote act in their official notarial journal.

Remote e-Apostille Services

An e-apostille in Montana is a digital certificate issued by the Montana Secretary of State that electronically authenticates the signature of a public or notarial official for international use. Montana was the first U.S. state to launch digital apostille services in August 2020. It remains a pioneer by utilizing both e-Apostilles and an online e-Register

Features of Montana’s e-Apostille

• Digital Format: Provided as a secure, tamper-evident electronic file containing both the underlying record and the digital apostille certificate.
  
• Security Measures: Features a digital signature from the competent authority, a three-dimensional embossed state seal look, background filaments, and specialized microscopic border text.
  
• Verification: Fully verifiable online through a publicly accessible electronic e-Register.
  
• Fast Turnaround: The entire electronic processing and transmission cycle typically takes less than one day.

Legal Scope and Usage

• International Recognition: Validates public documents—such as vital records, corporate files, or notarized affidavits—for use in countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
  
• Same Legal Weight: Carries identical legal validity to traditional paper apostilles