The short answer: Electronic notarizations completed through the Proof platform offer unprecedented security and verifiability — every document is digitally signed, tamper-evident, and backed by a video record of the session.
Proof's on-demand network of notaries are fully reviewed by our Notary Onboarding team before being provisioned to work on the Proof platform, starting with an eligibility check in accordance with notarial state laws. All notaries undergo extensive platform training and pass a notarial knowledge and platform assessment before becoming active on the Proof platform.
Proof ensures the integrity of all documents in two key ways.
Notarized documents are digitally signed
All documents notarized on our platform are digitally signed by the notary using a special x.509 digital certificate issued to the notary (after a rigorous identity security process) by Proof, IdenTrust, DigiCert — all trusted Root Certificate Authorities.
Tamper-proof seal
Once our notary's digital certificate is applied to a document, it creates what's called a digital "hash" — a hidden record of all the bits and bytes comprising the document. If any document component is later changed, no matter how small, markings are added to indicate that the document has been changed (or "tampered with") after the digital signature was applied. This preserves the original document exactly as it was signed and notarized.
This digital signature information is readily viewable in the "signature pane" whenever you view a PDF in Adobe Acrobat. Read Access the document-level audit trail for instructions.
Digital records of notarizations are in the verification portal
We store a digital record of every notarization in a password-enabled verification portal where the customer and any authorized recipient (or others authorized by law) can access a digital copy of the original notarized document, along with key transactional information about the notarization itself.
We also store the video of the notarization session, showing both the notary and the signer as their document is notarized, to deter fraud and provide a secure record of the entire transaction.
What about the seal?
Our service applies a digital seal and certificate to the document. When printed, the digital seal will look like a standard notarization, but the digital file is enhanced with security measures to ensure the document cannot be tampered with after the notarization.
Fraud and theft prevention
Notarize Network notaries must pass an annual background check performed by the National Notary Association (NNA). Notarize Network notaries do not have access to your photo identification or your documents after the notarization is complete.
Summary Checklist
- All documents are digitally signed with an x.509 certificate — any post-signing changes are automatically flagged.
- Every notarization can be verified by going to the verification portal.
- Notarize Network notaries pass annual NNA background checks and cannot access your ID or documents after completion.
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