BlueNotary Review

BlueNotary legitimacy and licensing

Yes, BlueNotary is a working online notary platform, not a scam. It is run by Blue Notary, LLC, which takes legal notices in Cheyenne, Wyoming; the BBB lists it at a Chicago address with a June 1, 2022 start date. MISMO, the mortgage industry standards group, lists Blue Notary as certified for remote online notarization, and the company says it is SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliant. The notaries who perform your notarization are commissioned by their own states, which have approved BlueNotary as a platform.

The reputation is mixed. Trustpilot shows 4.9 out of 5 from 2,981 reviews, while the BBB gives BlueNotary, LLC an F, with 14 complaints in the last three years and no accreditation. The BBB summary we checked did not state the reason for the grade, so read the complaint details on the BBB page before you pay. Some of the company’s marketing numbers also shift between pages (it claims both 20,000+ active notaries and 20,000+ documents notarized a month), so treat those as advertising, not audited figures.

How much BlueNotary costs

For individuals, a notarization costs $25 and covers one seal and one signer. Each additional seal is $8, each additional signer $5, and an on-demand witness from BlueNotary is $10 (a witness you bring is free). A real estate closing or estate planning package with a BlueNotary notary is a flat $99. You pay per session; there is no subscription for individual signers.

The add-ons are where BlueNotary is cheaper than larger rivals. A document with two signers and two seals costs $38 on BlueNotary and $50 on Notarize (Proof). For a single seal and signer, the price is the same $25.

Businesses pay $47 per notary seat a month for 1 to 4 seats, $43 for 5 to 9 and $40 for 10 to 14, or less billed annually, with sessions using their own notaries at $10 after two free ones. Title companies pay $45 per closing with their own notaries. Independent notaries can join free on Basic or pay $27 a month for Notary Pro.

How BlueNotary works and what you need

You upload the document, verify your identity, pay, and meet a notary on a recorded video call. You need an unexpired government photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, Real ID or passport book), a device with a camera and microphone, and a stable connection without a VPN. BlueNotary recommends Chrome; phones and iPads work in the browser.

Identity checks come in two forms. Knowledge-based authentication asks five questions from your personal records, may ask for the last four digits of your Social Security number, and requires an 80% score; fail two sets and you wait 24 hours. The biometric option, run by Persona, compares a video selfie with your ID and does not need a Social Security number. Signers outside the US must use biometrics, since the questions rely on US records.

BlueNotary accepts most documents, but not documents being submitted to a foreign embassy, codicils and testamentary trusts, or Form I-9. Files can be PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX or common image formats up to 30 MB. Do not sign before the call; the notary has to watch you sign.

The rules that protect you: will your document be accepted?

Remote online notarization is a creature of state law. The National Association of Secretaries of State says 47 states and the District of Columbia have laws allowing it, and the notary must follow the law of the state that commissioned them. BlueNotary lists notaries from about 44 states plus DC on its platform; North Carolina and South Carolina are pending, and California, Georgia, Massachusetts and Vermont are waiting on rules. You do not need to live in the notary’s state, and BlueNotary says signers anywhere in the world can use it.

Legal does not mean accepted. BlueNotary’s own help center says acceptance is always up to the receiving party, and its terms say it is not responsible if a court, agency or company rejects the notarization. Before you pay, ask the county recorder, court, lender, DMV, passport office or foreign authority whether it accepts an electronically notarized document. For an apostille, ask the Secretary of State in the notary’s commissioning state whether it authenticates electronic notarizations and what it needs from you. Your own state’s Secretary of State notary page is the best source for local rules.

BlueNotary complaints and how to avoid problems

Most Trustpilot reviews praise patient notaries and a quick process. The complaints that do appear are about ID uploads or verification failing, browser and connection problems, sessions freezing, confusing signature fields, and documents that did not work for the buyer’s purpose, including some apostille and foreign uses. The BBB file holds 14 complaints over three years, enough for an F grade alongside very few BBB reviews.

To avoid paying for a session that does not help you: confirm the recipient accepts online notarization, have your ID and a PDF ready, use Chrome on a laptop with VPN off, pick the right session type (misclassified sessions can draw extra charges under the terms), and finish within 20 minutes. Download your notarized file and recording right away.

Refunds, chargebacks and the fine print

BlueNotary’s terms, updated August 14, 2026, say all sales are final and subscriptions are non-refundable except case by case, and any refund can be reduced by taxes and the company’s costs. There is no refund promise if a third party rejects your document. Subscribers can cancel any time in Settings, Billing, or by asking support at least two business days ahead, with no refund for the canceled account.

The chargeback clause is unusually harsh. If you dispute a charge with your bank, your account is put on hold; if the dispute is not withdrawn, you can be permanently banned, your details added to a fraud database, and, if BlueNotary wins, it keeps the payment as a dispute processing fee and may charge up to $500. The terms also require binding individual arbitration under Wyoming law, cap the company’s liability at the greater of $100 or what you paid in the prior 12 months, and say BlueNotary has no duty to keep your documents. Contact support in writing before disputing any charge, and keep copies of everything.

Who should skip BlueNotary

If your bank or credit union notarizes free and you can get there, there is little reason to pay $25. Skip online notarization entirely when the recipient wants wet ink or an in-person notary, or when the document is going to a foreign embassy, which BlueNotary will not handle. If you want a provider whose terms promise a refund when a notarization fails because of the company’s error, Notarize (Proof) offers that at the same starting price.