In-House Notary Overview
The In-House Notary (IHN) feature on Proof allows designated team members at Premium-tier business and real estate organizations in 31 specified states to prepare, access, and notarize documents internally with options for identity verification methods like "personally known to notary," while restricting them from on-demand queue calls and enabling journal access even after account deactivation.
Audience: In-House Notaries (IHNs)
Title agents, lenders, and businesses can designate team members as in-house notaries (IHNs) to notarize documents on Proof.
For details on account setup and onboarding, see the article on creating an in-house notary account.
Who Can Use In-House Notaries
In-house notaries are available to business and real estate organizations on the Premium tier and higher. Organizations not on the Premium tier or higher can explore upgrade options.
States That Allow In-House Notaries
Proof supports in-house notaries in the following 31 states. If your state isn't listed, Proof does not currently support IHNs there. Availability may expand in the future.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Florida
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
What In-House Notaries Can Do
In-house notaries can:
- Prepare documents, access completed documents, and notarize documents.
- Use Identify transactions as an added layer of security.
- Use "personally known to notary" (PKN) as a method of identity verification, if enabled for their organization.
- Retain access to their notary journal, even if the account associated with their organization's Proof account is deactivated.
In-house notaries do not answer calls from the on-demand queue and can only complete transactions on behalf of their employer or themselves.
For more information about features for in-house notary, on-demand notary, and notaries sourcing transactions, see the notary capacities overview.
Requirements for Notaries Per Capacity
The following summarizes how IHN requirements compare to on-demand notaries (ODNs) and notary-sourced transaction notaries (NSTs). A notary may hold both ODN and NST capacity depending on their state.
- Traditional and RON Commission: Required for ODN, NST, and IHN
- Proof Digital Certificate: Required for ODN, NST, and IHN
- Proof Platform Training: Required for ODN, NST, and for IHN only in WI & MT
- Notary Skills Training: Required for ODN and NST
- Signature & Seal provided by the Proof platform: Required for ODN, NST, and IHN
- NNA number: Required for ODN; optional for NST and IHN depending on state
- NSA certification training and exam: Required for ODN
- NSA required background check: Required for ODN
- E&O insurance: Required for ODN; optional for NST and IHN
- Account payment (how the notary pays Proof fees): Required for ODN and NST
- Signer payout (how Proof/signers pay the notary): Required for ODN and NST
Notes:
- 1.NNA number is required for ODNs; optional for NSTs and IHNs depending on their state.
- 2.ODNs who act as NSTs must collect payment from their signers outside of the Proof platform.
Summary Checklist
- IHNs are available to business and real estate organizations on Premium tier and higher.
- IHNs can notarize documents, use Identify transactions, and retain journal access — but do not work the on-demand queue.
- IHNs require a Traditional and RON Commission and a Proof Digital Certificate; Proof Platform Training is required in WI and MT only.
- Proof supports IHNs in 31 states — check the list above to confirm your state is included.
If you need further assistance, you can submit a support request or chat with the support team from any page in the app.
Related
On-Demand Notary Overview
The Proof platform enables On-Demand Notaries (ODNs) in Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia who have completed National Notary Association (NNA) training and background checks, hold NSA certification, and possess at least $25,000 in Errors and Omissions insurance, all verified and uploaded through their Proof notary profile before they can accept on-demand notarization requests.
Notary Capacities Overview
Proof supports three notary capacities—On-Demand Notary (ODN), Notary-Sourced Transaction (NST), and In-House Notary (IHN)—each with distinct setup processes and transaction scopes, where ODNs serve the Notarize Network's on-demand queue in select states, NSTs operate independently for their own clients, and IHNs work within organizations with permissions set by admins, all requiring review and approval before activation.
Create a Notary-Sourced Transaction Account – Proof Help Center
This guide details the step-by-step process for Notary-Sourced Transaction (NST) notaries to create and verify a new profile on the Proof platform, including obtaining online notarization authorization, submitting required documents such as commission and E&O policy, completing training and assessments, and setting up multi-factor authentication to become an active notary on the platform.
Notary Profile Success and Troubleshooting – Proof Help Center
The article explains that notary profile activation on Proof is delayed primarily due to incomplete onboarding steps—such as submitting personal info, commission, NNA ID, E&O, signature, seal, training, identity verification, and digital certificate—and waiting for state RON approval, with the Network Community Operations team reviewing completed profiles within 1–2 business days to ensure compliance before activation.
Notary User Supplement
The Notary User Supplement, effective September 27, 2024, outlines that Notary Users providing notarizations via the Platform operate as independent contractors authorized only if duly commissioned and compliant with jurisdictional laws, must adhere to Proof’s policies to ensure legal compliance and platform integrity, and maintain accurate profiles and required compliance documentation.
Notary-Sourced Transactions (NST) Overview – Proof Help Center
The Notary-Sourced Transactions (NST) Overview from Proof Help Center explains that properly commissioned notaries in specified states can use Proof's platform to independently run their Remote Online Notarization (RON) business—managing clients, setting fees, and utilizing features like secure digital certificates, multi-factor authentication, session recordings, flexible billing, and training resources—all while ensuring compliance with state-specific requirements.