6.4 RON Fees & Renewal
Key Takeaways
- House Bill 315 (effective April 4, 2025) raised the maximum online notarial-act fee from $25 to $30 per act
- A technology fee of up to $10 per session may be charged in addition, for a combined maximum of $40
- The technology fee may be charged even if the act is NOT completed - for example when the signer fails identity verification
- The technology fee is capped at $10 per session regardless of how many documents are notarized in that session
- Online authorization runs with the commission; a non-attorney renews both on the five-year cycle with proof of approved education
The 2025 Fee Structure
House Bill 315, effective April 4, 2025, amended ORC 147.141 and related sections to modernize online-notary fees. Memorize the numbers - they are heavily tested.
| Fee component | Pre-HB 315 | Current (2025+) |
|---|---|---|
| Online notarial-act fee | $25.00 | $30.00 per act |
| Technology fee | not separately set | up to $10.00 per session |
| Combined maximum | $25.00 | $40.00 |
How the Technology Fee Works
The technology fee covers the cost of the online-notarization platform - credential analysis, identity proofing, recording, and storage. Three rules students must lock in:
- Per session, not per document. The technology fee is capped at $10 for the session, even if several documents are notarized in that one connection.
- Chargeable even on failure. The notary may charge the technology fee even when the act is not completed - the classic example is a signer who fails KBA. The platform cost was incurred regardless.
- Optional, not mandatory. The notary may charge it; nothing requires it. It is a ceiling, not a required amount.
Worked example: A signer asks the online notary to notarize three documents in one video session and to also acknowledge a fourth. The notary may charge up to $30 per act (so up to $120 for four acts) plus a single technology fee of up to $10 - not $10 four times. If that same signer fails KBA before any act is completed, the notary may still bill the up-to-$10 technology fee even though zero acts were performed.
Fee Comparison and Disclosure
| Notarization type | Maximum fee |
|---|---|
| Traditional / in-person act | the statutory in-person cap (set in ORC 147.141) |
| Online (RON) act | $30.00 per act |
| Technology fee (online) | up to $10.00 per session |
| Combined online maximum | $40.00 per session for a single act |
The higher online ceiling reflects platform licensing, mandatory credential analysis and KBA, audio-video recording, and ten-year repository retention - costs the in-person channel does not carry. Best practice is to disclose fees to the signer before the session begins, since the technology fee can apply to a failed session and signers are surprised when charged for an act that did not complete.
Renewal of Online Authorization
Online authorization is not a standalone, perpetual credential - it is tethered to the underlying commission.
| Aspect | Rule |
|---|---|
| Term | Runs concurrently with the commission (five years for non-attorneys) |
| Education | Approved continuing-education / refresher course before renewal |
| Examination | A full re-examination is generally not required to renew online authority |
| Application | Submit renewal to the Secretary of State with the education certificate |
Renewal Sequence
- Before expiration, complete the approved refresher education.
- Obtain the completion certificate from the approved provider.
- File the renewal application with the Secretary of State.
- Upload the certificate and pay any applicable fee.
Lapse trap: if the commission or online authorization lapses, the notary may not perform online acts until renewal is approved - performing during the gap is unauthorized. Attorney notaries hold indefinite commissions, but their online authority still depends on keeping the education/renewal current; the indefinite commission does not make online authority self-renewing.
Travel Fees Do Not Apply to RON
A point examiners use to test whether you understand the fee categories: travel fees are a creature of in-person notarization. In a traditional act the notary may, by separate agreement, charge for traveling to the signer. In RON the notary never travels - the signer appears over video - so a "travel fee" has no basis. The platform cost is captured instead by the up-to-$10 technology fee. If a question offers "charge a travel fee for the RON," that is the wrong answer.
Building a Compliant Fee Schedule
| Scenario | Lawful charge |
|---|---|
| One online acknowledgment, completed | up to $30 act fee + up to $10 technology fee = up to $40 |
| Three online acts in one session, completed | up to $30 x 3 acts + one $10 technology fee = up to $100 |
| Session where signer fails KBA, no act done | up to $10 technology fee only; no act fee |
| Connection drops, act rescheduled to new session | technology fee may apply to the platform use; act fee only on the completed act |
The two ceilings move independently: the $30 cap is per notarial act, while the $10 technology cap is per session. Charging $10 technology four times for four documents in one connection overcharges the signer and violates the per-session cap.
Disclosure and Recordkeeping at Renewal
Good practice ties the fee rules back to the journal: each electronic journal entry records the fee charged, including the technology fee. At renewal time, accurate fee records help demonstrate compliance if the Secretary of State reviews the notary's practice.
Worked scenario - the surprise charge: A signer disputes a $10 charge after failing identity verification and completing no notarization. The notary points to the disclosed fee schedule and the journal entry noting the platform was used and KBA failed. Because Ohio expressly permits the technology fee on an incomplete session, the charge stands - which is exactly why up-front disclosure of fees before the session is best practice. Surprising a signer with a fee for a failed session is a complaint magnet even when the charge is lawful.
Under Ohio law as amended in 2025, what is the maximum total an online notary may charge for a single completed online act including the technology fee?
A signer joins an online session for three documents but fails knowledge-based authentication before any act is completed. What may the notary charge?