# Online Notary Research for DRE (Jul 2026)

## The problem
DRE needs LPOA notarized online (Texas RON). Must be API-accessible for automation. Every online notary API is sales-gated — none offer self-service API keys on monthly plans. This is standard industry practice due to identity verification / compliance requirements.

## Shortlist comparison

| Service | Pay-as-you-go | Monthly | Per-notary | API availability | Reviews | Texas? | Security |
|---------|--------------|---------|------------|-----------------|---------|--------|----------|
| **OneNotary ✅** | **$0/mo, $25/session** | ~$49-65/mo | $25 (bulk cheaper) | Sales-gated but verified developer portal exists | 5.0/5.0 (3,222 Trustpilot) | ✅ Dedicated TX page, TX-licensed notaries | SOC 2, ISO 27001, MISMO |
| **BlueNotary** | $0/mo, $25/session | **$37/mo (2 docs incl)** | ~$15/additional | Sales-gated — no public docs, API button loops to integrations page | 4.7/5.0 (1,100+ Trustpilot) | Likely but unverified | Not confirmed |
| **Proof.com** | $25/mo Pro | $25/mo Pro | $25/session | API locked to Premium tier ($$$, no public price) | Enterprise sales | ✅ | Enterprise-grade |
| **OnlineNotary.net** | $19.95/signer | **$30/mo (API+webhooks)** | $15/signer | Claimed but **zero public documentation** | 33 reviews only, **Scam Detector: Medium-Risk**, no BBB profile | Unverified | Not confirmed, hours 9AM-2AM only |

## Key findings

- **Every online notary API is sales-gated.** None offer self-service API key generation on monthly plans.
- **OnlineNotary.net is HIGH RISK** — claimed 1,500+ reviews but only 33 on Trustpilot, no BBB profile, medium-risk scam detector rating, and their "API" has zero public documentation (no developer portal, no endpoints, no docs anywhere).
- **OneNotary is the clear winner** — 5.0/5.0 from 3,222 reviews, 45,000+ virtual notaries, SOC 2 / ISO 27001, dedicated Texas RON compliance page, verified developer portal at dev.onenotary.us.
- **BlueNotary is a good second choice** — $37/mo with 2 docs included is competitive, but API access is unconfirmed on that plan.

## Recommended approach for DRE

| Phase | Method | Cost to DRE | Automation level |
|-------|--------|-------------|-----------------|
| **First 10-20 claims** | Manual OneNotary link — client clicks, gets notarized in ~15 min, no account needed | $25/claim (passed to debtor) | Manual (1 step) |
| **After volume justifies** | Contact OneNotary sales for API docs → integrate via dev.onenotary.us | $0/mo or ~$49-65/mo depending on plan | Fully automated |

For 10 claims/month at $25/session: $250/mo. At BlueNotary's $37/mo + ~$15/additional: ~$157/mo. The $93/mo difference is negligible for legal document handling — **prioritize reliability over price**.

## Files
- `/root/onenotary-research-report.md` — Full OneNotary deep dive
- `/root/dre-onlinenotary-research.md` — OnlineNotary.net vs OneNotary comparison
