Can a Notary Complete or Verify Form I-9 Online?

Form I-9 is used for employment eligibility verification. New employees complete their portion, and the employer or employer-authorized representative reviews identity and work authorization documents and completes the employer section.

Because an employee may be remote, employers sometimes ask a “notary” to help. This creates confusion because the task is usually not a notarial act.

A notary may be able to assist only if the employer authorizes the notary or another person to act as its representative for I-9 completion. In that role, the person is acting as the employer’s authorized representative, not as a traditional notary performing a notarization.

Usually, no. Form I-9 itself is not normally notarized.

A standard notarization involves a notarial certificate, such as an acknowledgment or jurat, and the notary completes the notarial act according to notary law.

Form I-9 generally requires document review and employer attestation, not a notarial certificate. If an employer asks for “I-9 notarization,” clarify exactly what they mean before booking.

An authorized representative is a person the employer designates to complete part of the Form I-9 process on the employer’s behalf.

The employer should provide instructions about:

• Which section must be completed

• What documents may be reviewed

• Whether remote document examination is allowed

• What information must be entered

• Whether copies are required

• How the completed form should be returned

• Whether the employer’s own platform must be used

The person assisting should follow the employer’s instructions and should not provide legal or immigration advice.

It depends.

Some employers use remote I-9 procedures, electronic I-9 platforms, or authorized representative workflows. Other employers require in-person physical document review or use a specific compliance vendor.

A notary cannot decide whether the employer’s I-9 process can be completed online. The employer must provide the approved process and instructions.

If the employer requires physical inspection, an online notary session may not satisfy that requirement unless the employer specifically authorizes that workflow.

Depending on the employer’s instructions and applicable rules, a notary may be able to:

• Act as an employer-authorized representative

• Review documents according to employer instructions

• Complete the employer representative fields

• Sign as the authorized representative

• Return the completed form to the employer

• Assist through an employer-provided platform

The notary should not place a notarial seal on Form I-9 unless there is a separate notarial certificate requiring a lawful notarial act.

A notary cannot:

• Decide whether a person is authorized to work

• Provide immigration advice

• Tell the employer which documents to accept

• Choose documents for the employee

• Complete I-9 sections without employer authorization

• Add a notarial seal when no notarial act is required

• Certify that the employee is work-authorized

• Guarantee employer compliance

• Replace the employer’s legal responsibility

The employer should consult its HR, legal, compliance, or immigration counsel for I-9 procedures.

Before contacting a notary or online notary, the employee should ask:

• Do you need a notary, or an authorized representative?

• Is this a notarization or I-9 document review?

• Can this be completed online?

• Do you require physical document inspection?

• Do you use an electronic I-9 platform?

• What section should the representative complete?

• What documents should be reviewed?

• Should document copies be sent?

• Where should the completed form be returned?

Clear instructions prevent delays and incorrect completion.

Employers should provide:

• Written instructions

• Authorized representative permission

• Exact completion requirements

• Employer business information

• Document review rules

• Return instructions

• Any platform login or upload process

• Contact information for questions

The employer should not simply tell the employee to “find a notary” without explaining whether a notarial act is actually needed.

Ask the employer to clarify whether they mean:

• A notary acting as an authorized representative

• A separate affidavit related to identity

• A notarized copy of an ID

• A notarial certificate attached to a separate document

• An I-9 platform verification step

If a separate document needs notarization, that document may need to be reviewed independently for eligibility, notarial wording, signer identity, and recipient acceptance.

Improperly treating Form I-9 as a notarization can create problems. A notary seal should not be added where no notarial act exists, and an employer should not assume that a notary automatically knows its I-9 process.

The safest approach is for the employer to give written instructions and confirm whether the requested service is authorized representative assistance or a true notarization of a separate document.