Notarization

Notarization is a fraud-prevention step in which a notary public confirms the identity of the person signing, watches them sign, and stamps the document. It is required for certain documents (deeds, some powers of attorney, various filings) but not for most everyday business contracts.

An NDA or a services agreement generally does not need to be notarized to be enforceable. The signer's intent and a reliable record of the signing are what matter, which is why a strong audit trail covers most commercial needs. Remote online notarization exists where a notary is genuinely required, but for the bulk of contracts it is a step you can skip.