Must the signer be physically present before the notary at the time of notarization?

Physical presence is a fundamental requirement of traditional in-person notarization. The signer must appear before the notary at the time of the notarial act — not before, not after, not by phone or video (unless authorized under specific Remote Online Notarization laws). Reasons: (1) The notary must verify identity in person; (2) The notary must observe the signer's willingness and capacity (no duress, intoxication, etc.); (3) For jurats, the signer must sign in the notary's presence and take the oath; (4) Physical presence makes fraud and impersonation much harder. Notaries who notarize signatures faxed in, mailed in, or otherwise signed outside their presence commit serious misconduct — this is one of the most common notarial errors and a major source of fraud. Remote Online Notarization (RON) is a separate, regulated process available in many states where the signer and notary connect via video conference with multiple identity verification methods; this is not the same as casual remote notarization and requires specific authorization.