First: does your state notarize titles at all?
Most states don't require a notary for the title assignment — buyer and seller sign, and that is the transfer. A shortlist of states does require notarized signatures on the certificate of title: Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are the ones most often cited, and the requirement follows the state that issued the title, not where the sale happens.
You don't have to memorize the list. Look at the assignment section on the certificate itself — if there's a notary block, it needs a seal. If you're unsure, the DMV that issued the title is the authority.
The paper-title problem, honestly
Online notarization produces an electronically sealed PDF. A certificate of title is a state-issued piece of security paper — the electronic seal can't be applied to it remotely. So if your state requires notarization on the certificate itself, that specific act generally needs an in-person or mobile notary with the physical title on the table. We'd rather tell you that now than sell you a session your DMV rejects.
Where online notarization genuinely earns its keep is everything around the title: a power of attorney authorizing someone to sign title paperwork for you, a duplicate-title application, an affidavit of inheritance or correction, a notarized bill of sale or odometer disclosure. Many DMVs accept these as printed, electronically notarized documents — confirm with yours, because state and county practices vary.
Steps for a clean transfer
The sequence that avoids the two expensive mistakes — a voided title and an untracked one:
Read the title before anyone signs
In notary states, a signature made outside the notary's presence can void the certificate and force a duplicate-title application — weeks of delay. Nobody signs until the right notary is watching.
Ask the DMV what they'll take electronically
Ask specifically: "do you accept a printed, electronically notarized bill of sale / power of attorney / affidavit?" Get the answer for your exact document, not in general.
Complete the paperwork precisely
Legal names as they appear on IDs, sale price, date, and the odometer reading exactly. Cross-outs and corrections on a title often require a correction affidavit — or void the document.
Ship originals with tracking
A signed title is effectively bearer paper for a car. When it travels — to a buyer, a lienholder, or the DMV — use tracked overnight shipping, never a regular envelope.
State wrinkles
Georgia doesn't recognize out-of-state notarizations for vehicle-title documents — Georgia title paperwork needs an in-person Georgia notarization. Other states are looser about supporting documents but strict about the certificate. Check your state on the availability grid for its exact online-notarization status, and treat your DMV's answer as final.