Russians Turn to Notaries to Authenticate Chat Screenshots for Court Use

As legal battles increasingly hinge on digital communication, notarized screenshots are becoming a key piece of evidence in Russian courts.

In Russia, more people are seeking notarized verification of chat screenshots, particularly for use in legal proceedings. According to the Federal Notarial Chamber, around 11,500 such documents were authenticated by notaries in 2025.

The highest volume of these verifications occurred in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Moscow region. However, the sharpest year-over-year growth was recorded in Tuva (+137%), Orenburg (+96%), Smolensk (+73%), Kamchatka (+71%), and Vladimir (+55%).

Russia’s Federal Notarial Chamber notes that courts allow screenshots of messages from phones and computers as evidence, especially in cases involving cyberbullying or online blackmail. However, poorly formatted or improperly collected screenshots are often ruled inadmissible.

Notarized screenshots, by contrast, carry much more weight in court. Once certified, the document is immune to deletion or editing and does not expire as evidence.

As digital communication continues to play a central role in disputes, this legal trend underscores how tech-savvy legal safeguards are reshaping the justice system.