AnalysisSenate Bill 2053 makes two changes to notarization in the salvaged vehicle title transfer process. More narrowly, it creates a two-track system for lost registration certificates or license plates: a paper affidavit must be notarized, while an electronically signed declaration does not, creating an unlevel playing field that assumes electronic signatures carry the same security benefits as a notarial act. More broadly, it eliminates notarization entirely for all supporting documents, including powers of attorney and applications for duplicate title, used to transfer ownership after a total loss settlement regardless of whether they are signed on paper or electronically.
Removing the notarial act from these transactions strips away a critical layer of identity verification and fraud deterrence at the point of transferring vehicle ownership. Notably, the bill itself acknowledges this risk: it requires the insurance company to indemnify and hold harmless the county director of finance for claims arising from documents signed electronically without a Notary, a provision that would be unnecessary if electronic signatures provided equivalent safeguards.
Read Senate Bill 2053.