AnalysisIn May 2020, Senate Bill 704 was signed into law in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It temporarily authorized Notaries to perform remote video notarizations. It also gave Notaries whose commissions were granted after March 9, 2020, 90 days to take the oath of office before the register of deeds. With the August 1, 2020, sunset date of Senate Bill 704 approaching, the General Assembly passed and the Governor signed this legislation pushing out the sunset dates of both provisions.
Read House Bill 1023.
House Bill 196 became effective March 11, 2021, extending the temporary authorization to perform video notarization through December 31, 2021.
The temporary emergency video notarization law expired at 12:01 a.m. on December 31, 2021.