Remote Notarization: What You Need To Know

To my knowledge, none of these companies provide an opportunity for a "single" independent notary to rent a seat on their platform. If I am wrong, please correct me. Thanks for your efforts in this article.

I would like from Maryland to be also allowed to do video notary

is this gonna have some cost for the notary,and higher cost for client?

HOW DO YOU CONFIRM ID WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING ID IN HAND?

It seems like a bad idea. How do you comply with keeping a sequential journal, obtaining thumb prints required for certain documents, and checking IDs. If I read this correctly a remote notary will be a separate certification and training, so as long as a notary can opt out of becoming a remote notary to limit exposure and having more technology, then we'll see how it shakes out.

There is also OnlineNotary.net, based out of Virginia which you guys missed putting here.

Need to know the answer to Craig's question

Turns out RON is very bad news. All you have to do is read the analysis that the CA Asm. Judicial Committee issued this year on AB 199, the now dead CA online notary act of 2019. Also, the TX SoS is now having second thoughts about the lack of biometrics being collected during notarial acts AND the TN SoS has issued Emergency Guidance. 22 states may have passed RON laws but 28 states, including the largest in the nation, has said no thanks, and for good reason.

I am a commissioned Texas notary public and have recently branched out into remote notarization. Here are a few things to know. First, in order to perform remote notarizations in Texas, one must first be a commissioned NP, then go through an additional application process and pay a $50 fee in order to legally perform remote notarizations. There currently is no training requirement in TX for either traditional or remote NPs. Becoming an authorized remote NP is actually the least complicated part of the process. There are several additional requirements which must be met in order to perform remote notarizations. These include the use of an online audio/video platform which digitally records the audio and video interaction between the NP and the signer(s), provides the ability for all parties to digitally sign documents (more on digital signatures in a moment), and record and store the digitally signed document(s) along with the audio/video recording for a period of 5 years. While someone with a lot of tech savvy could conceivably cobble together such a system from “off the shelf” software and hardware, for all practical purposes the remote NP will need to subscribe to one of a number of online services specifically designed for this purpose. These services typically offer both desktop and mobile applications for the NP and signer to use to complete the signing process, record and store the A/V and digital documentation elements, and provide an integrated electronic payment system so the NP can collect the appropriate fees. The remote notarization platform should also integrate with a third-party provider of identification confirmation services. In Texas, the relevant state statutes explicitly require that identity confirmation be performed by an entity which is not associated in any way with either the NP or the remote notarization platform provider. Typically the fees charged by the platform provider include the cost of using the third-party ID authentication service. It is worth mentioning that the inclusion of a third-party identification service in this process actually provides a higher level of identification confirmation than a traditional face-to-face notarization utilizing only a picture ID. This is because not only must the signer provide an acceptable ID artifact which can be digitally scanned and recorded by the remote notarization platform—either by holding the ID up to a webcam or taking a photo of it with a mobile device—but the signer must also answer a number of personal questions the signer should know the answers to. This process, known as Knowledge-Based Authentication, or KBA, incorporates information available from various data sources into the confirmation questions: places of residence, vehicle information, even names of relatives. The signer must correctly answer a high percentage of the questions in a relatively short period of time in order to complete the verification process; this information is also saved along with the A/V recording and the digital signed documentation. With regard to digital signing, the remote NP must also obtain from a recognized third-party provider something called a “digital certificate.” In a nutshell, this is an electronic file consisting of an encrypted pair of digital “keys.” The private key is stored on the remote NP’s computer, while the public key is saved in the remote notarization platform. Every time a remote notarization transaction is initiated, the two keys are electronically compared in order to both digitally authenticate the remote NP and ensure the integrity of the entire transaction. The cost of obtaining a digital certificate is relatively modest, approximately $40-$50. It should be noted that the remote notarization platform meets the record-keeping requirement by virtue of recording, storing, and time-stamping all aspects of the transaction. Thus it is not necessary for remote notarizations to be manually recorded as with traditional in-person notarizations. I hope this information is useful. If you would like further information about specific remote notarization platforms, digital certificate providers, etc., please feel free to contact me at remoteprofessionalservices@outlook.com.

How do we verify their identity over the internet? How do we notarize a document we watch them sign over the internet? Wouldn’t that mean we have to use electronic notary stamps only? How do you keep the original paper they acknowledge signing?

Hello. Currently, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia authorize remote online notarizations for signers located outside of the state and country. However, please be aware that Notaries in the United States are not attorneys and may not be authorized to perform some types of notarizations that Spanish Notaries are authorized to perform.