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Opinion: RON creates new careers for workers displaced by pandemic

Thumbnail comparing Remote Online Notarization (RON) and Remote Ink-Signed Notarization (RIN)

The COVID-19 pandemic has defined 2020 more than any of us could have imagined, affecting every single industry in our economy and leading to one of the highest unemployment rates in U.S. history. While some people have focused on the benefits of spending more time at home and learning new skills, there has been very little discussion around how the pandemic could create new career paths.

Remote Online Notarization (RON) is opening doors for individuals seeking a new career path, looking for a flexible way to supplement their income or interested in a productive retirement pursuit. As the push for and adoption of RON surges nationwide, so has the demand for Notaries, especially Notaries comfortable conducting a mortgage closing online.

Notary flexibility and convenience

RON is expanding opportunities for Notaries by enabling more flexibility in balancing work and personal demands during COVID-19. Examples of this flexibility are apparent in the testimonials I constantly receive from Notaries. The ability to perform closings while also providing enough time for your child’s school drop off and pick up, family dinners and other personal tasks has given Notaries the flexibility to live their lives while earning a living that affords them that luxury of time.

Before RON, we saw Notaries traveling to clients’ houses, coffee shops, attorney’s offices, etc., to conduct notarizations which often took a fraction of the actual travel time. RON provides an alternative to traveling to perform in-person notarizations. During this pandemic, RON has allowed Notaries to safely and comfortably perform their duties without entering a stranger’s home and without the risk of spreading illness through communal contact.

As we navigate this pandemic and its lasting impacts, RON will stand as a service that allows notarizations at the convenience of all parties involved, including the Notary themselves.

RON fits needs of many people

RON offers potential income benefits for a wide variety of individuals. RON transactions can take place with multiple parties spread out across the world, making it an ideal job for military spouses and college students.

Military spouses often have a hard time finding careers because their relocation and deployment schedules do not provide much stability as relates to a career outside the military. RON allows military spouses to have a career on their terms even as they move from base to base or need to change schedules due to deployment.

In a similar fashion, college students require the flexibility to schedule work around classes, and they can get this with remote notarization. RON also provides them the ability to work during holiday breaks and summers, no matter where their lives take them.

Transitioning computer skills to a RON career

When Uber first launched, it was easy to find people who needed a source of income and could readily transition a skill they had been practicing for several years — driving — into an easy income stream. RON does the same thing with computer skills. Whether it’s someone who has spent their entire lives navigating computers or retirees who have grown computer-comfortable from video chat sessions with their grandchildren, it’s easy to transition those skills to RON, with the added benefit of working from the safety and comfort of their own home.

The great thing is, the career path doesn’t have to stop at “Notary.” Career progression is possible for individuals with that intention. For example, I have an employee in my quality control department who started with us as a part-time Notary. That provided her the flexibility she needed in her home life. She then became a manager before moving into her current position. She works with both our quality control and technology departments and has self-taught herself to write code. She has taken a life-long inclination for technology, combined it with a part-time gig as a Notary and turned it into a thriving career.

Providing more than a career

RON doesn’t just provide Notaries a career on their terms, it often provides options and work-life solutions previously difficult to find. RON can give a part-time Notary the additional income their household needs to consider private school for children or at-home nurses for elderly parents. RON can give a parent the choice to be a stay-at-home parent while still supplying an income. At every level, RON provides Notaries the ability to forge their own path.

Rick Triola is the founder and CEO, NotaryCam. He began his career in real estate, mortgage and technology as an Oppenheimer investment banker more than 35 years ago. After spending several years in commercial real estate, Rick helped lead one of California's largest independent escrow companies. He founded eSigning solutions provider Settleware in 1999 and NotaryCam, the pioneering leader in on-demand notarization and mortgage closing solutions, in 2014.

The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Notary Association.

24 Comments

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imaginetheworldmedia@gmail.com

29 Dec 2020

thanks for this timely article. I am looking for more specific requirements in the State of WA. I am a Notary and NSA thanks

National Notary Association

30 Dec 2020

Hello. You can find more information about RON in Washington state here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/knowledge-center/remote-online-notary/how-to-become-a-remote-online-notary/washington

Satira Thompson

04 Jan 2021

How do you get on the list

National Notary Association

04 Jan 2021

Hello. You would need to first obtain authorization to perform RONs in your state, then apply with an appropriate RON company. More information on becoming a RON Notary can be found here: www.nationalnotary.org/RON. Articles about signing up with some individual RON providers can be found at the following links: https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2020/04/notarycam-hiring-notaries-rons and https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2020/03/notarize-recruiting-signing-agents-for-remote-notarizations. However, please be aware that there are many other RON providers out there as well you can contact, and you must make sure that a RON provider is compliant with your state's remote notarization laws.

pmarshall@wisek12.org

04 Jan 2021

Thank you, when I finish my training I will apply for employment here.

Ceepenni

04 Jan 2021

Good day and thank you for this article. Has the platform been established to do loan signings at the time in Florida. Thank you

National Notary Association

06 Jan 2021

Hello. According to our information, NotaryCam's RON platform is available for Florida Notaries authorized to perform RONs. For more information, please see here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/knowledge-center/remote-online-notary/how-to-become-a-remote-online-notary/florida

I am looking at re-instating my former notary for real estate services Iin IL, particularly using RON too

04 Jan 2021

Thanks for your continued info

Lisa Liang

04 Jan 2021

Good Morning, Has California approved RON yet? I am a California notary; please send an update about it. Thank you, Lisa Liang

National Notary Association

05 Jan 2021

Hello. No, California Notaries are not authorized to perform RONs at this time.

Rose Mata

04 Jan 2021

Hi, where can I find info about RON for the state of California? And is there more training needed to do this, do we have to become “certified”?

National Notary Association

05 Jan 2021

Hello. At this time, the state of California does not authorize its Notaries to perform RONs.

Maggie novell

04 Jan 2021

Are RONs acceptable in CA?

National Notary Association

04 Jan 2021

Hello. California Notaries are not authorized to perform RONs.

Shirley F Brown

04 Jan 2021

Who can CA [California] notaries contact to write letters in support of passing RON [a Legislator? CA Secretary of State? others?]

National Notary Association

06 Jan 2021

Hello. You can contact your CA State Senator or Assembly member to let them know your position on RON.

Dheeraj Handa

04 Jan 2021

Some states have not yet adopted RON and CA is one of them. I know there is a federal bill that is pending on the same and also state bills for the states that have not yet implemented. How do you see this change? Also how does it impact notary who do in person work vs RON ?

Jennifer Rogers

04 Jan 2021

The only problem, none of these RON platforms are designed for an independent notary to use. They are truly only designed for enterprise use, or for the notary to become an employee of the platform. These RON platforms and this article are terribly misleading.

Harry Staley

05 Jan 2021

What is South Carolina position on RON?

National Notary Association

06 Jan 2021

Hello. South Carolina has not issued any guidelines regarding RON.

Rick Triola

13 Jan 2021

Thanks for your comment Jennifer. While some of NotaryCam’s notary workforce is comprised of full-time employees, the majority our notaries are independent contractors to whom we send business. Over the past 8 years we’ve found this to be productive and efficient for NotaryCam as well as the individual notaries. The notaries are able to set their own hours while maintaining proficiency on the NotaryCam platform via a steady flow of transactions from NotaryCam. If you have any additional questions about our notaries, please feel free to reach out to us at customersuccess@notarycam.com.

Maria A Ulmer

16 Feb 2021

Thank you for the information can't wait to be a active member of this organization

latikagerrins@gmail.com

09 Jul 2021

I am actively looking to work with a RON platform business as NotaryCam the only issue is that in Arizona you have to be contracted with a company prior to applying with the State. I know that it was previously stated" You would need to first obtain authorization to perform RONs in your state, then apply with an appropriate RON company." but it's totally opposite in Arizona. Please Help..

National Notary Association

19 Jul 2021

Hello. You can find more information about the Arizona RON process here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/knowledge-center/remote-online-notary/how-to-become-a-remote-online-notary/arizona

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