Notarizing essential documents, such as the power of attorneys, can take time and effort. Fortunately, a convenient way to get these documents notarized online is now.
Remote online notarization, or RON, is becoming more common. It has passed a law allowing licensed electronic notaries to remotely notarize signatures from anywhere worldwide, including countries with no consulate.
How it Works
During a RON session, the signer connects to a live notary through a video conference platform. The notary confirms the signer’s identity with two-step verification and then reviews and authenticates the signed document. Then the notary and signer both sign the document electronically, and the notary affixes an electronic seal. The notary also retains an audio-video recording of the session for their records.
In the past, if your client needed a document notarized, they would have to travel or a neighboring country with an open consulate to meet with a state-licensed notary public. Now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders, a NY-licensed notary can use remote online notarization or RON to notarize documents for your clients.
RON can speed up creating or signing documents like powers of attorney, which can be urgent during a medical emergency. It can also help set up trusts, which require notarizing a legal document that appoints a third party to manage assets on behalf of another person.
Getting Started
RON is an exciting new opportunity for mortgage professionals. Getting on board now gives you the “first-adopter advantage,” allowing you to gain market share before it becomes too crowded and competitive.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states issued temporary emergency orders allowing certified notaries to perform remote online notarizations (RON). As of January 22, 2022, more than half of the nation’s states have permanent laws permitting RON for anyone who wants to sign and notarize documents remotely using live audio-video technology.
RON allows you to expand your notary business beyond your local area, even across the country in some cases. This will enable you to connect with more signers and grow your income faster than traditional in-person notarizations would let. Additionally, RON uses state-of-the-art identity verification methods to verify the signer’s authenticity, increasing security. Lastly, it reduces your need for paper, expensive ink toner, and gas resources, further improving your bottom line. RON is also available at any time of day, making it convenient for your clients to work with you.
Getting a Notary
A notary is needed for various situations, including mortgage, loan, escrow agreements, business documents, legal statements and paperwork, medical claims and settlements, and more. Some states have enacted laws or emergency orders allowing for remote online notarization, and others have implemented it as a permanent option.
Licensed electronic notaries may provide RON to signers anywhere in the state or on the International Space Station! This enables people to get their essential documents signed without traveling and reduces errors, paper costs, and turnaround times.
To become an e-Notary, you must hold an existing commission as a traditional Notary Public and contract with a RON technology provider approved by the secretary of state. This provider must provide the Internet-based RON platform that meets the physical presence requirements, allows for identity verification and audio-video communication between the notary and individual, and enables the notary to record the notarial act in an electronic journal.
Getting Paid
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states that did not have permanent laws permitting remote online notarization passed temporary authorizations to allow for the service. These temperature measures have expired, and notaries should consider obtaining consistent state laws to continue providing this valuable service.
As a notary, you will charge the signer for the services you provide by your state’s rules and regulations. This can include the fee for the session itself and your time spent executing the notarization, ID verification fees, platform, and transaction fees, and any other applicable charges that are allowed by your state’s laws.
Providing RON services will help grow your business and give you access to clients anywhere, including in countries that do not have a consulate – or even on the International Space Station! You can perform a RON if you have your state’s active Notary Public Commission.