Ever since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, remote online notarization has become incredibly popular. When many states authorized virtual notarization, people realized just how convenient it is to opt for a remote option. In order for online notarization to be possible, audio and visual communication are necessary. Instead of needing to meet with the notary in person to get things done, you can communicate with them over an audio and visual platform. As most parts of the country have permitted online notarizations, chances are that you might be able to benefit from the option. Besides, you have nothing to worry about as the online notary would be licensed.
What Is Notarization?
For those of you who do not know, a notary is an officer who is responsible for ensuring the authenticity of documents by acting as a witness when documents are signed. Notaries have been around since Roman times when there was a need for contracts to be created. They helped resolve disputes and played a huge role in the economic success of the empire. However, their role is still important to this day. Notaries today inspect the identification of parties to ensure that the right people sign a document.
Moreover, a notary also has to keep a record of each notarization session which may need to be checked if there is a dispute over who signed the document. Now, you should know that a notary does not receive a salary from the government and charges parties for services rendered.
Where Is Remote Online Notarization Permitted?
A number of states have passed laws for authorizing remote notarization. These include Iowa, Idaho, Alaska, Kansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Hawaii, Arizona, Alabama, Missouri, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Washington.
The main reason why online notarization has become incredibly common is that the coronavirus pandemic led to the government realizing its importance. It was simply impossible for work to get done with social distancing and stay at home regulations in place. Thus, remote notarization was considered a temporary option. However, many states understand that it is necessary in the world of today and have passed permanent laws. There are a few states that continue to allow complete remote notarization.
Now, if your state did not appear in our post, you should still look it up with the National Notary Association to ensure whether you have the option to get notarization done remotely or not.
States Have Different Remote Online Notarization Laws
If there is one thing that you should keep in mind if you are interested in performing a remote online notarization, it is the fact that laws are different from state to state. For instance, even though South Dakota passed law to permit remote notarization, its scope is rather limited. It does not allow the notarization of electronic documents. Many other states have restrictions that you need to be aware of. Delaware only allows attorneys who practice in the state to perform the notarization. As the laws differ in each state, you need to look them up to stay on the safe side.
Restrictions
Since mental capacity, undue influence, and fraud are some common concerns, there are restrictions in place for different types of documents. For instance, the laws do not apply to trusts and wills.
There are still some states that have taken a step forward and passed permanent legislation to permit electronic wills. In addition to this, laws are likely to be passed in the coming years to make remote notarization the norm.
So, How Can You Get Remote Online Notarization Done?
Although each law has different requirements for remote notarization of documents, here is what you can expect.
- Use an online notarization platform like Blue Notary to get your document notarized in about 15 minutes.
- Once you have connected with a notary, you would have to select a time slot for the notarization.
- The notary would verify your identification during the session by checking your identity card.
- After the identification is complete, you would have to sign the document remotely in the presence of the notary.
- Lastly, the notary would place an electronic seal and signature to complete the process.
