All You Need to Know About Remote Notarization

All You Need to Know About Remote Notarization

As more states continue to legalize remote online notarization, much remains a mystery to both notaries and signers alike. What exactly is remote notarization? Where and how is it performed? What do you require to acquire one? Find the answers to these and other questions as this article seek to provide an answer to you in the quick overview of remote notarization.

What Is Remote Notarization?

Before delving deeper into the subject matter, it would be prudent to understand what remote notarization entails.

But first, who exactly is a Notary?

This is a public officer that witnessed the signing of documents and vouchers for their authenticity by also checking on the signatures. Although these are public officers, they are not paid by the state, and they charge the parties involved for their services. How much you pay for such services varies from one institution to another, which has their pricing policies.

In a traditional setup, interested parties would appear before a Notary with the documents. But the case is a little different from remote notarization.

Well, with remote notarization, the signer virtually appears before a notary using audio-visual technology over the internet. This omits the need for in-person meetings, which have since been discouraged more so after the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. Remote notarization can also be referred to using other terms such as virtual notarization, webcam notarization, or online notarization.

Although remote notarization wasn’t a common thing of the past, many states recently issued the emergency use of online notarization as a measure to curb the spread of the pandemic. Here’s a list of all the states that currently permit remote notarization.

Remote Notarization vs. Electronic Notarization: Are They the Same?

Many people often confuse these two terms: remote and electronic notarization. Even though they stand for a similar type of service, they are different.

With electronic notarization (eNotarization), the documents are notarized in electronic form. This means that both the Notary and the signers sign the document with an electronic signature. However, all other aspects of a traditional notarization apply, including the signer’s necessity to appear before a Notary in person.

On the other hand, remote notarization also involve the signing of documents in an electronic format. However, the Notary and the signer do not have to meet physically, as they can do so using a webcam or any other audio-visual technology, paving the way for remote meetings.

Getting Started With Remote Notarization

The exact requirements for remote notarization vary from one state to another. However, getting to notarize your documents online typically requires the following:

1. Find an approved notary that can perform ROMs in your state. You can contact the relevant authorities such as the secretary of state’s office and inquire about the licensed notaries that offer remote notarization in your state. You can also get recommendations from your titleholders, professions, or you can simply conduct an online search. Ensure that before you settle on any, find out about their accreditations first.
2. The next thing you require is the actual document that needs to be signed and notarized. The main task of a Notary is to authenticate the document, witness, and record the signing of the document for future reference. This means that even with your document ready, you shouldn’t sign it yet, until when connected to a Notary.
3. Since a webcam notarization happens online, you’ll require an internet-connected device that can stream a video. Essentially you should look for a computer with a webcam, laptop, iPad, tablet, or smartphone. Ensure that you have a good internet connection too.
4. Your photo ID
5. Your social security number will be used to validate your identity.

All in all, besides the five listed requirements, you should have your credit card with you for payment, which you’ll be charged only after a successful notarization. Different states have different requirements for online notarization, so it is important to follow all the specific guidelines put in place.