The remote online notarization (RON) trend rose during the pandemic, and because of its convenience and efficiency, it continues to accelerate as a tool to safely and securely eSign closing and other documents requiring notarization. Remote online notarization allows you to get your documents notarized anytime, anywhere – even from home in your pajamas.
Since 2020, an increasing number of states have adopted RON-specific legislation. With the rise in fraud, there’s been much discussion about the practice and its safety compared to in-person, traditional notarization. In this blog, we’ll examine the differences between remote online notarization and traditional notarization, how it works, and what features are in place to ensure safety throughout the process.
How does RON differ from traditional notarization?
A notary public is a public official who serves as an independent witness to the signing of important documentation. A notary’s responsibilities include verification of the signer’s identity, confirming the signer acted without duress and ascertaining the signer’s understanding of the document. You will find notaries at banks and other financial institutions, postal and packaging stores and title companies. A notary public states his or her completion of these pertinent responsibilities by attaching his or her signature and notarial stamp to the signed documentation.
Depending on the state’s law, RON is an effective alternative to traditional in-person notarization. RON is a technology platform that Landmark Title offers to facilitate real estate closings for our clients in both Arizona and Nevada. The Arizona Governor signed Senate Bill 1115 in 2021, which authorized RON and took effect in 2022. RON has been legal in Nevada since 2018.
Notaries can perform remote notarizations for people in other countries if the notary is physically in Arizona or Nevada. Remote online notarization is especially beneficial to individuals who are unable to easily travel to access notary public services, such as active-duty military stationed overseas, caregivers of children or the elderly, sick or elderly people and others who have limited transportation options or are living rurally.
How does RON work?
RON offers flexibility, it is time-saving and its platforms utilize advanced technology to mitigate fraud while ensuring the secure storage and transmission of documents. Here are just a few of the other benefits of RON:
- Connects with notary 24/7, allowing you to sign and file at your convenience
- Eliminates the need for a face-to-face meeting, saving the time and expense of travel
- Simplifies the signing process
- Reduces risk with robust identity and credential checks
- Provides secure fully digitized documents for your records
- Eliminates paperwork
- Protects those who are vulnerable or ill
With remote online notarization, it validates a signer’s identity using:
- Dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
- Automated credential analysis of government-issued ID
- Remote presentation i.e., presenting ID on webcam
According to the National Notary Association, the ability to obtain this information, along with video recording provides further confidence in a person’s identity, helping the notary make determinations of the signer’s competence just as much as a notary who is physically present with a signer.
Is remote online notarization safe?
AI technology is making notary crime harder to spot, with sophisticated tools that have the ability to voice clone and more, protecting buyers and sellers who opt to use RON is more critical than ever. With the right protection in place, remote online notarization is safe. As previously mentioned, online notaries validate using knowledge-based authentication. This requires the signer to answer a series of questions about their financial history and background in under two minutes. The notary is also required to meet a high standard of security and identity verification. Online notaries are trained to spot discrepancies and flaws. Plus, the recording of the RON discourages fraudsters who cannot afford to leave audio-visual evidence of their crimes. While regulators and consumers have raised concerns about the safety of electronic seals, they are not any more susceptible than physical ones. These threats apply to all types of notarizations.
Best practice is to adopt secure processes across the board that hinder identity theft, regardless of in-person or online notarization. To reduce these threats, title companies and consumers must seek out best-in-class software that offers these protections. Companies such as CertifID are changing the landscape with its encryption software that has the ability to check IDs and compare to biometrics. What Landmark Title likes about its partnership with CertifID is that it seamlessly integrates with existing title company platforms and complements virtual notary services that are often already available.
With a dedicated team of escrow officers in Arizona and Nevada, we’ve been safeguarding and applying the most up-to-date security practices in the industry to mitigate our clients’ risk. If you are interested in learning more about Landmark Title’s services, please get in contact here.