Before you notarize your next document, you should familiarize yourself with remote online notarization (RON). Also called virtual notarization, RON is an increasingly popular and advantageous notarization option.
What Is Remote Online Notarization (RON)?
RON uses electronic signatures, identity verification and secure audiovisual technology to complete the entire document notarization process online.
RON vs. Traditional Notary: What’s the Real Difference?
Traditionally, all signing parties have had to gather in the same room with a notary to protect the legal integrity of binding documents through notarization. This might require a trip across town or halfway around the world. RON eliminates the need for physical travel.
Remote online notarization connects signing parties with a notary through a secure online videoconferencing platform, guiding them through steps to create tamper-proof digital documents with electronic signatures and notary seals.
Is RON Legal Where You Are?
In the United States, notarization is governed at the state or county level, and most states support and recognize some form of RON notarization. All jurisdictions that offer RON have laws in place to ensure compliance and validity.
It’s understandable that some people might have questions or even be a little worried about the legality of remote online notarization and whether it’s truly secure against fraud. Let us allay your concerns.
Easy Online Notary: Your Simple Guide to the RON Process
RON notaries produce secure and validated documents by adhering to the following four-step process:
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Uploading and Sending the Document
If you have a document that requires notarization, you can begin the RON process by uploading that document to your chosen service provider. These service providers typically prefer documents to be uploaded as PDF files.
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Identity Verification
Using video conferencing, the notary conducts a signing session at a predetermined time. All signing parties participate in these sessions, during which the notary verifies their identities using a range of proven, tech-driven methods.
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Live Notarization Session
With IDs verified, the notary instructs all signing parties to apply electronic signatures (e-signatures) and guides them through this process. Then, the notary applies their e-signature and electronic seal. They might also administer an oath or oral ceremony when necessary.
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Document Completion and Secure Storage
RON activities are recorded in a digital journal, and videos of notarial sessions are permanently stored, along with notarized documents, in heavily encrypted form on regulated servers. All signing parties instantaneously receive their own copies of these documents for reference.
Common Uses for Remote Online Notarization
RON is applicable to all documents across all industries. In short, a remote online notary can do anything that a traditional notary can do:
RON for Real Estate Transactions
Essential for facilitating the buying and selling of property, remote document signing fuels the real estate industry. Common notarized real estate documents include mortgage agreements, property deeds and purchase/lease agreements.
Online Notary for Legal Documents
Many legal documents spanning all sorts of professional fields require official notarization. And when you think about personal life changes — prenuptial agreements, divorce or annulment proceedings, establishing paternity, sorting out child custody and support, etc. — these often need a notary, too. For these situations, using an online notary for legal documents can be a convenient option.
Digital Notarization for Financial Documents
Finance professionals also work with notarized documents on a regular basis. Even if they don’t legally require its, common finance documents such as loan agreements and deeds of debt can greatly benefit from the security that notarization provides.
Virtual Notarization for Insurance and Auto Transactions
The authentication and validation power of notarization benefits documents in both the insurance and automotive sectors. Insurance documents ranging from claim forms to beneficiary designations can be safeguarded against dispute with a notary seal. The same thing holds true for bills of sale, powers of attorney and other documents commonly involved in automotive sales transactions.
Digital Signing for Business Contracts and Agreements
From articles of incorporation to employment contracts, countless business documents either legally require or strongly benefit from notarization. RON can speed the pace of business as well as personal agreements and transactions by streamlining the notarization process.
Benefits of Remote Online Notarization
When compared with other forms of notarization, RON offers many distinct advantages, including:
Convenience and Efficiency
Beyond the ease of operations and associated increases in production that go hand-in-hand with RON, it offers new opportunities for certain populations. Elderly people and people with disabilities might often struggle to overcome physical challenges that stand in the way of traditional, on-site notarization. They may simply be unable to travel to a notary’s office to sign important documents such as wills, powers of attorney and estate planning documents.
Enhanced Security and Fraud Prevention
The technological processes and tools detailed above have made RON even more secure than traditional notarization using paper documents. For this reason, state and local governments across America have widely embraced RON.
RON Is Legally Recognized and Compliant Across the U.S.
Remote Online Notarization is legally recognized and compliant in most U.S. states, with over 40 having enacted permanent laws to support it. Many states also accept notarization performed under another state’s RON laws, provided they comply with that state’s legal requirements. This recognition across state lines is backed by consistent laws and the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Cost Savings and Sustainability
From streamlining business processes to eliminating travel needs, RON is good for the financial bottom line and environmental footprint of organizations in countless ways.
Secure Your Online Notary Now: It’s Fast & Easy!
The convenience and ease of RON simply cannot be beat in the world of modern notarization. Need a document notarized quickly and efficiently? Contact First Class Signing Service today.
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What sets us apart is our exceptional team of 50,000-plus highly qualified signing agents who are dedicated to providing reliable and efficient signing services with utmost care and professionalism.