How Remote Online Notarization Works

Notarization is a vital process that helps ensure the authenticity and integrity of critical documents. Unfortunately, many companies that have otherwise modernized their processes can still only perform important notarizations in-person and on paper. 

In today’s fast-moving, hybrid work environment, delaying an important deal to wait until all parties can come together for an in-person and paper-based notarization is a non-starter. It slows down the pace of business, delivers a poor signer and notary public experience, and even increases the risk of identity fraud.

Fortunately, organizations now have another option: remote online notarization (RON). This blog will cover how remote online notarization works, how it can help you save time and reduce the risk of mistakes, and how you can upgrade your notarization process for the digital age starting right now.

What is remote online notarization?

RON is the process of notarizing a document remotely by using electronic signature, identity verification, audio-visual, and electronic notarial journal and record-keeping technologies. A properly performed RON act is legally admissible like a traditional, paper-based notarization, but without the inefficiencies and inconveniences of notarizing in person.

With a solution like Docusign Notary, your notaries now have the digital tools they need to securely conduct RON acts, providing a seamless signer experience and mitigating risk with a robust audit trail. Notary helps organizations send, sign, and notarize agreements uninterrupted within the Docusign eSignature experience they’re already familiar with, making the online notarization experience as seamless and efficient as possible.

How does online notarization work?

Remote online notarization enables the notarization of a wide range of agreements remotely and electronically via a secure audio-visual session in just three steps.

1. Send an agreement

To begin, the sender simply uploads an agreement or uses a template for frequently notarized agreements. After adding the signers and the notary public, they can quickly drag and drop fields directly onto the agreement to capture accurate signer and notary public information at the time of signing.

2. Verify signers’ identities

Next, each signer receives an email with a personalized link, ensuring only identified signers can enter the live notarial session. The signers should then go through a quick tech check to ensure they have access to a camera, microphone, and sufficient internet bandwidth to enable a seamless audio-visual experience. 

After passing the tech check, the online notary will ask signers to verify their identities. To do this, the signers will take a picture of their government-issued ID, which the notary will check for authenticity. The notary may also ask the signers a series of questions about their personal backgrounds, which they will then verify against a third-party database. 

Alternatively, if the notary public knows the signer, Docusign Notary allows the notary public to personally attest to the signer’s identity. These identity-proofing options can help organizations comply with RON regulations while mitigating the risk of identity fraud.

3. Sign and notarize 

Lastly, the agreement is signed and notarized in a live, two-way audio-visual session. The session occurs within the users’ browsers, so no downloads or plug-ins are required, ensuring a fast and frictionless experience.

During this live session, the signers and the notary public can review the agreement together, ask questions, and confirm that everyone has filled out the agreement correctly. The notary public then completes their electronic journal, capturing critical information about the notarial transaction before witnessing the signer electronically sign the agreement in real time.

Finally, the notary public simply clicks a button to apply their digital seal, and their information is automatically pulled from their Docusign profile. Say goodbye to the hand-held notary seal stamp or embosser!

Once the notarization session is complete, the tamper-evident electronic journal and audio-visual recording are both stored within the Docusign platform for secure record-keeping. Both files will be available for future access within the notary public’s profile.

Each RON transaction also comes equipped with an audit trail that captures the date and time of the notarization session, along with other critical information about the agreement. his robust audit trail helps organizations mitigate risk and meet state-specific RON requirements.

What can online notarization be used for?

The majority of US states have passed legislation allowing RON transactions, with most states recognizing interstate RON acts. This means you can use RON and online notarization tools to notarize a wide range of your organization’s most common and critical agreements. 

These agreements include:

• Powers of attorney

• Spousal consents

• Affidavits

• Deeds

• Trust certifications

• Auto title transfers

• Total loss claims

• Life and annuity claims

For more information about how RON supports these common agreements, check out Docusign’s Remote Online Notarization Guide.  

What are the advantages of online notarization?

Create a more convenient customer experience

Online notarization services enable organizations to conduct business faster and more efficiently, especially when built into a singular, end-to-end document management and e-signature platform like DocuSign that allows you to send, sign, and manage all your agreements in one place.

Conduct business faster and more efficiently

Online notarization services give senders the ability to easily drag-and-drop fields, like the notary public’s county of commission, onto the document directly, ensuring fast and accurate document execution. The information is pulled automatically from the digital notarial seal, significantly reducing the risk of error.

Organizations can also create reusable templates for frequently used agreements that require notarization. Then, they can even use robust APIs to seamlessly automate repeatable workflows, such as triggering a notarial session, within the systems they use every day.

Mitigate risk and reduce fraud

When fortified by secure identity-proofing technologies and a robust audit trail, online notarization offers peace of mind. Each notarial session provides a tamper-evident certificate of completion, and notaries public have access to a secure audio-visual recording and electronic journal. This can help reduce risk and can help your notaries public comply with state RON requirements.

Signers and notaries alike enjoy a convenient, intuitive experience without any of the frustrations and hassles of meeting in person. Isn’t it time to transform your notarization processes for the digital age with RON?

See RON in action and learn more about how Docusign Notary works.