Have You Heard of RON?
Written by Melissa K. Garner - July 3, 2023
RON is the acronym for Remote Online Notarization. If you are still scratching your head wondering what this is, you are not alone.
Virginia was the first state to enact RON laws in 2012. Montana, Nevada, and Texas followed in 2015 and 2017. With additional states presenting legislation to implement and legalize RON laws, the National Association of Secretaries of States formed a committee to review and evaluate RON practices. As a result, a standardized process for RON was established.
COVID began impacting the daily lives of practically everyone worldwide in 2019, thus further driving the urgency for alternate means of interacting that did not involve physical, one-on-one contact. When the world experienced the shutdown, these alternate means were quickly put into action to continue to conduct “business as usual” as much as possible. This is where remote online notarization began to be more widely known and is quickly gaining popularity in our everyday lives.
RON has garnered a lot of attention and acceptance for several reasons. Remote online notarizations have the benefit of being more secure. In addition to the signer’s identity being verified through a third-party verification provider, the online signing session is also recorded. The third-party verification provider is separate from and inaccessible to the notary, therefore making the online signing less likely to be fraudulent since the notary is unable to force the system to approve someone for signing that should not be. Additionally, the recording is required by most states, if not all, and must be saved for a designated period. Having this recording in situations where disputes arise, the recording eliminates not knowing what was said or shared or by whom.
Florida has an advantage over several states in that it is one of only a few that allows for biometric verification. Biometric verification is used when a signer is either not a US citizen (does not have a social security number), fails the two allowable attempts to pass one portion of the ID verification, or possibly unable to pass for other reasons. Biometric verification does not bypass the requirement for having a valid ID, however it does allow for a greater opportunity to provide RON services to more people. Notaries Public such as MK Notary Services are able to provide fast, efficient and simple RON services.
Remote online notarization allows for the ease and convenience of signers to be practically anywhere in the world eliminating the need for all parties involved to converge at a single location. The accessibility to a notary via audio and video allows individuals to remain where they are without having to travel. This is of critical importance to individuals that may be home-bound. Other scenarios include individuals amid real estate transactions that are oftentimes traveling abroad whether for work or other reasons. Those individuals are still reachable via RON and can complete their transactions without having to compromise their work or travel schedules.
The expansion of RON transactions has evolved to encompass a variety of circumstances. One such scenario would involve the unique apostille industry. One might look at the word “apostille” and say, “appa what?” An apostille itself is not much more than a cover page that is stapled to a specific document. One’s document, or set of documents, is authenticated at either the state level (Secretary of State) or the Department of State in Washington DC. The authentication process ultimately leads to the issuance of the apostille which is to certify certain elements of a document.
Each state has a Secretary of State office, with each having a different process and turnaround time. How an apostille request is submitted has an impact on the timeframe for obtaining the apostille. As such, it is sometimes beneficial for documents to be authenticated in a different state, if allowable. In this instance, utilizing the services of a remote online notary would be the only way to obtain an apostille in a specific state as the notary’s commission stamp can be the governing factor that determines where an apostille can be acquired. Florida is unique in that apostilles can be obtained in 24-hours and sometimes less under certain circumstances. Therefore, the advantages of utilizing RON services in Florida can lend to faster processing times for apostilles.
Documents being submitted for apostille are sometimes required to be translated into another language. Certified translators may not be local, therefore, the ability to promptly have documents translated means forwarding one’s documents to a translation company. Documents are usually sent by email or facsimile. Once a translation is completed, utilizing RON services to certify a translator’s signature can significantly expedite the apostille process. In the absence of an online notarization, the translator would be required to meet with a notary in person and then forward the signed and notarized document(s) by mail. This can significantly delay one’s ability to obtain their apostille. Remote online notarizations allow for signatures to be notarized and documents printed for a rapid and more efficient process.
Remote online notarizations are quickly becoming the new norm. There are only a handful of states left that have not enacted RON laws and it is very likely those states will eventually have RON laws in place. Remote online notarizations provide an easy, convenient, and accessible solution to getting documents notarized for various reasons and purposes. The process allows for efficient processing and handling of important, even time-sensitive documents that are hailed to be more safe and secure than in-person notarizations.
Our daily lives have been impacted by COVID to the extent that we have become living history and continue to evolve during a period that will be written about in future history books. We have grown and adapted during a pandemic and the way we manage essential functions and continue to complete key and vital transactions has been the impetus for remote online notarizations. The progression of how documents are signed and / or notarized will only continue to grow and expand and RON will continue to be a key component to the future of notarizations.