Authorize Audio-video Communication Notarial Acts

Current law requires an individual who wishes to have a document notarized to appear personally before the notary public. The bill authorizes notaries public to perform a notarial act on behalf of an individual who is not in the notary's physical presence, but only with respect to an electronic document.

To perform a 'remote notarization', a notary must use a tamper-evident electronic system that conforms to standards established by rules of the secretary of state, including using real-time audio-video communications and keeping an audio-video recording of the notarization for at least 10 years. The bill establishes the standards that a notary must comply with to have satisfactory evidence of the identity of the person seeking the remote notarization. A notary is prohibited from using information collected during a remote notarization other than as allowed by applicable federal or state law.

The bill appropriates $42,895 to the department of state for the implementation of the act.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)