The bottom line is that social distancing has become such an important focus in our lives, and this is what has triggered the growth of electronic notarization so vividly.
Following the onset of pandemic last year, virtual working environments are witnessing a steep rise. People looking for notarial acts are now exploring remote online notarization, and even digital signatures. From running business to purchasing property, notarization is one of the primary things that you need to do without fail. But, the pandemic has spurred uncertainties with crucial tasks being delayed significantly. No doubt, remote online notarization is perfectly countering the shortfalls of traditional notarization. And, the pandemic with stringent social distancing norms is playing a push to the popularity of the remote notarization.
This increased evolution is pretty obvious in the domain of remote notarization, where a series of new concepts are coming up almost everyday.
Understanding Electronic Notarization
RON or remote online notarization has eliminated the need for in-person signings. Even if the signer is in a different location, notarization won’t be delayed at least for the sake of signature. Notaries opt for audio-visual technology in order to execute the signing process. Once it is done, the notary public will finally affix the notary seal.
With electronic notarization, documents are notarized in an electronic form. Here the signer uses an electronic signature model that appears before the notary via online audio-video technology. This makes an all-digital RON the Holy Grail for users looking for emergency notarization in a jiffy.
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need to do more remote online notarization. So far, only 23 states across America have adopted the idea of remote online notarization. They include Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
What’s the Good News?
The good news is nearly every state legislature has submitted a RON bill for consideration though it is fully implemented in 23 states only. People across the states are now pretty familiar with the concept of remote online notarization and are quite interested to explore this new process. Many notaries are now opting for a thorough training on how to use it. To cope up with this growing trend, states are gearing up to speed utilizing remote notarization technology. The local communities that govern these are also becoming more cooperative.
The only good part about the pandemic is that it is pushing these issues to come into the forefront, with start-up companies developing the capability to do RON transactions through e-notarizations.
No doubt, the pandemic has shaped up a virtual ecosystem for each and every field of business and notarization is certainly not an exception. Rather, the pandemic has triggered the widespread adoption and acceptance of remote online notarization and electronic signatures. Plus, the process is also easy and effortless. However, keep in mind that the norms of electronic notarization vary from state to state, but the core concept remains the same. Various technology updates are being carried out in this domain and it is expected to make significant advancement in the coming years.
Electronic Notarization is Making Social Distancing a Reality
Amidst the pandemic, social distancing is paramount in people’s minds. Even with the transition to getting back to normal in some ways, widespread acceptance of remote online notarization is yet to be achieved. The bottom line is that social distancing has become such an important focus in our lives, and this is what has triggered the growth of electronic notarization so vividly.
Final Words
Alongside the growth of remote online notarization it is essential to take care of the increasing threat of cyber security risks, from phishing scams to identity theft and ransomware attacks. To do away with it, several measures have to be taken into consideration. First of all, it is the validity of the digital verification process. From the perspective of the market risk, electronic notarization is certainly a risk, but the convenience it brings with it especially during the situation of pandemic makes it a preferred choice for many users across the United States.
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