Remote Online Notarization

The Michigan legislature passed a bill into law which amends the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts to expand the range of permitted remote online notarization and communications technologies.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization is seeking public comment on the updated Remote Online Notarization Standards V2 document.

The California legislature passed legislation allowing for remote online notarization. The bill awaits the governor’s signature.

Ginnie Mae announced in All Participants Memorandum (APM) 23-09 that it is extending the use of electronic signatures in conjunction with remote online notarization to include power of attorney mortgage documents.

U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mark Warner (D-VA) reintroduced their Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act. This bipartisan bill would permit the nationwide use of remote online notarizations (RONs), enabling notaries and signers to complete the process from different physical locations.

As part of its appropriations bill for fiscal year 2023, the Massachusetts General Court passed legislation allowing for the use of remote online notarization.

The Connecticut General Assembly is considering legislation that would permit notaries to remotely notarize certain documents under certain specified circumstances.

The New York State Department of State recently published rules establishing the standards relating to performing notarial acts, including electronic notarial acts.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners Title Insurance Task Force proposed its charges for 2023.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla expressing his concerns with the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act. He argued that any federal legal framework for remote online notarization should allow flexibility for states to monitor and prevent data breaches, fraud and other abuses.