Is Remote Online Notarization Safer Than Traditional Signings?

Remote Online Notarization, or RON, is an exciting technology that is starting to change the landscape for some notarial signings. It offers a variety of new safety measures, but do they add up?

What exactly are the new features and how do they impact your signing(s)?

Is Remote Online Notarization Safer?

RON is not automatically safer than traditional signings. But, it can add new safety features when a transaction is a good fit.

Remote Online Notarization does provide new tools to aid in things like identity verification, audit trails, recordings and others. These safety features help remote online notarization be the correct choice depending on the signing. If you have any questions about the best method for your signing, Sunshine is always available to answer any questions.

Let’s take a look at some of the features that may make RON a preferable choice for you.

The Software

There are several main options for remote signings, like Notarize, that are competing with each other not just for market share, but also new features meant to make signings easier and to improve safety. These vary by company, though several main tenets are pretty consistent among them.

Lucky for you, Sunshine Signing has notary specialists trained on all of the major platforms. We can help you along the journey, including if using remote online notarization is a better or safer option for you. Simply give us a call at (727) 817-0000 or use our contact form for instant service. A Sunshine Signing representative can perform your remote signing if it is right for you.

Remote Online Notarization and Identity Verification

RON platforms can include identity verification, credential analysis, and knowledge-based authentication before the notary session begins.

This can vary by platform used, but all have the same goal. You may need to provide images of your identification for software identification. Instead of a face to face, its goal is to do the same thing digitally.

The software may inspect the identifications physical and security features to prove it is not a forgery or has not been modified. This may or may not be an exact art as of yet, but software to do so is improving rapidly. One challenge faced is verifying the wide varieties of identifications between states, which can be different. You also need to realize that changes are made quickly in identification cards, so there may be several types active in a state at any given time.

Software then uses something called data matching for further security. It checks your information against public records and proprietary data sources to validate the credentials presented for identity verification.

You also may be asked to complete a series of questions to further prove you are who you say you are. It may ask things like if a certain address means something to you, usually presenting several options. In this case, it could be something like different roads you may have grown up on as a child.

It is important to note that some traditional signings may also feature this requirement. These may just be in person questions verified by the notary through other external software that is not RON. You may have run across these types of questions when applying for credit or purchasing a home.

Finally, the notary must sign off on the above process. They will do a visual comparison between the identification and the signer, review verification and make a final approval of positive identification.

Is this process inherently safer? While it is designed to be, in person verification is also a valid option. While it may not have all of the steps remote online notarization does, it can be more effective in other areas, such a possible duress of the signer.

It is important to note that no method is 100% guaranteed. That is just one reason you need to work with an experienced and professional notary. Their record and expertise goes a long way in helping to ensure a successful signing.

Since remote online notarization is a newer technology, it is important to find an experienced notary may be easier to find a provider that understands the process and can guide signers through every step .

Sunshine Signing has a network of over 40,000 vetted notaries at our disposal, both in person and online. All it takes is a simple call to (727) 817-0000 or using our contact form to get instant service from one of our notary specialists.

Recordings and Audit Trails

This is one area where remote online notarization shines. They record the entire process, from the signer, to the notary, as well as any witnesses required (if they are required). If any future issue arises, the recording serves as crucial evidence that can be easily accessed. This can be a game changer for any signing whose validity is under question.

The duration the audio and video recordings must be archived vary by state law and software provider. But most are a minimum of five years, which would usually serve as a useful amount of time. Of note, there is currently legislation in Congress to try and codify minimum requirements nationally, though it is still a long way from passing.

Audit trails include things like timestamps for the notarization process, emails, ip addresses used, exact times things were done, among others. RON may also create or retain an electronic notarial record, including the journal entry, audio-video recording, identity verification records, timestamps, and related platform activity.

These can also prove helpful if an issue with the signing is found in the future.

Software requirements also aim to make records tamper-evident. In layman’s terms this means that a record from the signing cannot be edited, changed or deleted. If something does have to be changed, it is added as an addendum and does not overwrite the original record.

Remote Online Notarization and Mitigating Risk

This does not in all cases make things safer, but in some instances it may.

Compared to a mobile signing, the flexibility of an online signing can be a bonus. It can cover things like travel delays, weather issues and other things that may make a mobile signing difficult. You can also add in things like missed appointments and coordinating signers that are in different locations.

So, Is Remote Online Notarization Safer than Mobile Signings?

If you learned anything from this article is that the situation is complex.

RON can be safer, but that does not mean that it is safer. In many cases an in person mobile signing may still be the better option.

There are so many variables in the equation it is almost impossible for the layman to navigate.

Laws vary, requirements from other signers like lenders, things like requirements for title and even if the receiving party will allow it, among others.

If those stars all align, RON can be safer, faster and more efficient.

The best solution is to consult the experts at Sunshine Signing. Our notary specialists are 100% USA based and can advise you on the optimum solution for your specific situation. Even better, we can perform your online signing or arrange a mobile notary. We even do in house signings for those local to the Hudson, Florida area.

For more information please call the number or click the contact button on the banner below and Sunshine Signing will be there for you.

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