aneWWaytonotarizeinacovid-19WorLd
Technology Section Chairs : MikeHooker-PhelpsDunbar , LLP & RyanMcGee-Morgan & Morgan , PA
Withtheriseincivil lawsuitsfiledover covid-19 , offeringremote notarizationservices toclientswillsoonbe thenewnormal .
The 2020 Coronavirus crisis will be remembered as one of the worst pandemics in our nation ’ s history . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) warns that while transmission is primarily by person-to-person contact , the virus can be also caught by touching a surface that has the virus on it , and then touching one ’ s mouth , nose , or eyes . 1 Therefore , touch-free transactions are no longer just encouraged ; they have become the norm to prevent the deadly virus from spreading .
In June 2019 , in a prophetic manner , Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida Senate House Bill
409 into law . This law authorizes the use of Remote Online Notarizations ( RON ) effective January 1 , 2020 , giving individuals the option to have their legal documents notarized virtually . Before January 1 , 2020 , traditional notarial acts required a person whose signature needed to be notarized , known as the principal , to physically appear before a notary public . Florida Statute § 117.209 ( 2 ) now permits the principal to “ appear before the online notary by means of audiovideo communication technology .”
The standards required to become a Remote Online Notary include : holding a current notary commission , completing an educational course , obtaining a $ 25,000 notary bond and an errors and omissions policy of at least $ 25,000 , and partnering with a third-party service provider that has a signer-credential-verification feature . Many law firms offer their support staff the opportunity to obtain a traditional notary public commission , so that clients are able to have their authorizations or verifications conveniently notarized in-house . However , due to the current state of affairs and
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