A. In Florida, the remote notary process refers to the process of notarizing documents remotely, using audio-visual technology. This process allows individuals to have their documents notarized without having to physically meet with a notary public.
To use the remote notary process in Florida, the following steps are typically required:
1. Find a remote notary. Not all notaries offer this service, so it’s important to find a notary public who is authorized to perform remote notarization.
2. Schedule an appointment. Once you have found a notary who offers remote notarization, you will need to schedule an appointment. This can typically be done online or by phone.
3. Verify your identity. To ensure that the notarization process is secure, the notary will need to verify your identity. This can be done by asking you to show your government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, over the video call.
4. Sign the document. Once your identity has been verified, you will need to sign the document in the presence of the notary, over the video call.
5. Notarize the document. After you sign the document, the notary will notarize it by adding their signature and notary seal. This will confirm that the document has been notarized and is legally binding.
6. Receive the notarized document. Once the document has been notarized, the notary will send it back to you via email, or through another secure method.
It’s important to note that some documents may not be eligible for remote notarization. For example, certain types of legal documents, such as wills, may require physical notarization. Before scheduling a remote notarization appointment, it’s best to check with the notary to see if your document is eligible.
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B. Steps a remote notary needs to do to notarize and look for when doing a mortgage process in Florida:
- Verify the signer’s identity. This can be done by reviewing the signer’s government-issued ID and asking them to answer knowledge-based authentication questions.
- Confirm the signer’s understanding of the document. The notary should ask the signer to read the document aloud and explain what it means.
- Have the signer sign the document. The signer can sign the document electronically or by physically signing it and uploading a scanned copy.
- Affix the notary’s seal. The notary should affix their seal to the document and record the notarization in their journal.
- Retain the audio and video recording of the notarization. Florida law requires remote notaries to retain an audio and video recording of all notarizations.
In addition to these steps, the remote notary should also look for the following things when notarizing a mortgage document in Florida:
The mortgage document should be properly executed. This means that all of the required signatures should be present, and the signatures should be in the correct location.
The mortgage document should be free of any errors. The notary should carefully review the document for any errors, such as misspellings or missing information.
The mortgage document should be valid. The notary should ensure that the mortgage document is valid and enforceable under Florida law.
By following these steps, remote notaries can help to ensure that mortgage documents are properly notarized and that the mortgage process is completed smoothly.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
Florida Department of State: Remote Online Notary Public: https://www.flgov.com/remote-online-notary-public/
National Notary Association: How to Perform a Remote Online Notarization: https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2019/12/how-to-perform-a-remote-online-notarization
Notaries.com: Remote Online Notarization (RON) in Florida: How It Works: https://www.notaries.com/articles/how-remote-online-notarization-works/
Answers To Urgent Questions Notaries Are Asking About Remote Online Notarization | NNA
https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2020/03/answers-urgent-questions-notaries-ron