Tips For Explaining RON To New Clients
RON is not your next door neighbor! Well, he might be… but you know what we’re getting at.
In the world of notaries public, remote online notary (RON) is a relatively new concept. So if your fellow notaries or clients aren’t familiar with the term or they give you a bit of a puzzled look when you mention RON, don’t become disheartened.
In the past couple years it seems as though everything has gone digital - from how we grocery shop, to how we hang out with friends, to how we learn new skills. So, you would think that taking a mundane, monotonous, and even some might say “annoying” task like going to get a document notarized and turning into a simple and easy to use digital interaction you don’t have to leave your home for would be an easy sell.
The reality is, notarization is a bit of a steeper hill to climb when it comes to getting people on board with taking this activity online.
Here’s a few common concerns and questions you may run into as a RON…
Is RON secure?
Is RON legal?
Is RON recognized as legit?
In this blog post, allow us to equip you with a few quick and easy answers for you to doll out to your potential new clients when they seem a bit hesitant to join the digital RON-olution.
#1 Is RON secure?
Believe it or not, RON is actually MORE secure than traditional in-person notarization.
Here’s how…
In order to participate in a RON session, you must first complete identity verification and knowledge-based authentication to ensure that you are who you say you are. During the signing session, the audio-visual technology records and documents the entire session, saving the recording for 10 years in the Notary Hub cloud. This ensures that both the notary and the constituent are willingly participating in the signing session and not under duress.
When you complete a notarization process with a remote online notary, the finalized PDF document is digitally signed. The digital fingerprint is embedded in the PDF which allows others to verify that it has not been altered after the signing took place. The signature guarantees that the document hasn’t been tampered with, and it also guarantees the identity of the Notary signer.
The files you upload to the site will be stored securely and only be available to you and your Notary. The information you provide to verify your identity is only used to pass data securely to our identity partner.
That’s privacy & security at it’s finest.
#2 Is RON legal?
The short answer? Yes. Remote Online Notarization is a legal. However, it is not yet legal nationwide. RON is quickly gaining popularity across the country with 40 states currently offering remote online notarization as an option for conducting business as a notary public. To find out if your state currently supports RON, be sure to check with your state’s remote online notarization laws before participating in a remote online notarization session.
If you do live in a state that allows for remote online notarization you can trust your Notary Hub notary is authorized to perform the notarial act.
In order to become a RON on Notary Hub, your notary must first follow their state’s specific authorization process to receive a RON endorsement to their traditional notary public license. Each RON that applies to the Notary Hub must first verify their state approved RON endorsement, complete identity verification and pass through our thorough vetting process.
#3 Is RON recognized as legit?
With RON legislation rapidly growing in it’s adoption at a state level, remote online notarization is quickly becoming more commonly recognized as a legitimate alternative to in-person notarization.
Thanks to Congress passing the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) in 2000 electronic signatures and records became recognized to have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures and paper documents. This act, along with the earlier wide spread popularity of IPEN, a method of in-person notarization where the notary uses a computer or tablet and electronic signature to perform the notarial act instead of a stamp, pen, and paper, RON has been able to enter the scene as a next step forward in the evolution of notarization.
Not to mention, the sophistication of the security technology required to perform a remote online notarization session alone lends itself to legitimacy of the notarial act.
To recap…
Is RON secure?
YES.
Is RON legal?
YES. (In most states. Be sure to check your state’s laws on remote online notarization.)
Is RON recognized as legit?
YES.
