Technology Thursdays: Navigating State RON Platforms

Are you ready to embrace the future of notarization from the comfort of your own office? Today, Eddie Montes Travis and Marylyn Lee Trotter guide you through the digital landscape of state-approved Remote Online Notarization (RON) platforms. We examine how to choose the right tools to ensure your business stays compliant while meeting the growing demand for virtual signings.

• Subject: Understanding State Compliance. Every state has unique rules for which digital platforms are allowed, and we explain how to verify your state's specific requirements to avoid legal pitfalls.
• Subject: Essential Technical Requirements. Successful RON sessions depend on strong internet connections, high-quality webcams, and secure identity verification tools that protect both the notary and the signer.
• Subject: Software User Experience. We look at how different software interfaces affect your daily workflow and the overall ease of use for your signing clients during a live session.
• Subject: Security and Identity Protocols. Learn about the multi-layered security features like Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) and credential analysis that keep remote transactions safe from fraud.

Staying current with technology is essential for any modern professional looking to expand their reach. Make sure to choose the right tools to grow your business and serve clients anywhere in the world. Please subscribe and like the podcast to stay updated on all things digital!

Show Notes:
• How to check your state's approved list of RON platforms.
• Basic hardware requirements for a professional remote notary setup.
• Overview of identity proofing and credential analysis protocols.
• Tips for managing client expectations during a virtual signing.

Buy Becoming a Notary on Amazon

Notary Knowledge Reference Guide and Notary Bible on Amazon

Your Sunday Notary Reading:
Notary Public Foundation: Essential Guide to Core Duties, Ethics, and Commissioning on Amazon

Your Monday Notary Reading:
Notary Operational Excellence: Mastering Certificates, Journals, Ink, and Copy Certification on Amazon

Your Tuesday Notary Reading:
Notary Fraud Shield: Real-World Tactics, Red Flags, and Refusal Strategies on Amazon

Your Wednesday Notary Reading:
The Mobile Notary Blueprint: Launching and Managing Your On-Demand Business on Amazon

Your Thursday Notary Reading:
Notary Niche Navigator: Your Guide to Loan Signings, Apostilles, I-9s, and More on Amazon

Your Friday Notary Reading:
Notary Law & Liability: Understanding State Regulations, Insurance, and Avoiding UPL

Your Saturday Notary Reading:
The Future Notary: Mastering RON, eNotary, and Complex Scenarios on Amazon

Quick & Easy Solutions: How to Increase Mobile Notary Business for More Success & Profit: with 37 Professional Tips on Amazon

Executive Producer Derrick Spruill
Writers Marylyn Lee Trotter and Eddie Montes Travis
Graphics & Illustrations by Eddie Montes Travis
Music by Thomas Bynum
This Show is Produced by Magnificent Workz
Business Solutions

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:03

Know the notary laws and safeguard your notary business. Introducing the book Notary Law and Liability, Understanding State Regulations, Insurance, and Avoiding UPL by Derek Sproul. What you don't know can destroy the notary business you've been building. Get your copy of Notary Law and Liability by Derek Scruell from Amazon.com, Barnes Noble, Books of Million, Bookshop.org, Mobile Notary by DerekSbruell.com, or download from Kindle today.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Imagine, like watching a client sign a $500,000 commercial real estate deed right there on a webcam.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

Right, and everything looks completely perfect.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Exactly. I mean, the identity is verified, the signatures are captured, the virtual seals are applied. It looks flawless. Yeah, but then But then days later, when the title company actually attempts to record that digital document, they realize a single virtually invisible pixel was altered in transit.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

Oh wow. Just one pixel.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

Just one. And instantly the mathematical lock on that document shatters. The cryptographic seal just flashes red.

SPEAKER_03 1:10

Which invalidates the entire transaction.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Right. And potentially freezes half a million dollars in escrow. Welcome to the reality of 2026. This is Notary Knowledge. You are listening to an in-depth analysis of the modern notarial landscape hosted by Eddie and Marilyn.

SPEAKER_03 1:26

And you know, in our previous sessions, we really explored the massive industry-wide shift from traditional paper workflows over to these fully integrated digital ecosystems.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Yeah, and today we are taking that foundation and examining the stark, honestly uncompromising reality of operating in this highly technical era.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

It's a lot to navigate.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

It really is. This is a thoughtful, reflective look at the profession, tailored specifically for experienced notaries, legal professionals, and business owners who are, you know, already in the trenches.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

Right. The folks navigating a rapidly evolving technological and regulatory environment every single day.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Exactly. So our mission for this session is clear. We are analyzing a massive stack of 2026 source material.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

We're talking granular software vendor comparisons, state legislative texts.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Like California A's incredibly intricate Senate Bill 696.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

Oh, yeah, we'll get into that one. Plus the strict, often contradictory underwriting guidelines governing real estate.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Right. All to help you, the listener, master remote online notarization or OROM.

SPEAKER_03 2:29

But before we get into the heavy technical mechanics, we want to ensure you have the right foundation.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Yeah, absolutely. We highly encourage you to buy the notary knowledge books by Derek Spruel and visit the notary knowledge website to deepen your foundational expertise.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

And for more dynamic visual content, be sure to check out the video podcast No Notary with Eddie Montez Travis.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

As well as Marilyn's 90 seconds of notary.

SPEAKER_03 2:52

So getting back to that scenario you just described with the half million dollar deed.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Yeah, the shattered seal.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

Right. That is exactly why this profession has transformed so radically, because I mean the role of the notary has remained fundamentally unchanged for centuries.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

You verify identity, witness intent, apply a seal.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Exactly, to deter fraud. But the mechanisms by which we actually achieve those three core pillars, they've been completely up-ended.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Right. We are no longer just examining a physical plastic driver's license.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Or, you know, squinting at a hologram and stamping a piece of paper with wet ink. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Yeah. Those days are fading fast. Today we're interacting with biometric data points. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

Interacting with complex cryptographic hashes.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Aaron Ross Powell And balancing interstate legal frameworks that can be honestly incredibly overwhelming to navigate.

SPEAKER_03 3:41

Oh, absolutely. Especially if you don't understand the underlying mathematics and the law that actually governs the software.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Aaron Ross Powell Which means we really need to establish the precise definitions of the 2026 landscape before we get into this specific state laws.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Aaron Powell Right. We have to define the terms.

SPEAKER_02 3:56

Because looking at our source material, we currently have 38 states that have formally passed remote online notarization laws.

SPEAKER_03 4:03

That's a massive portion of the country.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

It is. But a huge, sometimes confusing digital lexicon has sprung up around this legislation.

SPEAKER_03 4:12

Yeah, Alphabet Soup.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Exactly. We are constantly hearing acronyms like uh RON, RIME, IPN, and GNW.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Right.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

We need to clearly define the mechanical differences between these workflows because the legal liability shifts dramatically depending on which one you use, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 4:28

It absolutely does. So the dominant framework and really the absolute focus of our analysis today is RNON, remote online notarization. Mechanically, this is a fully remote, entirely digital transaction. The signer and the notary are in completely different physical locations.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Sometimes thousands of miles apart.

SPEAKER_03 4:46

Exactly. Communicating via a highly secure, synchronous audio-video platform. The document itself is born digital.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Right, no paper involved at all.

SPEAKER_03 4:56

None. The identity verification is handled digitally through third-party data brokers, and the seal applied is not an image of a stamp.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

That's a big misconception.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Huge. It's a cryptographic digital certificate. Contrast that with IPN, which stands for in-person electronic notarization.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Okay, so how does IPN differ mechanically?

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Well, in an IPN scenario, the document is digital and the seal is digital, but the geographical requirement remains traditional.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

Oh, I see. So the signer and the notary are physically sitting in the exact same room.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

Right. Breathing the same air, usually looking at the exact same tablet or laptop to execute that digital signature. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Okay. So that covers Ron and IPN.

SPEAKER_03 5:35

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

But then there's the anomaly of the group, RIN or remote ink notarization.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Ah, yes. R-I-N.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

This one popped up primarily as a like temporary emergency measure during the global lockdowns a few years ago.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

Right. A band-aid solution.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Yeah. So with R-In, the signer is on a video call with the notary, but they're actually signing a physical piece of paper with wet ink on camera.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Right. And then what happens?

SPEAKER_02 6:02

After the video call ends, the signer literally puts that physical paper in an envelope, drives to a post office, and mails it to the notary.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Days later, the notary receives the paper and applies their physical wet ink stamp.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

Which is why the industry is aggressively and permanently abandoning RAN.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

And for very good reason.

SPEAKER_03 6:20

Oh, absolutely. The source texts explicitly note that states like Michigan absolutely do not allow RAN under any circumstances anymore.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

Really, total ban.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Total ban. And the underlying reason is a profound, unfixable lack of security regarding the chain of custody.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Right, because of the mail.

SPEAKER_03 6:37

Think about the physical vulnerability of that workflow. When you watch someone sign a piece of paper on a webcam, and then that paper disappears into the postal system or a courier network for three to five days.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

The chain of custody is entirely broken.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Completely broken. As the notary, when you finally receive that envelope on your desk, you have absolutely no mathematical or physical certainty that the paper you are holding is the exact same piece of paper you watch them sign on screen.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Because pages could have been swapped.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

Pages swapped, clauses altered, or the entire document could have been forged in the interim.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

Wow. Yeah, that broken chain of custody perfectly highlights why Ron has become the undisputed gold standard for remote work.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

It really has.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

But I want to push back on something that, you know, trips up a lot of professionals.

SPEAKER_03 7:26

Sure. What's that?

SPEAKER_02 7:27

When people hear the term digital seal, they often imagine dr dragging and dropping a transparent PNG image of their notary stamp onto a PDF using like basic editing software.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Yeah, the copy-base method.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

Right. So we need to clearly explain why a true Rowan transaction is entirely different from just pasting an image onto a document. What is the actual mechanism of a digital certificate?

SPEAKER_03 7:50

That is such a critical distinction. A true digital certificate, specifically an X.509 certificate used in public key infrastructure, performs functions that a simple image file could never achieve.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Okay, break that down for us.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

First, it cryptographically links the notary's strongly verified identity directly to the digital signature. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Because they had to prove who they were to the certificate authority first.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Aaron Ross Powell Exactly. But far more importantly, it makes the document what the industry calls tamper evident.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Tamper evident. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:22

Here's how the mechanics actually work. When you apply a digital seal to a PDF inside a compliant R-on platform, the software runs the entire document through a hashing algorithm.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Aaron Powell Like SHA 256 or something similar.

SPEAKER_03 8:36

Typically, yes, something exactly like SHA 256. This algorithm calculates a unique cryptographic hash, which is basically a fixed-length string of letters and numbers derived from the exact contents of that document.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Down to the very last byte of data.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Down to the last byte.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

So if someone tries to intercept that digital document and alter it, say, like a malicious actor tries to change a loan interest rate from 3% to 8%.

SPEAKER_03 8:59

Or they try to swap out a page regarding property boundaries.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Right. What actually happens to that hash?

SPEAKER_03 9:04

The hash breaks immediately and irreversibly. Shatters. Instantly. Because the mathematical value of the hash is tied to the exact pixel and text arrangement of the original document. Even changing a single comma alters the underlying code of the file. Wow. Yeah. If that file is altered after the digital certificate is applied, the new hash will not match the original hash stored in the certificate.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

So the viewing software catches it.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Exactly. Programs like Adobe Acrobat will instantly display a massive red warning banner stating that the signature is invalid and the document has been modified since it was sealed.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

You simply cannot achieve that level of objective automated security with a wet ink signature on physical paper.

SPEAKER_03 9:46

Never. Physical paper is incredibly vulnerable. I mean staples can be carefully removed, pages can be swapped out.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Text can be altered with chemicals.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

Exactly. The cryptographic security of RON doesn't just replicate traditional notarization, it is objectively superior in detecting fraud.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

I completely understand the mathematical superiority of a cryptographic hash. I mean the logic is airtight.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

But here is the massive practical problem that our sources highlight. Implementing that highly secure, mathematically perfect transaction requires the signer to be technologically sophisticated.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

It does. It asks a lot of the user.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Right. Our sources mention the mandatory use of knowledge-based authentication, or KBA.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

Yeah, and this isn't just asking for a mother's maiden name.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Exactly. It requires the signer to answer highly specific, time-sensitive questions generated from their deep credit history.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

Which can be stressful.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Very. And then there's credential analysis, which requires taking glare-free, high-resolution photos of the front and back of a government ID using a smartphone.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Often followed by a biometric facial scan.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Right. So if I am dealing with an elderly client who is, you know, simply trying to execute a healthcare power of attorney.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

Or a young signer who has a thin credit file and therefore cannot even generate the authentication questions in the first place.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Exactly. All of this mathematical security suddenly becomes an impenetrable barrier to access.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

That's a real issue.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

So how is the industry possibly balancing this intense, zero-tolerance mathematical security with the reality that a massive percentage of the population is just not tech savvy?

SPEAKER_03 11:25

Well, that tension between security and accessibility is really the defining challenge of the 2026 landscape.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

It has to be.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

The hard truth is that the security standards absolutely cannot be lowered for the sake of convenience. Because if you do, the moment a state lowers the identity proofing standard, the legal validity of the digital document across state lines is compromised. Ah, I see. Therefore, the burden of bridging that gap falls entirely on the software platform.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

So the developers have to figure it out.

SPEAKER_03 11:51

Exactly. The platforms are tasked with designing user interfaces that somehow guide a complete novice through a complex multi-factor authentication process.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Without frustrating them to the point where they just abandon the session.

SPEAKER_03 12:03

Right. But make no mistake, the software acts as an impartial mathematical gatekeeper.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

It doesn't care if you're having a bad day.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Not at all. If a signer cannot pass the digital hurdles, for example, if they have a freeze on their credit report to prevent identity theft, which blocks the data broker from generating the KBA quiz.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

What happens then?

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Most state laws explicitly dictate that the remote session simply cannot proceed.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

No okay.

SPEAKER_03 12:28

There is no override button for the notary. The signer must find an in-person notary.

SPEAKER_02 12:34

Wow. That is a harsh reality for business owners to accept.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

It is.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Because if the burden of balancing security and user experience falls entirely on the software, that means the independent notary's choice of software provider is arguably the single most critical business decision they will ever make.

SPEAKER_03 12:50

Oh, without a doubt. You cannot execute a compliant transaction without the right digital desk.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

Right. And looking at the 2026 market data from our source texts, specifically the 10 best online notary services 2026 breakdown, we are right in the middle of a massive, highly competitive platform war.

SPEAKER_03 13:06

It is an incredibly crowded and noisy field out there. Yeah. And the greatest danger for the independent notary or even a law firm looking to adopt this technology is treating all these platforms equally.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

They aren't just interchangeable.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Not at all. They are not interchangeable widgets, they are highly specialized digital ecosystems built for vastly different purposes.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Okay, so how is the market structured?

SPEAKER_03 13:29

Broadly speaking, the market has segmented into three distinct tiers: consumer or quick session platforms, enterprise or high-volume platforms, and specialized workflow platforms.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Okay, let's dissect those tiers. If you are an independent notary whose business model focuses heavily on general notary work, what the industry calls GW. Right, meaning everyday lower risk documents like travel consent forms for miners, basic financial affidavits, or school verification forms.

SPEAKER_03 13:58

Yes, the day-to-day stuff.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Right. You are likely looking at the consumer tier. Our sources point to platforms like Online Notary Center, Notary Live, or eNotary on call.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Yep, those are the big ones in that space.

SPEAKER_02 14:09

The primary selling point for this tier is speed and lack of friction, right?

SPEAKER_03 14:13

Exactly. A standard document typically starts at a base rate of $25. The consumer can upload the document, verify their ID, jump on a browser-based camera session, and basically be done in 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Aaron Powell But those consumer platforms are entirely inadequate if we look at the needs of a large law firm, right? Or a national title company or a major healthcare organization.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

Oh, completely inadequate. That is where the enterprise tier dominates the landscape.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

Okay, so who are the players there?

SPEAKER_03 14:41

Aaron Ross Powell, we are talking about massive platforms like Proof, which was formerly known as Notarize, along with DocuSign Notary or Pandadoc Notary.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

And their needs are totally different.

SPEAKER_03 14:51

Completely. These corporate entities are not logging on to do a single isolated notarization. They require deep API access.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

To plug right into their own systems.

SPEAKER_03 15:01

Right. They need to integrate the notarization workflow directly into their proprietary software using webhooks. They demand highly granular audit trails, complex team management features to oversee hundreds of internal notaries. And really just the bandwidth to route thousands of documents a day through a completely standardized, heavily monitored digital pipeline.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Okay, so that's enterprise. And then we have the specialized tier, which is where the technology gets highly nuanced to solve very specific jurisdictional or industry problems.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

For instance, the source material explicitly highlights notary cam as the premier choice for international signers.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Yeah, they have really cornered that market.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

They boast the ability to support clients in over 145 countries.

SPEAKER_03 15:48

Which is huge.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

It is. Because if you are a notary dealing heavily with American expats, military personnel stationed overseas, or foreign business partners, that specific capability to verify international passports and navigate foreign IP addresses is not just a perk.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

No, it is essential to your business model.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Exactly. And then on the other end of the specialized spectrum, you have Cygnix.

SPEAKER_03 16:10

Right. Cygnix is an interesting one.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

They position themselves heavily away from the consumer marketplace, right? And focus entirely on providing high assurance on software for compliance-heavy organizations.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

Like credit unions and wealth management firms.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

Right, where data sovereignty is the top priority.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

And we must also look very closely at the specialized real estate platforms like Nexis.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

Okay, what makes them different?

SPEAKER_03 16:32

Aaron Powell Well, the source texts note that Nexis caters almost exclusively to real estate and lending closings.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Almost exclusively.

SPEAKER_03 16:40

Yeah. In fact, their system is so highly tailored to mortgage workflows that you generally cannot even use their platform for basic general notary work.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

Wow. Really? Just strictly real estate.

SPEAKER_03 16:52

Strictly real estate. Yep. Which leads to a critical operational warning for our listeners.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

Okay, let's hear it.

SPEAKER_03 16:58

If you are an independent notary who attempts to use a lightweight consumer-grade platform to execute a highly complex multi-million dollar real estate closing, you are inviting legal and financial disaster.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

Aaron Powell But wait, why is it a disaster? If the mathematical hash works the exact same way on a consumer platform as it does on a real estate platform, why does it matter which software desk I use?

SPEAKER_03 17:20

Aaron Powell Because real estate transactions require far more than just a valid cryptographic hash.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

What else do they need?

SPEAKER_03 17:27

They require specific industry standardized audit trails. They often require the ability to tag multiple signers joining from different geographical locations at different times.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Okay, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 17:39

They require digital witness capabilities. But most importantly, and this is the kicker, they require the software platform itself to be explicitly approved by the title underwriter issuing the insurance policy on that property.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Ah, so it's about the insurance.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

Always. If you execute a warranty deed on an unapproved, lightweight consumer platform, the title underwriter will flag it during the post-closing audit.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

And what happens then?

SPEAKER_03 18:05

They will reject the document. The mortgage lender will refuse to fund the loan, the buyers will not get their keys. Oh man. And you, as the notary, will be held entirely responsible for failing to understand the operational requirements of your client.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

That underwriter rejection doesn't just kill a single deal, it fundamentally breaks the notary's business model.

SPEAKER_03 18:24

It can ruin a reputation overnight.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Which means we need to look at the harsh economics of this platform war.

SPEAKER_03 18:30

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

Because the pricing structures across these different tiers can be a complete minefield of hidden fees.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

We see a lot of aggressive marking out there, advertising, you know, $25 online notarization.

SPEAKER_03 18:42

Right. Sounds so cheap.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

But let's actually run the operational math on a realistic scenario.

SPEAKER_03 18:47

Okay, lay it out.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

Suppose you have a husband and wife who are geographically separated. Maybe one is traveling for business, and they need to remotely sign a complex family trust document.

SPEAKER_03 18:58

Happens all the time.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

Right. That means you have two distinct signers requiring separate identity verification, and the document itself requires three separate notarial seals to be legally binding.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

Right. And here is where the math gets tricky. The advertised $25 base rate is almost universally designed to cover only one single signer passing KBA and the application of one single digital seal.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Exactly. So the consumer sees $25 and thinks that is the total cost.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

But behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Right. Behind the scenes, the platform might charge an additional $10 or $15 for the second signer just to go through the identity proofing algorithm.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

And then the platform's API might charge the notary $5 to $15 for every single additional digital seal applied to the PDF after the first one.

SPEAKER_03 19:49

It adds up fast.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Extremely fast. Suddenly, that heavily advertised $25 session is costing the notary or the client $60, $70, or even $80 in back-end software fees.

SPEAKER_03 20:01

Which becomes an existential threat to the business when you compare those software costs to strict state fee caps.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yes. Yeah. Because our sources indicate that states like New York and Washington strictly cap the maximum fee a notary can charge a consumer for a remote notarial act at $25 per signature.

SPEAKER_03 20:18

It is a razor-thin economic balancing act. I mean, you are essentially paying rent for your digital desk and you are paying utility fees for the identity verification data. Right. If those combined software fees eat up your entire statutory fee allowance, or worse, exceed it, your business model mathematically collapses.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

You are literally paying to perform work.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Exactly. This is where a thorough, granular vetting of a platform's complete tiered fee structure, including their add-on costs for KBA failures, document storage, and extra seals, is absolutely vital for professional survival in 2026.

SPEAKER_02 20:54

Absolutely vital. You have to know your numbers.

SPEAKER_03 20:56

You really do.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

And speaking of survival, managing the economics is really only half the battle. We need to talk about the technology itself. But first, let's take a quick commercial break.

SPEAKER_03 21:06

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

Welcome back. So before the break, we talked about the economics, but the technology itself has to survive some incredibly strict, unforgiving, regulatory environments.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

It does.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Which brings us to a special segment we are calling Technology Thursdays, navigating state-wrong platforms.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

I love this segment.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

We have discussed how these massive software platforms operate in theory and how much they cost, but the reality of executing a remote notarization involves intense technical and regulatory requirements dictated by individual state legislatures.

SPEAKER_03 21:38

Because every state is different.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

Right. We are going to explore some very specific high stress scenarios based on the state guidelines provided in our sources, touching on the unique rules of states like Texas, Maine, Washington, Alabama, and Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_03 21:53

And it's important to understand that the technological requirements imposed on these software systems by state governments are not arbitrary. Hoops to jump through.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

They aren't just making it hard for fun.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

No, they are deeply intentional mechanisms designed to replicate and ideally vastly exceed the security and certainty of an in-person paper transaction. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

But as we all know, technology is inherently fallible.

SPEAKER_03 22:15

Exactly. Internet connections drop, tablet batteries die, cloud servers experience outages, and hardware malfunctions at the worst possible moments.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

Always the worst moments. Let's start with the most common nightmare, scenario one. Hardware and connection failures.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

You are a notary commissioned in Texas. You are 45 minutes into a highly complex, high-stress commercial real estate closing.

SPEAKER_03 22:38

Stressful enough already.

SPEAKER_02 22:39

Right. Suddenly the signer's tablet battery dies, or their rural internet connection drops, and the synchronous video feed instantly turns into a frozen, pixelated mess or just cuts out entirely.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

A total blackout.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

Yeah. Can you just like call them on their cell phone to finish the last two signatures since you already verified their ID at the start? Absolutely not. Really? Not even to finish up.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Aaron Powell The regulatory texts governing remote notarization, particularly in robust R on states like Texas, are uncompromising on this point. The notary must terminate the online session immediately if the electronic communications are insufficient for all participants to be clearly seen and understood at all times.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Aaron Powell So no gray area.

SPEAKER_03 23:21

There is no gray area. There is no close enough. You cannot proceed via a separate telephone call, and you cannot simply assume they are still looking at the correct document on their end.

SPEAKER_01 23:30

Because the visual connection is broken.

SPEAKER_03 23:31

Right. The legal mechanism of the remote act is entirely dependent on that continuous, synchronous audio video feed. If the feed fails, the legal foundation fails.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

Wow. So the session must be completely aborted.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

Completely. And when a stable connection is finally re-established, the notary usually has to restart the entire session from scratch.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

Oh man, which means what?

SPEAKER_03 23:51

Which often means the signer has to pay for and pass the rigorous identity verification process all over again.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

That is brutal. But hold on. If states are demanding absolute perfection from the technology, what happens when the technology itself becomes the barrier?

SPEAKER_03 24:08

That's a great question.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

Let's look at scenario two. Biometric and ID failures. Washington State is explicitly noted in our sources for having incredibly strict laws regarding identity proofing.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

Very strict.

SPEAKER_02 24:21

The entire on process relies heavily on either knowledge-based authentication, those specific credit history questions we discussed, or advanced credential analysis, which increasingly involves biometric facial matching.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Meaning the software uses algorithms to match the live geometry of the signer's face on the webcam against the 2D photo on their uploaded driver's license. What happens to the client who just had major facial surgery? Right. Or the person whose credit has been aggressively frozen for five years due to a data breach. Does the software just lock them out of the legal economy?

SPEAKER_03 24:54

In a remote setting, yes, it effectively does lock them out.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

Just like that.

SPEAKER_03 24:58

Just like that. Because if a signer's credit file is frozen, the third-party data broker literally cannot access the historical data necessary to generate the KBA quiz.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

The system just hits a wall.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

Right. The algorithm returns an error and the signer automatically fails the authentication.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

And what about the facial matching?

SPEAKER_03 25:17

Alternatively, if they are using biometric facial matching, the algorithms require specific lighting, proper angles, and liveness detection.

SPEAKER_02 25:25

Aaron Powell Liveness detection, like make making sure the art of photographs.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

Exactly, making sure the person blinks or smiles so the system knows it isn't looking at a deep fake or a photo held up to the camera. Right. If the signer has a poor webcam, terrible backlighting, or if their appearance has radically changed since their ID photo was taken, the software will reject the biometric match.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

So in these scenarios, if the signer fails the digital identity proofing for any reason, the remote session is over.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

It's over. The software acts as an unyielding, impartial gatekeeper. The legal system dictates that the transaction cannot proceed remotely. That individual must physically appear before an in-person notary where human judgment can override algorithmic failure.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

That makes sense, but it's definitely frustrating. Let's move to scenario three, which deals with the aftermath of the act. The electronic journal. Right. Let's say you are a notary in Maine and you successfully complete a session. The technology works perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

So far, so good.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Your electronic journal is supposed to automatically log all the vital data, the exact timestamp, the signer's verified location, the fee charged, the transaction ID. But what if there is a severe cloud sync issue between your iPad and the platform servers?

SPEAKER_03 26:37

This is where the legal liability shifts heavily, and I mean aggressively, onto the shoulders of the independent notary.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Because it's their record.

SPEAKER_03 26:45

Exactly. If an electronic journal fails to sync to the cloud, the notary's official, legally mandated record of the act is at extreme risk.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

And state laws dictate that Ron platforms must immediately and redundantly back up those entries, right?

SPEAKER_03 27:00

They do. However, many notaries use what are called non-custodial platforms.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

Okay, what does that mean?

SPEAKER_03 27:06

Meaning the software provider facilitates the video call, but does not permanently store the journal data for the notary.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Oh wow. So they just provide the connection.

SPEAKER_03 27:15

Right. In these cases, the notary is legally required to save encrypted copies of their electronic journal to a registered, secure digital depository on a regular basis, often monthly.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

You cannot simply trust that the app on your local device is holding the data safely.

SPEAKER_03 27:31

Definitely not. If you drop that tablet in a lake and you haven't verified your redundant cloud backups, you have destroyed your official state records.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

It's essentially like an airplane's black box.

SPEAKER_03 27:43

That's a great analogy.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

Right. But instead of being a physical box made of titanium bolted to the tail of a plane, it is made of distributed cloud servers. Right. If your local device is destroyed, the black box isn't gone. It's already replicated and encrypted in three different data centers across the country.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

And for RON transactions, that digital black box has to be perfectly preserved, instantly accessible, and heavily encrypted for ten years.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

Ten years.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

That places a massive, almost corporate level IT burden on the independent notary. You aren't just buying software, you have to rigorously vet your provider's back-end data practices.

SPEAKER_03 28:20

You really do.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Because if that digital black box is lost, corrupted, or hacked, the state doesn't blame the software company. They blame the notary.

SPEAKER_03 28:29

Which leads perfectly into scenario four, data breach scares.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Okay, what happens there?

SPEAKER_03 28:34

If we apply the strict guidelines seen in states like Alabama or the famously intense privacy laws in California, the legal protocol for a compromised digital black box is severe.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Severe how?

SPEAKER_03 28:45

In the event of a suspected data breach, loss, or corruption of an electronic journal, the law doesn't just suggest you try to fix it. It requires the notary to immediately notify the Secretary of State. Immediately Yes. This notification usually has to be done via certified mail to provide a legally verifiable paper trail of compliance. Oh wow. And in many jurisdictions, you are also required to notify local law enforcement and the affected signers.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Just for a suspected breach.

SPEAKER_03 29:12

Yes. A compromised electronic journal is treated as a major high-level security incident precisely because it contains highly sensitive, personally identifiable information, biometric data, and high-resolution images of government IDs.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

It's a gold mine for identity thieves.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

And finally, scenario five state auditors and record requests. Say a state auditor in Oklahoma or a civil court judge issuing a subpoena demands access to your records for a specific real estate transaction that occurred three years ago.

SPEAKER_03 29:44

You must be able to instantly retrieve that specific electronic journal entry.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Along with the video.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

Along with the corresponding audio video recording and provide secure access to it.

SPEAKER_01 29:52

Now, can you charge for that?

SPEAKER_03 29:54

The laws generally allow the notary to charge a state-determined, reasonable administrative fee for producing the copy, but the core requirement is absolute accessibility.

SPEAKER_02 30:03

So even if you change software. And as we navigate all these complex requirements, we want to remind you that managing your digital records doesn't have to be a nightmare of fragmented spreadsheets and lost passwords.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

No, it shouldn't be.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

The OneLedger Notary eJournal, crafted by the highly skilled MagnificentWorks team, is specifically designed to keep your digital records legally compliant, meticulously organized, and securely backed up.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

It's a fantastic tool.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

It is available right now in the Apple App Store. And for our dedicated listeners, if you use the code NOTARYNO50, that is NotaryNO50, you will get 50% off the first year of your annual plan. Protect your digital black box with one ledger.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

That's a great deal.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

Now, these stringent technology rules, the redundant backups, the military grade encryption, the mandatory continuous video recording, they all exist for one primary reason. We're trying to ensure that a digital document is legally airtight no matter what state lines it crosses.

SPEAKER_03 31:23

Precisely. The intricate technology, the hashing, the biometrics, it is all simply the vehicle designed to support the legal foundation. Right. And that legal foundation relies entirely on the concept of interstate recognition.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

Aaron Powell Let's thoroughly explore that legal foundation because it is where a lot of the industry friction occurs.

SPEAKER_03 31:42

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

If I am a fully commissioned, RIN authorized notary sitting in my office in Texas, and I legally perform a remote transaction for a signer who is currently sitting in a hotel lobby in Paris.

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Okay, classic scenario.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

Aaron Powell Is that digital document legally valid if it ultimately needs to be filed in a county court in New York?

SPEAKER_03 32:01

Constitutionally speaking, yes, it is absolutely valid.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Because of the full faith and credit clause.

SPEAKER_03 32:05

Exactly. The underlying mechanics of interstate recognition for notarial acts are firmly grounded in the full faith and credit clause of the United States Constitution, specifically Article 4, Section 1.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Right.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Because notaries are officially appointed public officers of their respective state governments, their official acts are recognized across state lines.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Okay, so a Texas Act is valid everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

If a Texas notary performs a remote online notarization in strict, unwavering compliance with the laws of Texas, the resulting digital document is legally valid nationwide. Wow. A judge in a New York civil court or a county recorder in rural Ohio is constitutionally obligated to recognize the legal validity of that Texas Notarial Act, regardless of where the signer was physically located at the time of the signing.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Wait, if the full faith and credit clause guarantees my Texas notarization is legally valid in New York or Ohio, how can a corporate title company legally just say no?

SPEAKER_03 33:01

Ah, now we're getting into it.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Because what we are seeing in the real world, specifically in real estate, is that what is legally valid under the Constitution and what is actually accepted in the business world are often two very different things.

SPEAKER_03 33:14

That discrepancy is the critical, often frustrating friction point between constitutional state law and private corporate policy.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

It's huge.

SPEAKER_03 33:23

You can possess a perfectly legal, constitutionally protected, mathematically flawless digital deed. But if you are dealing with massive title underwriters entities like Fidelity National Financial or FNF, you have to understand that they operate on their own internal risk assessment models.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Right. They're taking the financial risk.

SPEAKER_03 33:43

The golden rule of real estate applies. He who issues the insurance policy makes the rules.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Even over the Constitution.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

Even if the U.S. Constitution says the document is valid, a title underwriter can simply refuse to ensure the e-closing if the property or the notary is located in a state that their actuaries deem high risk.

SPEAKER_02 34:02

Or a state that hasn't officially passed standardized RON legislation.

SPEAKER_03 34:06

Exactly. They are terrified of edge cases and historical title claims where fraudulent deeds were recorded costing them millions.

SPEAKER_02 34:14

So they just blanket ban certain things. And looking at our 2026 data, there are still significant holdouts when it comes to accepting real estate RON transactions.

SPEAKER_03 34:33

Yes, there are.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

States like Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina are lagging heavily behind the national standard.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

Definitely.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

The source text notes that Connecticut-specific RON legislation explicitly does not apply to real estate transactions.

SPEAKER_03 34:47

Right, it's carved out.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

So if you try to use a remote notary commissioned in Florida to close on a beachfront property in Georgia, the title underwriter might just look at the file and say, no, we will not issue a multimillion dollar title policy on this.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

And without that title insurance.

SPEAKER_02 35:02

The mortgage lender will immediately refuse to fund the loan. The entire transaction dies right there on the closing table, regardless of what Article 4 of the Constitution says.

SPEAKER_03 35:12

This fragmented patchwork of varying state laws, conflicting technology standards, and massive underwriter hesitation is exactly why national organizations like LTA, the American Land Title Association, are pushing so incredibly hard for federal intervention.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

They want a unified standard.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

They are aggressively lobbying Congress to pass the Secure Act.

SPEAKER_02 35:35

Which stands for the Securing and Enabling Commerce using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act.

SPEAKER_03 35:40

Yes. The primary goal of federal legislation like Secure is not to override state commissioning powers.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

It's not about taking power away from states.

SPEAKER_03 35:48

No. But to establish a standardized nationwide baseline of minimum security and technology standards. It forces uniform legal acceptance across all 50 states, thereby alleviating the profound anxiety of title underwriters.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

It is a fascinating tension between constitutional law and the pragmatic reality of the insurance industry. Now, having explored the national landscape, the platform wars, the technology failures, and the constitutional arguments, we have to turn our focused attention to the undeniable heavyweight of the regulatory world, the California giant.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Oh, California!

SPEAKER_02 36:32

We are going to do a highly detailed line-by-line deconstruction of California's Senate Bill 696.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

Officially known as the Online Notarization Act.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Right. California has always been a unique, heavily scrutinized regulatory environment, and their approach to implementing Ron is incredibly methodical, deeply cautious, and frankly, quite complex to navigate.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

It is a massive, sprawling piece of legislation, and the most critical thing for professionals to understand is the phased rollout.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

It wasn't just passed all at once.

SPEAKER_03 37:01

No. This is not a simple flip-the-switch scenario where Ron suddenly becomes legal overnight. The bill outlines a very deliberate multi-year implementation strategy designed to build the infrastructure before allowing the practice.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

So when did it actually start?

SPEAKER_03 37:14

Phase one officially began on January 1st, 2024. This was essentially the basic recognition phase.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

What did that do?

SPEAKER_03 37:22

It updated specific California civil code sections, namely 1182 and 1183, to explicitly recognize properly executed out-of-state remote notarizations. Okay. So as of 2024, a California resident could legally log onto a platform and use an on provider located in a state like Texas, Florida, or Virginia to execute their documents.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Right, but that created a massive paradox.

SPEAKER_03 37:47

A huge one.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

Because while California residents could use out-of-state notaries, California commissioned notaries themselves still couldn't perform the acts.

SPEAKER_03 37:55

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 37:55

Then came phase two, which initiated on January 1st, 2025. This phase focused heavily on the back-end technology provider requirements, specifically outlining rules under government code AT231.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

Correct. The 2025 phase was entirely about securing the digital infrastructure.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Playing the groundwork.

SPEAKER_03 38:13

It dictated that any corporate business providing on software to California consumers must meet exceptionally strict standards for data encryption at rest and in transit.

SPEAKER_02 38:21

And journaling.

SPEAKER_03 38:21

Complex electronic journaling redundancies and mandatory consumer disclosures regarding data usage. It laid the technological groundwork and established the rules of engagement for the software vendors.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

So the vendors had to step up.

SPEAKER_03 38:34

But the final phase, the full launch allowing California Commission notaries to actually sit down at their computers and perform remote online notarizations, is officially targeted for January 1, 2030.

SPEAKER_02 38:48

Or whenever the California Secretary of State completely finishes their massive, highly complex notary automation project 2.0.

SPEAKER_03 38:57

Whichever milestone occurs earlier.

SPEAKER_02 38:59

This timeline brings us to a major frustrating logistical nightmare for California consumers and independent business owners right now.

SPEAKER_03 39:05

It's very frustrating for them.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

If you are a resident in Los Angeles today and you urgently need a remote notarization for a trust document, you can legally jump on a web platform and pay a notary sitting in Nevada to do it.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

Right.

SPEAKER_02 39:18

But the fully qualified, highly experienced California notary living right next door to you cannot legally perform that same service for you yet.

SPEAKER_03 39:25

They are totally locked out.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

They're locked out of their own local digital market while the state bureaucracy slowly builds its tech infrastructure. So how can California notaries prepare today so they aren't left hopelessly behind when the system finally goes live in 2030?

SPEAKER_03 39:41

Well, proactive preparation is the only way to survive the transition.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

What should they be doing?

SPEAKER_03 39:47

California notaries need to monitor the Secretary of State's official updates very closely because when the system is finally ready for deployment, existing paper notaries will not simply be grandfathered in.

SPEAKER_02 39:58

No automatic approval.

SPEAKER_03 40:00

No. They will likely need to complete a specialized, mandatory, two-hour on course of study and pass a dedicated state-administered exam just to get the legal authorization to perform online acts.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

So education is key.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

Beyond the legal requirements, they should be expensively researching platform vendors right now.

SPEAKER_02 40:19

Vetting those desks.

SPEAKER_03 40:20

They need to understand exactly how digital certificates are purchased and managed, and they need to familiarize themselves with the high-definition hardware requirements.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

So that on day one of the rollout, they are fully equipped and ready to operate.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

Exactly. And when they do finally begin to operate, they are going to face what is arguably the strictest compliance environment in the entire country.

SPEAKER_02 40:41

Oh, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_03 40:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Let's deeply contrast California's specific journaling requirements under SB 696 with other states, because it is an entirely unique approach that blends the physical and the digital.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

It is a strict dual journal requirement.

SPEAKER_02 40:55

Most states require a notary to keep either a tangible paper journal or an encrypted electronic journal, right?

SPEAKER_03 41:01

Right. Usually one or the other. But California, emphasizing extreme redundancy, will require both for remote acts. What? A California notary performing a remote online notarization will be legally mandated to maintain one tangible sequential paper journal, AD one or more secure encrypted electronic journals.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

Let's get very specific about the mechanics of this, because figuring out what data goes into which journal is a massive point of confusion.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

It is. So in the electronic journal, the software will automatically log the heavy digital footprint, the exact server timestamp, the signer's cryptographic digital signature, a formal statement confirming that an audio video recording was made, the exact fee charged, and the highly specific technical details of the identity proofing process.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

So the software does the heavy lifting there.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

But in the tangible paper journal, the notary must manually write down the date and time, the legal name of the signer, a thorough description of the document, the name of the specific R on platform used to execute the act.

SPEAKER_02 42:06

Okay, that's a lot of manual writing for a digital act.

SPEAKER_03 42:09

And crucially, they must write down a unique alphanumeric transaction ID generated by the software platform.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Ah, so that connects them.

SPEAKER_03 42:16

This unique ID is the linchpin. It allows a state auditor or court of law to definitively link the physical paper entry on the notary's desk to the encrypted digital entry floating in the cloud servers.

SPEAKER_02 42:27

And notably the source text clarifies a major point regarding biometrics.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

Yeah, the thumbprint.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

The physical thumbprint, which is famously rigorously required for certain real estate documents in a traditional California paper journal, is explicitly not required to be collected in the tangible journal for an online act.

SPEAKER_03 42:45

Right. Which makes sense mechanically.

SPEAKER_02 42:47

Because the digital identity proofing, the facial scan, and the algorithmic ID verification takes the place of that physical ink thumbprint.

SPEAKER_03 42:55

Exactly. And that digital identity proofing process is subject to intense, almost unprecedented privacy protections under SB 696. Oh so the law explicitly requires identity proofing to meet the rigorous NIST Special Publication 863A Identity Assurance Level 2 standards.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

Yes. IAL2 is a federal cybersecurity standard detailing exactly how evidence collection like capturing the front back of an ID must be performed.

SPEAKER_02 43:27

Right, how the security features like microprinting and barcodes must be algorithmically validated.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

And how the biometric facial match must include liveness detection to prevent deep fake attacks.

SPEAKER_01 43:37

It's very thorough.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

Furthermore, to protect the consumer, the Oran platforms are strictly prohibited from selling, sharing, or monetizing a principal's personal information, their biometric video recordings, or their journal entries for marketing purposes.

SPEAKER_02 43:51

So no selling data to third parties.

SPEAKER_03 43:54

None. The only legal exceptions to this firewall are for complying with law enforcement subpoenas. Or if the signer provides a very specific express written request, the data privacy walls in California are incredibly high, and the penalties for breaching them will be severe.

SPEAKER_02 44:10

The impending California shift, with all of its massive regulatory weight, really highlights a broader, inescapable reality for the entire profession across all 50 states.

SPEAKER_03 44:20

It really does.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

The operational and economic model of the independent notary and the title companies that hire them is changing forever.

SPEAKER_03 44:28

It's a complete paradigm shift.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

This isn't just about learning how to click new buttons on a software interface. It is a fundamental shift in how the business operates, how costs are calculated, and how liability is managed.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

To truly understand the real-world operational changes, we can look at the case study detailed in our sources regarding Celebration Title.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

Right, a busy settlement agency in Florida.

SPEAKER_03 44:50

They fully adopted the Stavby digital platform. Before they integrated ARN, they relied heavily on physical mail away packages to close deals for out-of-state buyers or sellers.

SPEAKER_02 45:01

Right. That is the traditional mobile notary economic model. A title company prints a massive stack of loan documents, pays to ship them overnight across the country, and pays a local mobile notary a significant travel fee.

SPEAKER_03 45:14

Often between $150 to $200.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

Just to drive to the client's house. Then they wait for the notary to get the wet signatures, ship the physical package back via overnight courier, and finally physically drive to a county clerk to record the paper deed.

SPEAKER_03 45:28

It took days.

SPEAKER_02 45:29

It cost a premium in logistics and was highly vulnerable to weather delays or lost packages.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

Well, Celebration Title found that moving those workflows to RN entirely eliminated those massive travel fees and logistical delays.

SPEAKER_02 45:52

But while this is incredibly efficient and cost effective for the title company, it represents a steep learning curve and a massive shift in responsibilities for the notary executing the act.

SPEAKER_01 46:03

Oh, massive.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

The notary is no longer just driving a car, making small talk, and pointing to a physical signature line with a blue pen.

SPEAKER_03 46:10

No, those days are over.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

They're now managing multiple complex software logins, purchasing and installing digital certificates independently, maintaining encrypted cloud storage for their journals.

SPEAKER_03 46:22

And crucially acting as frontline IT support.

SPEAKER_02 46:25

Yes. When a 60-year-old signer is sitting in their living room and cannot figure out how to allow camera permissions in their Chrome web browser or how to navigate a clunky Adobe integration to upload their ID photos, the notary is the one who has to calmly talk them through it over the phone or the chat window.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

You have to be a patient tech troubleshooter as much as you have to be a legal witness. And here is the most crucial foundational insight of this entire analysis. Despite the software handling the complex cryptography, the video compression, the API routing, and the secure data storage, the legal liability still rests entirely on the human notary.

SPEAKER_02 47:05

The software facilitates the mechanical act, but it does not assume the legal risk.

SPEAKER_03 47:10

Never. The notary must actively and intelligently participate on that video feed. They must look the signer in the eye, virtually speaking, and actively scan the environment to ensure the signer is not being coerced by someone standing just off camera.

SPEAKER_02 47:24

Which an algorithm can't really do.

SPEAKER_03 47:26

Exactly. They must converse with the signer to verify they are lucid, not under the influence, and fully understand the gravity of the document they are electronically signing.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

Because the software, no matter how advanced the AI becomes, cannot gauge human intent or coercion. Only the trained human notary can do that.

SPEAKER_01 47:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Which leaves us with a profound philosophical question to consider as we wrap up this session of notary knowledge.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

It's something to think about.

SPEAKER_02 47:50

For centuries, a notary's physical presence in a room, the look in their eye, and the wet ink of their physical seal were the ultimate unquestionable proof of reality.

SPEAKER_03 48:00

Trust was a purely human construct based on human observation.

SPEAKER_02 48:05

Now we are entering an era where trust is verified by machine learning models analyzing invisible microprinting on a digital ID, and algorithms checking IP addresses and network security protocols.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

It's a different world.

SPEAKER_02 48:18

So what does this all mean for the future of our profession? Are we gaining absolute mathematically perfect security at the cost of vital human intuition?

SPEAKER_03 48:26

Or is cryptography, which cannot be bribed, coerced, intimidated, or confused, the ultimate impartial witness?

SPEAKER_02 48:33

It is something every single professional operating in this space will have to reconcile as we move deeper into the digital age. Absolutely. If you have thoughts on this philosophical shift or any questions about the technical, material, state laws, or software platforms we cover today, we want to hear from you. Email your questions to Derek at dereksbruel.com. We will try to answer as soon as possible at the end of our shows. Exec producer Derek Spruel, lead writer Marilyn Lee Trotter, Graphics Eddie Montez Travis, Music Thomas Bynum, produced by Magnificent Works Business Solutions. Don't just be listeners of the knowledge, be doers of the knowledge. This is Notary Knowledge.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

Until next time. Fraud is a constant threat to your notary commission. You need a shield. The book by Derek Spruell, Notary Fraud Shield, could provide you with some advice. Learn real-world tactics, notice red flags, and develop refusal strategies to protect your notary commission. By your copy of Notary Fraud Shield by Derek Spruel from any online bookstore, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Bookstofmillion.com, Bookshop.org, Mobile Notary by DerekSprule.com, or download from Kindle to obtain your essential notary book to help with all your notarization starting today.