Temporary authorizations for remote ink-signed notarizations (RINs) have been issued by several states following the initial authorization issued in New York by executive order on March 19, 2020.
RINs are designed to expedite transactions that require a notary while protecting the participants from COVID-19. With RINs, notaries can perform their services on paper documents using video conferencing technology.
These authorizations are temporary. They are usually valid for as long as a state of emergency exists.
10 Guidelines for RIN Best Practices
The National Notary Association has developed 10 best practices for notaries performing RINs. These standards are designed to keep RIN transactions secure and to guarantee a consistently high level of integrity.
Notaries performing RINs should comply with all legal requirements and state regulations while ensuring that RINs are authorized by their states.
Notaries should be aware of the time frame in which RINs are valid. They should ascertain that their contracting agencies have been approved by lenders to perform RIN loan closings.
1. Notaries should record, back up and securely store every video conferencing session.
2. Notaries should make journal entries detailing the actions performed and stating that the actions were performed with video conferencing technology.
3. Notaries should view both sides of identification cards to ensure that the signer in the video conference is the same person who appears on the card. RIN best practices include using the 2020 NNA Keesing Documentchecker Guide for reference.
4. Notaries should have signers pan the room with their video cameras to reveal whether other people are present.
5. RIN best practices should include having signers state on camera that they are freely and voluntarily signing the documents and have the soundness of mind to do so.
6. The video camera angle at the signer’s location should allow the notary to observe the signer while he or she is signing the document.
7. The signer should display each page of the signed document along with the ID card to compare the signature on the ID to the signature on the document prior to faxing or transmitting the document to the notary.
8. The notary should show the signer each page of the document received to ensure that it is the same document that the signer transmitted.
9. The angle of the video camera on the notary’s side should allow the signer to view the notary completing the certificate of notarial act.
10. Notaries should securely store the notarized document that was faxed or transmitted to the signer on the date of the original video conference. This is for comparison purposes should the signer later ask the notary to notarize the original signed paper document and destroy it immediately after returning it to the signer.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about RIN and its intricacies! For more information about RIN, please contact Madeline or David Ricci at 817.984.9160!