A traditional notarization requires individuals to:
- Appear physically before a commissioned Notary Public.
- Demonstrate proof of identity.
- Sign (or acknowledge their signature on) a document.
- Be placed under oath only if the document requires a sworn statement.
Remote online notarization (RON) is safer, more secure, and has a more thorough record than traditional notarization. Plus, the Notarize Network, Proof's on-demand network of notaries are fully reviewed by our Notary Onboarding team before being provisioned to work on the Proof platform, starting with an eligibility check in accordance with notarial state laws. All on-demand notaries undergo extensive platform training and pass a notarial knowledge and platform assessment before becoming active on the Proof platform.
Online notarizations are very much the same, with the following additional benefits for the digital environment:
- Your requirement to appear in person before the notary is accomplished via a live audio-video call between you and a commissioned notary.
- You and the notary complete your respective portions of the document electronically.
- In lieu of a physical stamp, the notary’s electronic seal and digital certificate are attached by the notary to your document. When complete, you may print your notarized document or share it via electronic means, and you may access a video recording of the transaction.
Notarization enabled by Proof offers other significant advantages that validate and secure your document. The notarial session is recorded to protect against identity theft and to create a secure record of the entire process.
In accordance with governing statutes and rules, Proof attaches an x.509 PKI (public key infrastructure) security certificate to each notarized document. This certificate makes the document "tamper-evident" so that the document indicates if any subsequent change has been made to it. The digital certificate is unique to each notary and is part of the tools used to confirm the validity of the document and the authority of the Notary Public.