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New California remote notarization law may take effect in 2030
Current California Governor signs Senate Bill 696 into law on September 30, 2023. However, given the complexities of performing on-line notarizations, the Secretary of State has until June 30, 2030, to complete a technology project to implement the new law. California Notaries will have the capability to complete remote notarizations if additional safeguards are followed after June 30, 2030. Some of these enhanced safeguards include: Use an enhanced multi-factor means of identifying individuals appearing remotely for an online notarization; notaries must keep both a tangible (paper) and an electronic journal of each online notarization; maintain an audio-video recording of each online notarization. For more information see Bill Anderson’s article on the National Notary Association’s Website.
What’s a CA Mobile Notary’s take on the new law?
While on-line notarizations are a benefit to the public, priority should be given to CA Notaries 1st. Mobile notaries bread and butter is to be able to charge for traveling to the customer. Until the new law goes into affect in 2030 or later, CA notaries can lose out to out of state notaries, who can charge a lot less to the customer. It’s like the lowering of salaries that big box stores like Walmart brought to mom and pop businessness. Also, I have had a few people of the public try to use an on-line Notary Public and have had an awful experience jumping through all the technological barriers, that they ended up calling me, a mobile notary in CA. Plus , these online notaries are big business companies that can afford to lower their prices, thus shutting out local CA Notaries. So, until the new law in 2030 takes place, shop local!!