8.1 RON Fundamentals and History

Notary Public Certification Exam

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1 Introduction: The Notary Public Profession

What Is a Notary Public? Becoming a Notary Public: Requirements Overview

2 Chapter 1: Notarial Acts — Fundamentals

1.1 Overview of Notarial Acts 1.2 Acknowledgments 1.3 Jurats (Verification on Oath or Affirmation) 1.4 Oaths and Affirmations

3 Chapter 2: Notarial Acts — Advanced Types

2.1 Copy Certifications 2.2 Signature Witnessing 2.3 Protests of Negotiable Instruments 2.4 Depositions and Affidavits

4 Chapter 3: Signer Identification & Verification

3.1 Satisfactory Evidence of Identity 3.2 Handling Name Discrepancies 3.3 Assessing Willingness and Awareness

5 Chapter 4: Journal Keeping & Record Requirements

4.1 Notary Journal Requirements 4.2 Electronic Journals 4.3 Record Retention and Disposal

6 Chapter 5: Notary Seal & Certificate Requirements

5.1 Notary Seal and Stamp Specifications 5.2 Notarial Certificates and Wording

7 Chapter 6: Prohibited Acts & Ethical Obligations

6.1 Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) 6.2 Conflicts of Interest and Impartiality 6.3 When and How to Refuse Notarizations

8 Chapter 7: Fees, Bonds & Insurance

7.1 Notary Fee Schedules 7.2 Surety Bonds 7.3 Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance

9 Chapter 8: Remote Online Notarization (RON)

8.1 RON Fundamentals and History 8.2 RON Identity Verification Methods 8.3 RON Procedures, Recording, and State Compliance

10 Chapter 9: Special Situations & Accommodations

9.1 Foreign Language Signers 9.2 Signers with Disabilities 9.3 Elderly Signers and Diminished Capacity 9.4 Power of Attorney and Representative Signers

11 Chapter 10: Notary Signing Agent (NSA) Specialty

10.1 What Is a Notary Signing Agent? 10.2 Key Loan Documents

12 Chapter 11: State Variations & Compliance

11.1 Key State Variations Overview 11.2 Apostilles and Authentication 11.3 Commission Changes, Renewal, and Revocation

13 Chapter 12: Liability, Penalties & Best Practices

12.1 Notary Liability and Legal Consequences 12.2 Notary Best Practices Checklist 12.3 Exam Preparation Strategies

8.1 RON Fundamentals and History

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Remote Online Notarization (RON) lets a notary notarize an electronic document for a remotely located individual using live, two-way audio-visual technology — physical presence is replaced by, not removed from, the appearance requirement.

Virginia enacted the first permanent RON law in 2012; as of 2026, 45+ states and the District of Columbia authorize permanent RON.

The COVID-19 pandemic (2020) converted RON from a niche option into mainstream practice as governors issued emergency orders and states fast-tracked permanent statutes.

RON differs from RIN (Remote Ink-signed Notarization) and IPEN (In-Person Electronic Notarization) — know which combines video + electronic vs. video + paper vs. in-person + electronic.

The federal SECURE Notarization Act of 2025 (H.R.1777 / S.1561) would authorize RON nationwide and mandate interstate recognition but has not yet become law.

Last updated: June 2026

Remote Online Notarization (RON) is the most significant change to notarial practice in generations. RON lets a notary perform a notarial act for a remotely located individual (RLI) — a signer who is not in the notary's physical presence — using live, two-way audio-visual technology on an approved electronic platform. The document is electronic, the signature is electronic, and the notary's seal and signature are electronic.

A common exam trap is to assume RON eliminates the appearance requirement. It does not. Every U.S. notary act still requires the signer to personally appear ; RON simply redefines appearance to include real-time video presence. A phone call, a pre-recorded video, an emailed scan, or a faxed signature page never satisfies RON.

The Five Elements of a RON Act

Live audio-visual session — both parties see and hear each other in real time.

Identity proofing — credential analysis of a government ID plus Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA).

Electronic signature by the signer on an electronic record.

Electronic seal and signature applied by the notary, with a tamper-evident digital certificate.

Audio-visual recording of the entire session, retained as a permanent record.

History of RON

Year Development

2011-2012 Virginia enacts the first permanent RON statute; webcam notarization becomes legally possible.

2017-2018 Texas, Nevada, Minnesota, and Ohio pass comprehensive RON laws; the model Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) adds RON provisions.

2019 More than 20 states have enacted or proposed RON; the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) issues standards.

2020 COVID-19 stay-at-home orders prompt nearly all states to authorize emergency remote notarization.

2021-2023 States convert temporary orders into permanent statutes; California passes SB 696.

2024-2026 45+ states and D.C. have permanent RON; California's RON framework phases in; the SECURE Act is reintroduced in Congress.

The COVID-19 Catalyst

The pandemic was the single largest driver of RON adoption. When in-person notarization became impractical, governors issued emergency executive orders authorizing remote notarization, often before the technology rules were fully written. Lenders, title companies, and law firms rapidly adopted remote and electronic closings, and the public grew comfortable with video-based services. States that started with temporary emergency measures overwhelmingly converted them into permanent legislation by 2023.

RON vs. RIN vs. IPEN

Many exam questions test whether you can separate three closely related modern acts. Memorize this grid:

Act Appearance Document Signature & Seal
RON (Remote Online) Live video Electronic Electronic
RIN (Remote Ink-signed) Live video Paper (wet ink) Wet ink, mailed/couriered
IPEN (In-Person Electronic) Physical, in person Electronic Electronic

RIN was widely used early in the pandemic when a state authorized remote video appearance but had not yet authorized fully electronic documents — the signer signs paper on camera and mails it. IPEN keeps physical presence but uses an electronic document and seal. RON is the only one that is fully remote and fully electronic.

RON vs. Traditional Notarization

When RON questions ask what changes from a paper notarization, the answer is the method, never the underlying duties. The notary still confirms identity, willingness, and awareness; still completes a correct certificate; and still keeps a journal. What changes:

Feature Traditional RON
Presence Physical, in person Live two-way video
ID verification Visual exam of physical ID Credential analysis + KBA
Signature Wet ink Electronic signature
Seal Rubber stamp or embosser Electronic seal + digital certificate
Record Paper journal Electronic journal plus audio-visual recording
Geography Both parties typically together Signer can be remote, subject to state rules
The Uniform Law Backdrop

Many states model their RON statutes on the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) , drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, which added RON provisions defining the remotely located individual , the recording duty, and tamper-evident technology standards. The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) separately publishes RON technology certification used by lenders. Knowing these two acronyms — RULONA for the legal model, MISMO for the lending-industry technical standard — helps decode exam wording.

The SECURE Notarization Act

The Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization (SECURE) Act is federal legislation that would:

Authorize RON nationwide for any notary commissioned under state law.

Require interstate recognition — courts and states must accept a RON validly performed under another state's law when it affects interstate commerce.

Mandate tamper-evident technology , identity-proofing, and audio-visual recording standards.

Preserve state commissioning authority rather than create a federal notary.

Status (2026): The bill was reintroduced in the 119th Congress as H.R.1777 and S.1561 (SECURE Notarization Act of 2025) in March 2025, with bipartisan support from sponsors including Senators Warner and Cramer and backing from ALTA and the Mortgage Bankers Association. It remains in committee and has not been enacted — so RON authority today still flows from individual state law, not federal law. Do not answer an exam question as if the SECURE Act is already in force.

On the Exam

RON uses live audio-visual technology — never phone, email, or pre-recorded video.

Virginia (2012) was first; 45+ states and D.C. have permanent RON in 2026.

The signer must still appear — RON redefines, not removes, appearance.

Distinguish RON / RIN / IPEN by document type and signature method.

The SECURE Act is pending , not law; state law still governs.