Remote Online Notarization Bill Clears Hurdle in House

The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, would make real estate transactions easier for millions of consumers, NAR says.

The House on Monday passed the SECURE Notarization Act, which supports REALTORS® in their management of many aspects of online property transactions. With much of the workforce still working remotely in some way, allowing for remote online notarizations will permit a notary and signer who are in different physical locations to safely and securely execute electronic documents. 

The reliability and validity of notarized public records is a cornerstone of the market and provides the groundwork for all parties when mortgaging, purchasing and selling real property, says the National Association of REALTORS®. The association has supported remote online notarization since 2018 and says that, should the legislation become law, Americans will benefit greatly from this long-awaited technological advancement by allowing immediate, nationwide use of remote online notarization technology.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, though its fate there is unclear. NAR continues to advocate for the bill’s eventual passage.

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