Alabama Notary and Remote Online Notarization (RON) Guidelines
What are RON Requirements for Alabama Residents and Businesses?
Conducting Remote Online Notarizations in Alabama
Yes, Remote Notarizations are Legal in Alabama
Alabama Remote Notarizations are RINs
Alabama is a "wet signature" remote ink-based notarization (RIN) state, which means that a fully electronic document with only digital signatures and a digital notarization is NOT enough.
In other words, the notarization can be done remotely, but the parties must sign the original document and send it to the notary — for a manual notary stamp and signature.
Yes, Astrean Can Be Used in Alabama Notarizations
Additional AL Remote Notarization Requirements & Guidelines
How to Become a Remote Online Notary in Alabama
Technology
What are the tech requirements for remote notarizations in Alabama?
In addition to a computer with reliable internet access, webcam and microphone, Alabama notaries must use a two-way audio-visual communication software (or a platform that provides it), with recording capabilities.
Notary Eligibility
Registration
State Notary Links
Insurance Coverage
Notary Location
What are the location requirements for remote notaries in Alabama?
Alabama law requires the notary to be physically located in the state to conduct remote notarizations. In fact, the notary must attest to their physical location in the audio-video recording of the remote notarization.
Signatory Location
EXCLUSIONS!
Original Documents
What are documentation requirements for remote notarizations in Alabama?
As noted above, Alabama is a "wet signature" remote ink-based notarization (RIN) state, so the signatories all must sign the original document. Notaries receive original docs last, before signing and officially notarizing it with ink on paper.
ID Validation
What are the ID validation requirements for remote notarizations in Alabama?
Alabama law requires signatories to present two (2) valid government-issued identification documents, one of which must include a photo. The notary must then validate these ID documents by researching public records or using a private vendor.
Identity Verification
ID Waiver
What are exceptions to the ID requirements for remote notarizations in Alabama?
As with traditional face-to-face notarizations, Alabama allows the remote notary to waive the ID validation and identity verification requirement if the signatory is "personally known" to the AL-commissioned public notary.
Audio-Video
Digital Signature
What are the signature requirements for remote notarizations in Alabama?
Because Alabama is "wet signature" RIN state, digital signatures are not applicable with Alabama notarizations. The signatories and the notary must all manually sign the original paper document, even for RON or RIN transactions.
Digital Notarization
Other Requirements
How Astrean Can Help You
On a Mission to Unleash Electronic Notarization and Notaries
Designed to Empower Notaries
Astrean offers the most user-friendly and cost-efficient SaaS remote online notarization (RON) tool in the market. Astrean manages the full online notarization process from the training of notaries to transitioning to an online notary experience. Businesses and notaries can enjoy the 24/7 convenience of remote online notarization, with all the tools needed to educate, track, schedule and record the remote online notarization process within one easy-to-use dashboard. Astrean leverages dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and AI-based facial recognition algorithms to accurately identify and monitor notary participants, meeting the highest standards for identity verification, full audio-visual communication, secure video storage and encrypted digital notary certificates.More than Just Electronic Notarization
Additionally, Astrean’s full notary platform helps notaries beyond their digital and online notarization needs. It's also designed to help notaries grow their business and support their careers. Our suite of business success tools for notaries provide solutions and software to help notaries become more efficient and generate more business — with tools such as an electronic journal. The electronic journal streamlines the notaries’ legal recording responsibilities, by automatically linking and adding details from remote online notary transactions. Astrean’s built-in scheduler allows clients to digitally schedule notarization appointments, while giving notaries an efficient view of their daily calendar. And these are just a few of the tools Astrean offers to its notary users.Expanding your reach while increasing your efficiency
Remote Online Notarization is here to stay!
Notarization has been a critical part of our legal, governmental and business systems for centuries. But it has been relatively slow to adapt to the Digital Age – until now.
Partly as a response to the COVID pandemic, almost every state will soon have enacted laws allowing notarizations to be conducted remotely and online. Many nations have also taken steps to legalize notarization, including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.
As this trend continues, RON will no longer be an optional service offered by some notaries. It will probably be the primary method used by all notaries in the future. At Astrean, our mission is to empower notaries with the most reliable, robust and easy to use digital notary resources available – including advanced RON tools.
