In-person online notarization (IPEN)
Astrean brings traditional in-person notarization into the digital age with IPEN
Astrean’s provides an array of digital tools to help notaries provide more robust face-to-face notarizations, including enhanced ID verification, e-signatures, digital documents, video recording and electronic notarizations.
Overview of the IPEN process
How electronic in-person notarization works
Verify identities
Validation of the driver’s license or state-issued ID is usually done by a third-party vendor. In addition, the actual identity must be verified by (1) the notary comparing the video image with the validated ID and (2) using a service like knowledge-based authentication (KBA).
Prep digital files
When documents are involved, the notary will have to prepare the digitized document to be notarized.
This typically begins with the signatory or attorney uploading the documents for digitization into the Astrean platform.
The notary then uses the RON solution to set the fields for e-signatures and notarizations.
Record event
This could be used to provide additional verification should a notarized document or event be contested in the future.
Astrean automatically & securely stores recorded notarizations for at least 10 years.
Sign & certify digitally
Notaries can also digitally sign the document, attach a digital notary stamp and issue a digital notary certificate (a unique, encrypted certificate to digitally confirm the event).
The digital notary certificate is a unique, encrypted certificate to electronically confirm the specific notarization event.
RON is just the start
IPEN is modernizing traditional notarization
Electronic — or e-notarization — has actually been around longer than its remote online counterpart. In fact, it's accurate to think of RON as a type of electronic notarization.
RON showed some of the more far-reaching potential of e-notarization. Now, Astrean is bringing some of the valuable benefits offered by RON to IPEN.
Yes, these electronic features and benefits are totally optional for traditional notarization. But by digitally conducting face-to-face traditional notarization, we'll be on our way to unleashing the full potential of notarization and notaries for the modern age.
Here are just a few of the advantages offered by IPEN (over traditional notarization):
- Better anti-fraud measures
- Easier access and sharing of notarized documents
- Stronger proof of authenticity
- Stronger protection against loss or damage
- More tamper proof
- Easier to manage large volumes
- And more...
The bottom line is that the future of notarization is electronic... and Astrean is leading the way
Designed for notaries, by notaries
Power tools to create notary super performers
Optimize your business
Our business suite includes a CRM, self-service scheduler, accounting tool and more to help you grow and manage a successful business.
Generate customers
Give your clients more
Notarize electronically
Stop fraudulent IDs
Power your growth plan
Get & stay organized
Leverage blockchain
Earn NFTs
E-signatures are already legal
Electronic signatures and notarizations were legalized two decades ago
While not all states have legalized “remote” notarizations, the federal government and all 50 states (as well as the District of Columbia and U.S. territories) accept e-signatures.
Two sets of laws (one federal and one enacted by the states) laid the groundwork for eNotarization: E-SIGN and UETA.
Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-SIGN) Act
E-SIGN specifically states that contracts and signatures “may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.”
The E-SIGN Act primarily governed electronic records, documents and signatures in interstate (and international) commerce. It left it to the states to further regulate e-signatures in their jurisdictions.
Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)
Uniform Acts are proposed legislation that is intended to provide a unified and similar law in various jurisdictions. UETA was developed and proposed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) in 1999.
California was the first state to enact UETA in 1999. Forty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have enacted UETA.
New York is the only holdout, but it has its own laws legalizing e-signatures.
Designed to grow your business & grow with you
The right plan for your modern notarization needs
'Free for life' starter
Our free-for-life “Personal” tier gives you free access to important notary business tools, such as the efficiency-boosting electronic notary journal and marketing resources.
The Personal plan also allows you to buy credits as needed for RONs, RINs and IPENs.
Pro & team growth
The Astrean “Professional” subscription plan gives you access to valuable notary business tools, including a CRM, accounting software, booking software and online payment acceptance.
It also includes monthly complimentary credits for electronic notarizations.
Bigger goals & needs
The “Premium” tier gives solopreneurs and larger teams more of the professional level – plus analytics, dedicated support, team management tools and marketing support to take your game even further.
Notaries in this tier may also be recommended to our enterprise clients.
More than just RON
Astrean provides powerful tools to help notaries succeed
While Astrean offers a powerful yet easy-to-use RON tool, we are proud to proclaim that we are more than just online or electronic notarizations!
Our robust and dynamic RON, RIN and IPEN tools are part of our comprehensive suite of notary business and digital resources.
Our mission is to create a toolbox to help notaries succeed in business and their careers. And the fact is that a RON tool alone – even one as good as ours – is not enough to guarantee success.
As successful notaries understand, you need an entire toolbox to help you create a successful notary business or leverage your notary skills for your chosen career.
Try Astrean now — with no cost and no commitment
2 Ways to start enjoying Astrean for free
'Free for life' PERSONAL plan
We're on a mission to unleash notarization & notaries!
That's why we're providing our basic set of notary marketing tools and electronic notary journal absolutely free with our Personal pricing tier.
And if you need to use our eNotarization tools for remote online notarization, remote ink-based notarization (RIN) or in-person e-notarization (IPEN), you can purchase credits as needed.
Get the 1st month for FREE
Try the Astrean "Pro" or "Premium" plans free for 30 days!
Whether you're a new notary or an experienced freelancer on the fast-growth track, the Pro plan gives you the tools you need for electronic notarization and business growth.
For power users and entrepreneurial notaries, our Premium plan gives you more of the Pro plan, as well as tools for faster growth and managing a team.
Modernizing notarial security and privacy
Big improvements in fraud prevention for notarization
It’s true that notary fraud is rare. But let’s be honest. Traditional notarization has not kept up with the all the modern security precautions used by the financial industry and generally expected by our modern economy.
Notarization can do so much to enhance trust and combat fraud in our business, legal and government. But it has been unable to step up to the plate – until now. Today’s technology can make notarization even more secure and trustworthy. And Astrean’s solution takes it even further:
- Verified notaries. Only notaries with valid commissions and licenses are allowed.
- Signer ID validation. We electronically ensure that signer ID docs are legit.
- Signer ID verification. We use dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA) to verify each signer’s actual identity.
- Encrypted data. All data is encrypted in transit using secure socket layers (SSL) and at rest.
- Blockchain-enabled. This supporting technology helps ensure that confirmed records are immutable (cannot be altered later).
The Astrean Academy
Continuing education to take you to the top
Master digital notarization
We also provide state-specific training to ensure you’re ready for specific RON requirements for your state.
Learn more...
Grow your notary business
Astrean provides and trains you on the tools that professional services rely on to grow and succeed, as well as tips on how to best use them.
Learn more...
Generating customers & revenue for you
Introducing the Astrean "Uber for Notaries" marketplace
In addition to individuals searching online for notaries, we also actively recommend our premium notaries to our enterprise clients who need additional support. These enterprise clients are large corporations and very busy title companies with their own internal notary team.
But they often run into times when they need help from seasoned notaries outside their company.
We select and train only qualified notaries to be part of this marketplace. If you’re interested in becoming a notary and/or part of the Astrean Notary Marketplace, click here to learn more.