Remote Notarization is Back for Good!

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On December 22, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law which will allow licensed notaries to perform notarial acts through a completely electronic format.

What Does Completely Electronic Notarization Mean?  Earlier in the pandemic, former Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order that authorized remote notarization.  That Executive Order expired on June 24, 2021. However, with the positive results of remote notarization, and the unpredictable ups and downs of the pandemic, Governor Hochul is bringing back electronic authorization. And this time it’s for good.

In fact, Hochul’s bill makes it even easier for notaries to remotely notarize documents. Whiel Cuomo’s earlier Executive Order required a notary to print a document, sign it by hand, and then send an electronic copy back to the sender, the new law in New York allows the process to be completed entirely online.

Because this statewide change will require a new, online registration system, Hochul is giving the Department of State until January 31, 2023 to prepare for fully online notarization, although it may come sooner.

What About Right Now?  For the moment, the new law authorizes the process put into place by Cuomo, which still requires notaries to print out copies, sign them by hand, and electronically send them back to the signor. This is expected to stay in place until the fully electronic system is ready. Stay tuned, because we’ll let you know when this happens.

Happy Holidays from the team at The Coppola Firm!

Lisa Coppola

Written by Lisa Coppola

Founder of The Coppola Firm

Lisa A. Coppola, Esq. understands the challenges her clients face, whether they’re starting a new business, taking their existing operations in a new direction, or facing a claim or threat.

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