Effective Friday, April 3, 2020, a Proclamation issued by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, allows Alabama Notaries to conduct notarizations remotely.  This action taken by Governor Ivey makes it safer for the general public and the notary during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

What is remote notarization?

A remote notarization is when the document signer is at one location and the notary is at a different location. The two individuals are connected by video and audio conference technology where they can see and hear each other.  The Proclamation requires that the notary record the entire transaction.

This sounds complicated. Can you explain how this would work?

Basically, most remote notarizations would go something like this:

•  Frank has a claim form that needs to be notarized but is unable to leave his home.  Frank searches online for an Alabama remote notary and finds Michelle's information.  He calls her to ask questions and schedule an appointment.

• Michelle answers Franks questions.  She asks Frank detailed questions about the claim form to make sure it is something that she can notarize remotely. After Frank answers her questions, Michelle tells him that the total cost of the notarization will be $30 ($5 notary fee + $25  administrative fee - remote).  She instructs him not to sign the form until their meeting.  Michelle schedules the remote notarization appointment for 3:00 pm that afternoon.  She emails Frank a link and a meeting invitation. 
• At 3:00 pm, Frank clicks the link in the email.  The link takes him to a private, secure video-conference meeting room. He can see Michelle on the computer screen and hears her greet him.  Michelle asks him to show his ID.  Frank holds his driver license up to the camera on his computer. 
• After verifying Frank's identity, Michelle instructs him to sign the form. She watches him sign and date the form. Because she knows Frank is in a hurry, she explains how he can forward the signed claim form to her using fax or email.  She waits with Frank until his claim form arrives.
• When it arrives she prints it at her office, completes the Notary Certificate section, signs & dates the form, and applies her official notary seal.
• Michelle explains the different ways Frank can pay for the remote notarization.  He opts to use his credit card. Michelle emails him a receipt.
• Michelle also emails a copy of the signed and notarized claim form back to Frank.  She and places the form with her wet signature in an envelope and mails it to Frank the following day. 

As you can see, the entire notarization could take as little as 30  or longer.  It depends on whether or not wet (original) signatures are needed and how urgent the request. 

If wet signatures were required by the document signer and the notary, how long could it take and what would be the official notarization date?

Well, in this case, after Michelle watched Frank sign and date the form, he would mail it to Michelle's office. Once she received it she would sign, date and stamp the form and return it to Frank.  Mail time alone could take 2-3 days. According to Governor Ivey's Proclamation, the official notarization date would be the date and time when Michelle  witnessed Frank's signature during the video conference session.

This was helpful but I still have questions, who can I talk to?

Call Michelle Riley at (256) 503-6595.