Many of our title company clients have asked us this question throughout the years. Can I use RON(remote online notarization) when their signers are out of the United States? The answer is yes, with a few requirements. 

First, in this example we are assuming the signers are U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens can also sign using RON, but the process and requirements are slightly different. 

With U.S. citizens, the RON platform and notary involved will verify the signer's identities. The process is simple, but there can definitely be roadblocks along the way. Once the title company enlists our help with the RON closing, our team connects them with a trained RON notary that we have personally vetted and worked with many times before. The notary will immediately reach out to confirm the appointment, typically via email when the signers are out of country. In that initial contact, the notary signing agent will ask if they've used RON before and if not, brief them on the upcoming steps before the signing occurs.

Next, the title company or attorney client will upload their unsigned documents(often these are seller documents, POAs, affidavits, or cash buyer docs) to our secure portal. Once our team verifies the documents aren't missing any critical documents and the dates and names are correct, we will mark the package complete for our notary closer to download.

The notary signing agent will then upload those unsigned documents to their RON platform. In certain cases, our clients will specify which RON platforms their underwriters require for the closing. Since we have access to over 40,000 notary signing agents, we have the benefit of access to all RON platforms. Once uploaded they will tag and label the documents for the closing and email those tagged documents to the signers with detailed instructions. 

The signers have the option of previewing the documents before the appointment itself, to see if there are any potential issues with the closings costs or any questions that can be addressed prior to the appointment. Once the closing time arrives, the signers will open their email from their cellphone, laptop, desktop or tablet and click on the link to get started.

The signers will typically have to create an account with that platform if it's their first time using it. This usually involves inputting their full name, date of birth, mailing address and social security number. Once complete they will start the ID process with random generated KBA questions. KBA(knowledge based authentication) questions are created from the signer's credit history. They must answer 4 out of 5 multiple choice KBA questions correctly. If they fail to answer 4 out of 5 correctly on the 1st attempt, they will be given a 2nd attempt. If they fail the 2nd round of 5 questions, they will automatically be locked out from using the RON platform for 24 hours, in order to reduce fraud. If this happens, it's up to the title company client to advise us how to remedy this. We typically can wait 24 hours and try again on the same platform. Another option would be to use a different RON platform and try KBA questions again, so save the necessary time to get the transaction complete.

If they pass the KBA questions, the next step is to upload or take a photo of the front and back of their government ID(typically a driver's license, U.S. passport or ID card). The platform is comparing the images taken with others in it's library from that state or country. Not only is it comparing the  text location, images and bar code information, but it even gets as granular as comparing font size and line spacing as well. 

Once the ID check has been completed, the RON notary will be notified that the signers are ready and waiting for them. Once the notary signing agent connects with the signers, this is the last step for the ID process. After introducing themselves, the notary is then prompted by the RON platform to visually inspect the front and back of the signer's IDs and compare them to the signers in front of them. If everything matches, the notary marks both IDs as checked and can begin the signing. Typically a seasoned RON notary will also ask a basic qualifying question like, "Do you know what documents you are signing today?" to determine if both parties are indeed aware and seem willing to sign. 

Once the signing is complete, the signers will immediately receive the signed documents via email for their records. The RON notary will download the signed documents, the ID photos, the platform audit trail(this shows the time stamp for all events in the signing, including the KBA and ID passing steps) and the meeting link with passcode. These will be uploaded to our secure portal for our clients to access. The meeting recording is stored for 10 years on the RON platform's servers. Our client can review the closing video to see the signers and determine if everything was completed to the title company's standards. Since the documents are available in the portal, there is no waiting for next day shipping from Fedex/UPS to record or fund the transaction. 

In conclusion, even if the U.S. signers are out of the country, RON is a convenient tool we can use to facilitate the closing, while still maintaining the integrity of the documents. The general requirements are:

•  Having a current U.S. government ID

• Strong wifi connection 

• Smart device. 

If your team is in need of RON closings for U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, our team at Superlative Signings would love to assist. Email any requests or questions to: team@superlativesignings.com call us, (443) 248-3478 or access our secure portal here: Signing Order  Need more info? Check out our site: SuperlativeSignings.com