Indiana Passes Remote Online Notarization Bill

We’re thrilled to report that Indiana has just voted to empower Indiana notaries to conduct remote online notarizations. The Indiana State Legislature made a clear statement with today’s passage of SB-372. The vote was decisive with a tally of 95 to 0 and was signed into law by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.

Indiana is the first state to approve an online notarization bill during the 2018 legislative session. They follow Texas and Nevada, who each approved legislation last year. We’re proud to have contributed to those bills and to the Indiana legislation today as well.

Indiana’s legislation embraces the way consumers and businesses rely upon online services in today’s economy. Like Virginia, Texas, and Nevada, the legislation empowers Indiana notaries to perform notarizations for citizens of all 50 states, when and where they want, regardless of where they’re located at the time of signing (at home or abroad). The legislation was adopted by the operating model that Virginia originally enabled and that Notarize is pioneering.

The Hoosier State holds a special place in our heart, and we’re ecstatic Indiana is embracing online notarization. While Notarize is already serving notarizations broadly, including all real estate transactions in Indiana with Stewart Title and Westcor Title, today's legislation enables Indiana notaries to serve people online starting next year.

"I’m proud to have led SB-372. With its passage today, Hoosier notaries will gain the ability to serve their clients online, creating a more safe, secure and efficient experience for everyone. We’re continuing to modernize how the Indiana government serves its constituents. Countless government forms require notarized documents, this Bill enables Hoosiers to more efficiently complete these and numerous other legal documents. I appreciate Secretary Lawson’s leadership on this important issue. We’re excited to welcome companies like Notarize to offer their tools to Indiana’s notaries," - Senator Travis Holdman.

As we shared last week, the National Association of Secretaries of State just adopted standards for online notarization. When their Remote Notarization Task Force was launched two years ago, we immediately joined as one of the first three private sector advisors and set out to visit as many Secretaries of State as possible. In that first sprint, we met with almost twenty Secretaries in just ten weeks. Our very first trip was actually to Indiana, where we met with Secretary Lawson in April 2016, just a few weeks after the NASS Task Force was created.

Since then, we’ve had extensive conversations with Secretary Lawson and her staff, visiting the State more times than we can recall. Along the way, we’ve made great friends and have also eaten some great food - nothing beats St. Elmo’s shrimp cocktail! The NASS Summer Conference was also in Indianapolis last year, and Notarize was proud to attend the event.

Secretary Lawson has been one of the leading voices on NASS’ Remote Notarization Task Force and is now also the President of NASS. As such, she’s become a leading expert on the issues, and we’re proud that she led the passage of Indiana’s online notary bill. Her support is yet another example that online notarization is a safe and reliable solution that can benefit industry and the public at large.

Indiana is also home to some of the leading experts in the country on digital mortgage. Just after launching Notarize, we got to know Jerry Koors of Merchants Mortgage and Mike Dunlap at Merchants Bank of Indiana, who both became our launch partners when we brought our mortgage platform to market last summer. We’ve also come to know the team at STAR Financial and the Indiana Bankers Association. We’re so thankful for their leadership on these issues and their support as we’ve worked to pass legislation in Indiana.

“We’re thrilled that the Indiana Legislature has approved online notarization for notaries in the Hoosier State. At Merchants, we’re leading the charge into the digital age with our online mortgage experience and are proud to have collaborated with the Secretary of State’s office, the Indiana Mortgage Bankers, and Notarize to get this bill right for consumers and industry. This bill gives people back precious time by eliminating the hassle of leaving home or work to meet a notary to execute some of life’s most important transactions. We know that online notarization will allow Merchants to offer better service to our customers and we’re excited to be working with Notarize," - Jerry Koors, President, Merchants Mortgage.

Notarize is committed to working with any state that enables online notarization, and we’re excited to welcome Indiana notaries to the Notarize platform once the law goes into effect next year.