It seems as if you can do most things online – except buy a house. That is changing in 2020 in Florida and Southern Title is keeping our eye on RON!

Florida’s Remote Online Notarization (RON) law takes effect on January 1, 2020. This law permits the digital signing of notarial documents during the interactive, online, audio-video session with a notary public who is authorized to perform remote online notarizations.

There are several different forms of eClosings, in addition to RON.

• Hybrid is an eClosing that involved eSigned eDocuments and wet signed paper documents. In a Hybrid eClosing, it is common to eSign all documents other than those that will be notarized or recorded, which are wet signed.

• An In-Person eClosing involved eDocuments, all of which are eSigned in the physical presence of a notary public, who is authorized to perform in-person electronic notarization.

As part of the Remote Online Notarization law that is taking effect January 1, the Florida Statutes were revised in section 117.05(4) to provide that when notarizing a signature, a Florida notary shall complete a jurat or notarial certificate which shall contain a statement whether the signer personally appeared before the notary by physical presence or by means of audio-video communication technology. This change pertains to ALL acknowledgments and jurats performed by Florida notaries on or after January 1, 2020, not just those performed remotely.

If you are signing a document and having it notarized after January 1, 2020, be sure the document contains the following language: “by means of  [ ] physical presence of  [ ] online notarization.”

Additionally, a certificate was added for a notary to use when notarizing a copy of a tangible or an electronic record or a printout of an electronic record.

Southern Title is prepared for this new era of closings, and the new statutory language! Please feel free to call us at 866.297.5535 if you have any questions, and you can continue to count on Southern Title to keep you up to date on any changes impacting your purchase, sale, or refinance of real property in Florida!

Section 695.25, Florida Statutes is amended to read:

Statutory Short Forms of Acknowledgment

• For an individual acting in his or her own right:

STATE OF  . . . .

COUNTY OF . . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name of person acknowledging) . . . , who is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification.

. . . Signature of person taking acknowledgment

. . . Name typed, printed or stamped

. . . Title or rank

. . . Serial number if any

• For a corporation

State of  . . .

County of . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name of office or agent, title of officer or agent)  . . . of . . . (name of corporation acknowledging) . . . corporation, on behalf of the corporation. He/she is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification.

. . . (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) . . .

. . . (Name typed, printed or stamped) . . .

. . . (Title or rank) . . .

. . . (Serial number if any) . . .

• For a limited liability company:

State of  . . .

County of . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name of member, manager, officer or agent, title of member, manager, officer or agent )  . . . of . . . (name of company acknowledging) . . . , a  . . . (state or place of formation) . . . limited liability company, on behalf of the company, who is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification.

. . . (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) . . .

. . . (Name typed, printed or stamped) . . .

. . . (Title or rank) . . .

. . . (Serial number if any) . . .

• For a partnership:

STATE OF  . . .

COUNTY OF . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name of acknowledging partner or agent )  . . . of . . .partner (or agent) on behalf of . . .  (name of partnership) . . . , a  . . . partnership. He/she  is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification.

. . . (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) . . .

. . . (Name typed, printed or stamped) . . .

. . . (Title or rank) . . .

. . . (Serial number if any) . . .

• For an individual acting as principal by an attorney in fact:

STATE OF  . . . .

COUNTY OF . . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name of attorney in fact )  . . . as attorney in fact, who is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification on behalf of . . . (name of principal) . . . .

. . . (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) . . .

. . . (Name typed, printed or stamped) . . .

. . . (Title or rank) . . .

. . . (Serial number if any) . . .

• By an public officer, trustee, or personal representative:

STATE OF  . . . .

COUNTY OF . . . .

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me by means of [ ] physical presence or [ ] online notarization, this  . . . (date)  . . . by  . . . (name and title of position )  . . . , who is personally known to me or who has produced  . . . (type of identification) . . . as identification.

. . . (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) . . .

. . . (Name typed, printed or stamped) . . .

. . . (Title or rank) . . .

. . . (Serial number if any) . . .