BOSTON – State lawmakers recently approved legislation authorizing notaries public to conduct electronic notarization of documents during the ongoing coronavirus.
The bill permits Massachusetts residents to obtain notarization services for executing will, real estate title transfers, guardianship, healthcare proxies, and other essential documents while using real time video conferencing to help maintain proper social distances.
“The legislation will allow a number of very important transactions to proceed as normal,” said Centerville State Representative Will Crocker.
The bill also requires each principal involved in an electronic notarization transaction, including requiring the notary public and each of the principals involved to be physically present in Massachusetts.
For transactions involving mortgages and real estate title transfers, a secondary form of ID must also be provided, such as a credit card, Social Security card, municipal tax bill, or a utility bill.
A follow up video conference is also required with these types of transactions so the notary public can confirm the document received matches up.
The provisions of the bill will remain in effect until three days after the state of emergency ends.
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