AR Notary Electronic Notarization Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Before performing electronic notarizations in Arkansas, a commissioned notary must first do what?
- Register as an electronic notary with the Arkansas Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Obtain a federal digital notary license
- File a petition with the county clerk
- Pass the state bar's technology examination
Correct answer: Register as an electronic notary with the Arkansas Secretary of State
Arkansas requires a traditional commissioned notary to register with the Secretary of State before acting as an electronic notary.
Question 2: Which technology may an Arkansas electronic notary use to perform electronic notarizations?
- Any free e-signature app the signer prefers
- Only a solution provider approved by the Arkansas Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Any software recommended by the document recipient
- Only technology developed by the notary personally
Correct answer: Only a solution provider approved by the Arkansas Secretary of State
Arkansas electronic notaries must use a technology solution provider approved by the Secretary of State.
Question 3: An Arkansas electronic notary's electronic signature and seal must be:
- Shared with the employer for backup purposes
- Stored on the signer's device for convenience
- Kept under the notary's sole control at all times (Correct answer)
- Emailed to the Secretary of State after each use
Correct answer: Kept under the notary's sole control at all times
The notary must retain exclusive control of the electronic signature and seal to prevent unauthorized use.
Question 4: What feature must an electronically notarized document in Arkansas include so alterations can be detected?
- A watermark of the state flag
- Tamper-evident technology that reveals changes after notarization (Correct answer)
- A handwritten ink signature scanned into the file
- A password known only to the signer
Correct answer: Tamper-evident technology that reveals changes after notarization
Approved electronic notarization systems must render documents tamper-evident so any post-notarization change is detectable.
Question 5: Where must an Arkansas notary be physically located when performing a remote online notarization?
- Anywhere in the United States
- Within the State of Arkansas (Correct answer)
- In the same county as the signer
- In the same room as the signer
Correct answer: Within the State of Arkansas
The notary must be physically located in Arkansas at the time of the remote notarization, though the signer may be elsewhere.
Question 6: During a remote online notarization, the requirement of personal appearance is satisfied when the signer appears before the notary by:
- A recorded voicemail message
- An exchange of emails with photo attachments
- Real-time two-way audio-visual communication (Correct answer)
- A phone call with the signer's attorney
Correct answer: Real-time two-way audio-visual communication
Live, simultaneous two-way audio-visual technology satisfies personal appearance for remote online notarization.
Question 7: If an Arkansas electronic notary's registration data changes, such as a new email address used for e-notarizations, the notary should:
- Notify the Secretary of State of the change (Correct answer)
- Do nothing until the commission renews
- Notify only the technology provider
- Publish the change in a local newspaper
Correct answer: Notify the Secretary of State of the change
Changes to electronic notary registration information must be reported to the Secretary of State.
AR Notary Electronic Notarization Procedures 2
Before performing electronic notarizations in Arkansas, a commissioned notary must first do what?