Remote Online Notarization (RON) Flashcards

A Kansas notary performs a remote online notarization (RON) for a signer located in another country. According to Kansas law, for how long must the notary retain the audio-visual recording of this notarial act?

Answer: Ten years from the date the recording is made.

Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 7-43-23 explicitly states that each audio-visual recording of a remote online notarization must be retained for at least 10 years after the recording is made. This is a critical record-keeping requirement specific to RON.

A commissioned Kansas notary, who is authorized to perform RON, is traveling on vacation in Colorado. While there, they receive a request to remotely notarize a document for a client who is physically in Wichita, Kansas. Which of the following is the correct course of action for the notary?

Answer: Refuse to perform the notarization until they are physically back in Kansas.

Kansas law (K.S.A. 53-5a15, K.A.R. 7-43-20) requires the notary public to be physically located within the borders of Kansas at the time the remote online notarial act is performed. The signer's location is not restricted, but the notary's location is.

When performing a remote online notarization for an individual the notary does not personally know, which of the following identity proofing methods is required by Kansas law?

Answer: A multi-factor process that includes remote presentation of an ID, credential analysis, and knowledge-based authentication (KBA).

Kansas law requires a robust, multi-step identity verification process for RON. This involves using a RON technology provider to analyze the signer's government-issued ID for authenticity (credential analysis) and having the signer successfully answer a series of personal questions generated from public and private data sources (knowledge-based authentication).

Before a commissioned notary can perform their first remote online notarization in Kansas, they must complete all of the following steps EXCEPT:

Answer: Purchase a second surety bond specifically for remote online notarizations.

A Kansas notary's single $12,000 surety bond covers all notarial acts, including traditional, in-person electronic, and remote online notarizations. A separate or additional bond is not required to perform RONs. However, they must complete training, pass an exam, select a state-approved vendor, and notify the Secretary of State.

A Kansas notary performing a RON must maintain a secure electronic journal. Which of the following details is a required entry for a remote notarization that would NOT typically be required for a traditional, paper-based notarization?

Answer: A description of the technology used to perform the RON.

While all journal entries require details like the signer's name, type of act, and date, the journal entry for a RON has the additional requirement of documenting the specific communication technology (the RON platform provider) that was used to conduct the notarial act.

Which of the following statements must be included within the notarial certificate for a remote online notarization performed in Kansas?

Answer: "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology."

Kansas regulations specify that a notarial certificate for a remote notarization must include a statement indicating that communication technology was used, such as "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology" or similar words to that effect. This clarifies the method of appearance for anyone reviewing the document.