MI Notary Electronic and Remote Notarization in Michigan 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the term for notarization performed using audio-video technology where the signer is in a different location than the notary?
- Electronic notarization
- Remote online notarization (RON) (Correct answer)
- Digital acknowledgment
- Virtual witnessing
Correct answer: Remote online notarization (RON)
Remote Online Notarization (RON) allows a notary and signer to complete a notarial act via real-time audio-video communication.
Question 2: When did Michigan authorize remote online notarization?
- 2015
- 2018
- 2020 (Correct answer)
- 2022
Correct answer: 2020
Michigan enacted legislation authorizing remote online notarization in 2020, allowing notaries to serve signers located elsewhere.
Question 3: For a Michigan remote online notarization, what technology requirement must be met?
- Email communication only
- Real-time audio-video communication (Correct answer)
- Pre-recorded video submission
- Text-based chat with document upload
Correct answer: Real-time audio-video communication
Michigan's RON law requires simultaneous audio-video communication so both the notary and signer can see and hear each other in real time.
Question 4: What process does a Michigan notary performing RON use to verify the remote signer's identity?
- Personal knowledge only
- Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) or credential analysis (Correct answer)
- A phone call to confirm identity
- Government database lookup by the notary
Correct answer: Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) or credential analysis
Michigan RON requires identity proofing through knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and/or credential analysis tools provided by an approved RON platform.
Question 5: Which type of electronic signature must a Michigan RON notary use when performing a remote notarization?
- Any scanned signature
- A digital signature tied to a tamper-evident certificate (Correct answer)
- A handwritten signature scanned and attached
- No signature is required for RON
Correct answer: A digital signature tied to a tamper-evident certificate
Michigan notaries performing RON must use a digital signature attached to a tamper-evident certificate to secure the electronic record.
Question 6: How long must a Michigan notary retain the audio-video recording of a remote online notarization?
- 1 year
- 3 years
- 5 years
- 10 years (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 10 years
Michigan law requires the audio-video recording of each RON session to be retained for a minimum of 10 years.
MI Notary Electronic and Remote Notarization in Michigan 1
What is the term for notarization performed using audio-video technology where the signer is in a different location than the notary?