RON RON Session Recording and Recordkeeping 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How long must a notary retain audio-visual recordings of RON sessions under the majority of state RON statutes?
- 1 year from the date of notarization
- 5 years from the date of notarization (Correct answer)
- 10 years from the date of notarization
- Indefinitely, with no expiration
Correct answer: 5 years from the date of notarization
Most state RON laws require audio-visual recordings to be retained for a minimum of 5 years from the date of the notarial act.
Question 2: Which of the following items is typically required to be captured in a RON notary's electronic journal entry?
- The notary's home address
- The principal's Social Security Number
- The type of notarial act performed (Correct answer)
- The fee charged to the signer
Correct answer: The type of notarial act performed
A RON electronic journal must record the type of notarial act performed, along with the date, time, document description, and identity verification method used.
Question 3: Under most RON laws, who bears primary responsibility for maintaining the audio-visual recordings of a RON session?
- The signer of the document
- The RON technology platform provider (Correct answer)
- The county recorder's office
- The receiving financial institution
Correct answer: The RON technology platform provider
Most RON statutes place the recordkeeping obligation on the RON technology platform, which is required to store and secure the session recordings on behalf of the notary.
Question 4: What is the primary legal purpose of requiring audio-visual recordings of RON sessions?
- To allow marketing analysis of the notarization process
- To provide an evidentiary record in case of fraud or dispute (Correct answer)
- To enable state licensing boards to monitor notary productivity
- To automatically verify document authenticity with county clerks
Correct answer: To provide an evidentiary record in case of fraud or dispute
The core purpose of RON session recordings is to create an evidentiary record that can be reviewed if the notarization is later challenged or if fraud is alleged.
Question 5: A RON notary's commission expires. What should happen to the electronic journal and session recordings?
- They are automatically deleted by the platform 30 days after expiration
- They must be transferred to the state notary regulating authority immediately
- They must continue to be preserved for the full required retention period (Correct answer)
- They become the sole property of the document recipient
Correct answer: They must continue to be preserved for the full required retention period
Expiration of a notary's commission does not shorten the retention obligation; records must still be preserved for the full statutory retention period.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a 'tamper-evident' requirement for RON electronic records?
- The record must be stored on government-certified servers
- Any unauthorized alteration of the record must be detectable (Correct answer)
- The record must be printed and signed by the notary within 24 hours
- The record must be encrypted with a 4096-bit key minimum
Correct answer: Any unauthorized alteration of the record must be detectable
Tamper-evident means the technology must ensure that any post-creation modification to the record is detectable, protecting the integrity of the notarial act.
Question 7: A RON session recording is subpoenaed as evidence in a civil lawsuit. Who must provide it?
- Only the notary who performed the act
- The platform provider and/or the notary, as directed by the subpoena (Correct answer)
- The state notary regulating authority
- Only the document's title company
Correct answer: The platform provider and/or the notary, as directed by the subpoena
A valid subpoena can compel the party who holds the records—the platform, the notary, or both—to produce the session recordings as evidence.
RON RON Session Recording and Recordkeeping 1
How long must a notary retain audio-visual recordings of RON sessions under the majority of state RON statutes?