{"id":3849,"date":"2020-07-13T13:24:12","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T20:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/notarycouncil.org\/revamp\/?p=3849"},"modified":"2020-07-13T13:24:12","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T20:24:12","slug":"advice-for-notaries-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/notarycouncil.org\/revamp\/advice-for-notaries-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice for Notaries During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Advice for Notaries During COVID-19<\/span><\/h1>\n

In response to COVID-19, several states have suspended court functions. Yet, many people still need notaries to verify documents and sign affidavits for legal cases. Unfortunately, the California state law does not permit notaries to perform remote notarizations. This presents a challenge for <\/span>notaries during these difficult times.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Challenges for Notaries<\/span><\/h2>\n

Notary laws require public notaries to witness the signing of documents and verify the identity of the principal signer. For this purpose, notaries usually need to be physically present to perform notarization. Being in close proximity to the person signing the document may expose them to infection-causing pathogens.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, with some planning and communication, notaries can reduce the risk of exposure in such close physical settings. Let\u2019s look at how public notaries can perform notarizations in the times of the Corona Virus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mobile Notaries<\/span><\/h2>\n

While California state laws do not allow for remote online notarizations, they do provide for mobile notaries. This allows individual notaries to travel to a client\u2019s place for notarization. Think of it as making a house-call. So if a California citizen wishes to have their documents notarized, you can direct them to a mobile California notary public.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mobile notary can communicate beforehand to reduce the amount of time spent at the agreed location. They can discuss who will be present and ensure no one has any symptoms of Corona.<\/span><\/p>\n

Precautions to Reduce Exposure During COVID-19<\/span><\/h2>\n

Notaries should take extra precautions while performing their duties. Failure to do so could be harmful to the safety and health of both the signers and the <\/span>notaries during COVID-19<\/span>. Below are some of the precautions that\u00a0<\/span>notaries can take<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n