Given the recent pandemic and social distancing guidelines, Kentucky’s Secretary of State website has updated to provide further guidance on remote and electronic online notarizations.
Electronic notaries are certified to sign electronically with the individual in the room with them. Online Notary Publics may actually sign remotely while audio or video conferencing with the individual signing in a remote location. “Satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual pursuant to KRS 423.325(3)” must be provided or the notary must have personal knowledge of the identity. KRS 423.355(2)(a). A recording of the transaction must be saved by the notary for ten years.
In order to utilize and perform remote or electronic notaries the notary must already be a licensed at large public notary and will need to utilize a registered third-party vendor (Kentucky currently has five approved vendor and it will cost around $10 per month per user). The registration fee to the Secretary of State to register as an online notary is $10. Visit the Secretary of State website to obtain a list of licensed vendors and fill out the application form. You need to check the box registering for the “Remote Online + Electronic” notary registration. Mail the completed form to Johnna.Ballinger@ky.gov.
