2026-01-26 – Weekly Notary News : Earliest state to legalize RON?

Last week on the forum, members engaged in a variety of discussions, from practical tips to historical insights. Many were keen on exploring the best ways to choose continuing education hours, while others delved into the legal history of notarial practices. Practical challenges, such as maintaining equipment and dealing with timezone discrepancies, were also popular topics. Overall, there was a balanced mix of current challenges and historical curiosities.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Choosing my next CE hours
Members are sharing advice on selecting continuing education hours that truly enhance skills and meet state requirements.
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Earliest state to legalize RON
A spirited discussion on which state led the way in legalizing remote online notarization, and how it has impacted notarial work.
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The ID wallet clown car
Notaries describe the challenges of managing multiple IDs and the humor that sometimes ensues.
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Who started the thumbprint rule in 1996
Exploring the origins of the thumbprint rule in notarial practice and its implications today.
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Same weird timezone drift across tools
A technical thread tackling the recurring issue of timezone mismatches in notary scheduling tools.
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First 30 days as a notary — what’s normal
New notaries share their experiences and what to expect during the first month on the job.
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Portable scanner that tames car-seat shadows
Discover how notaries are using portable scanners to improve document handling while on the go.
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Earliest notary in the American colonies
A historical dive into the very first notaries in the American colonies and their roles.
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Maintaining seal legibility after 1,000 impressions
Techniques and tips for keeping your notary seal sharp and clear after extensive use.
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Anyone else chasing missing CE certificates
Members discuss the common ordeal of tracking down elusive continuing education certificates.
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Thanks for staying engaged with the community. Your contributions make this forum a valuable resource for all. Keep sharing your experiences and solutions.

Virginia was first to legalize RON (2011 law; 2012 effective); log sessions in UTC to fix timezone mismatches. Remote Online Notary | NNA.

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I killed most ‘timezone discrepancies’ by checking my system clock at https://time.is before each RON and adding UTC alongside local time in my journal and certificate. Do you rely on the platform’s audit trail for UTC, or add it yourself? If your platform already stamps UTC, I still mirror it on the certificate because some lenders want to see it in both places.

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“mirror it on the certificate because some lenders want to see it in both places.” I also add the exact UTC offset (e.g., UTC-05:00) next to local time and include the platform’s audit log PDF with the package; it’s saved me twice when a title office questioned DST. For the history bit, VA was first, and a neat nuance is they allowed out-of-state signers from day one — NASS has a clear overview at https://www.nass.org/initiatives/remote-notarization. Anyone else attach audit logs by default?

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