NNA 28th Annual Conference Wraps Up

Ours is a constantly changing market and the National Notary Association is committed to keeping notaries educated. The last weekend of May, more than 1,000 notaries representing 37 states, dignitaries representing 23 nations, and leaders in the industry got together in Washington D.C. for the National Notary’s Association’s 28th Annual Conference. The main topic was that of the role of the notary in today’s technologically advanced industry.

The conference touched on the NNA’s Model Notary Act, which has been revised to provide guidelines for electronic notarizations. These guidelines originated with the establishment of the National eNotarization Commission, a panel comprised of notary-regulating officials, attorneys general, representatives from the Department of Justice, the FBI and FTC. The revisions as they apply to e-notarization appear in Act III.

The 124-page document defines notarial terms and standardizes the requirements for people who seek the position of notary public the application process, the courses and education required for the position; the manner in which entries are to be made in a bound or electronic journal and the wording on the certificates for notarial acts; procedures for change of status such as name or address; and the handling of sanctions by officials, both for notaries public and those who undertake the duty of a notary public unlawfully.

The Act preserves the requirement of a seal in electronic notarization to strengthen the connection between electronic and traditional paper-based notarial acts. An interesting aspect of this act is its deliberate ambiguity: “Certain visual components of traditional notary seals (e.g., serrated border, rectangular shape, inclusion of state seal) may not translate into an electronic seal, although some electronic document technologies may allow their inclusion.”

Though the act proposes that everyone who seeks to be commissioned as a notary public and electronic notary take classes and an exam, the Act leaves it open to each state to find the programs they think most suitable.

As a whole, the Act seeks to be neutral, focusing on defining the role and standardizing the office of notary public, instead of endorsing any particular form of notary training or program or the kind of electronic technology used to perform e-notarizations.

Still, the NNA wasn’t shy about showing off their groundbreaking Electronic Notary Seal Program and Enjoa electronic notarization platform at their e-notarization lab.

"If I were to tell you that the road is wide open for you and that it will be all sunlight and a carefree existence, then that would not be truthful," NNA President Milt Valera said during his State of the Notary Office address. "The road will be wide open for you only if you properly prepare yourself. You must strive with every breath to become the most professional Notary Public you can be."

Valera announced that Los Angeles will host the Association's 2007 Conference May 30-June 2. Next year's Conference theme, "50 Years of Leadership, Professionalism and Trust," celebrates the NNA's 50th Anniversary of service and education to America's Notaries.