Maryland Governor Signs RON Bill

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently signed Senate Bill 678 into law enabling remote online notarizations (RON).

In April, Maryland’s legislature passed the bill, which modifies the state’s Uniform Law on Notarial Acts and allows for remote online notarization for real estate transactions.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. JB Jennings. The legislation will go into effect Oct. 1, 2020. The delay gives the Secretary of State time to promulgate regulations, and develop testing for new notarial applicants, a course of study for new applicants and those seeking to renew their commission and approve third-party education providers.

Maryland joins 17 other states that recognize some form of RON, including Arizona, Indiana, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

“This was the fourth year in a row that the legislature had a notary bill before it,” said Bill O’Connell, president of the Maryland Land Title Association. “The passage by the legislature this year could not have happened without the support and input of many, and especially not without the leadership of Senator JB Jennings.”

Pictured in the photo are Standing, left to right: Bill Pitcher, Maryland Land Title Association; Caitlin McDonough, Harris Jones & Malone LLC; Sen. J.B. Jennings (bill sponsor); Bill O’Connell, First American Title; Bill Castelli, Maryland Association of Realtors; Merry Tobin, RE/MAX; Jamie Gregory, Calfee Strategic Solutions; Michael O’Neal, First American Title; Boyd Campbell, Century 21 New Millennium. Seated, left to right: Sen. Mike Miller, president of the Senate; Gov. Larry Hogan; Del. Adrienne A. Jones, Speaker of the House of Delegates.

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor. This image has been modified to fit this post and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Uported License.