GA HB289

Establishes a framework for remote online notarization (RON) in Georgia, allowing notaries to perform notarial acts via audio-visual communication technology for signers located anywhere in the U.S. or abroad under certain conditions

Requires the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority to adopt RON standards by January 1, 2027, and mandates applicants complete a training course and examination before appointment as a remote online notary public

Remote online notaries must maintain a $2,000 surety bond, keep electronic journals for at least 10 years, create audiovisual recordings of each notarization, and may charge up to $25.00 per remote notarization

Prohibits remote online notarization for wills, codicils, and testamentary trusts, and preserves the requirement that a licensed Georgia attorney supervise real estate closings for property in the state

Creates a new unfair business practice for knowingly recording residential real estate documents that resulted from unauthorized practice of law, and exempts audiovisual recordings of remote notarizations from public disclosure requirements