HB 1154 Summary

• Authorizes notaries public in Mississippi to perform remote online notarizations (RON) and remote ink-signed notarizations (RIN) for individuals located outside their physical presence using communication technology and electronic notarization systems, effective July 1, 2025.

• Requires notaries performing remote notarizations to verify the remotely located individual's identity through personal knowledge or at least two different types of identity proofing, and to create audio-visual recordings of the notarial act.

• Permits notaries to certify tangible copies of electronic records as true and correct copies, and allows the Secretary of State to establish maximum fees that notaries may charge for notarial services.

• Mandates that remote notarization certificates indicate the use of communication technology and that notaries refuse requests involving technology they don't understand or that fails to meet statutory requirements.

• Authorizes the Secretary of State to adopt rules establishing standards for communication technology, identity proofing, credential analysis, and retention periods for audio-visual recordings of remote notarizations.