The next time you need to execute a document in the presence of a notary public, you may be able to find one online!
Assembly Bill 293 and Senate Bill 317 (introduced June 13 and July 10, 2019, respectively), if passed by the Wisconsin Legislature, would allow a Wisconsin notary public to become commissioned as an “online notary” who is authorized to notarize legal documents online. Pursuant to the Bills, online notarial acts must be accomplished via communication technology, such as videoconferencing, which allows the notary to communicate in real time with the affiant. Both Bills would permit online notaries in the State of Wisconsin to notarize the signatures of individuals present anywhere in the United States, not just within the State.
One concern regarding these Bills is whether or not they should authorize the online notarization of estate planning documents such as wills, trusts, marital property agreements, durable powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney, given that many of these documents must be signed by one or more witnesses, in addition to being notarized. The Bills, as written, do not presently exclude estate planning documents from online notarization.
If you have any questions on this topic, please contact Lin Law LLC at (920) 393-1190.