4.4 Identity Verification for Remote Online Notarization

How RON Identity Proofing Differs

For Remote Online Notarization (RON), the notary and signer are not in the same room, so a glance at a plastic card is not enough. Montana has brought its RON identity rules in line with the national model, layering technology on top of the live video review. When the signer is not personally known to the notary, the platform must use multi-factor identity proofing -- typically credential analysis PLUS knowledge-based authentication.

Credential Analysis

The RON platform performs an automated forensic check of the uploaded ID:

1. Scans the front and back of the document.
2. Confirms the format matches a known official template.
3. Validates security features (holograms, microprint, machine-readable zone).
4. Checks that the photo and data have not been altered.
5. Reports a pass/fail result to the notary.

Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA)

KBA asks the signer questions drawn from credit-bureau and public-records databases -- facts only the true person should readily know.

Example KBA items: "Which of these streets have you lived on?" or "What was the original loan amount on a past auto loan?" A signer who fails KBA cannot complete the remote act through that path.

Who Runs the Proofing

The communications technology provider -- the RON platform vendor -- is generally responsible for running credential analysis and KBA before the live session begins. In many transactions the notary is not even admitted into the session until proofing has succeeded. The platform then surfaces the results to the notary.

The Notary Still Decides

Technology supports but never replaces the notary's judgment. Even after the platform reports a clean pass, the notary:

• Performs a final visual ID review during the live video.
• May ask additional questions on camera.
• Has final authority to accept or deny the identification.
• Must refuse if not reasonably certain, regardless of the software's verdict.

Recording and Retention

Montana requires the entire remote session to be recorded by audio-video, and that recording must be retained for 10 years. The recording is itself evidence of how identity was established, so the proofing steps occur on camera or are logged by the platform.

In-Person vs. RON Verification

Why "Multi-Factor" Matters

The term multi-factor identity proofing means the platform relies on more than one independent signal, so that defeating the check requires compromising several systems at once. A fraudster might obtain a stolen ID image (defeating a visual check) but is far less likely to also pass KBA questions drawn from the victim's credit history. Credential analysis attacks the authenticity of the document; KBA attacks the question of whether the presenter is really the person the document names.

Layered, they are stronger than either alone -- which is exactly why Montana's national-model alignment pairs them rather than allowing a single technology to suffice.

Worked Scenario: KBA Failure Mid-Session

A remote signer uploads a clean license and credential analysis passes, but he fails the KBA quiz, answering only two of five questions correctly within the time limit. Even though the document looks authentic, identity proofing has not succeeded -- a genuine ID in the wrong hands is the precise risk KBA exists to catch. The platform will typically block the session, and the notary cannot simply wave the signer through on the strength of the document. The signer must either pass a permitted retry, switch to an approved alternative proofing method, or complete the act in person.

The exam tests whether you treat a credential-analysis pass as sufficient on its own -- it is not.

What the Notary Personally Verifies

It is tempting to think the technology does everything, but the statute keeps a human in the loop. During the live session the notary still confirms the person on screen matches the ID photo, watches for coaching or off-camera prompting, confirms the signer appears willing and aware, and makes the final accept-or-deny call. If the video is too poor to see the signer's face or the ID, or the signer's behavior raises a red flag, the notary refuses regardless of a technology pass. The recording -- retained for ten years in Montana -- preserves this human judgment as evidence that the act was performed correctly.

On the Exam

• Two pillars: credential analysis + KBA for non-personally-known signers.
• Provider runs proofing, often before the notary joins the session.
• 80% / about 5 questions is the common KBA passing benchmark.
• 10-year recording retention is a Montana RON requirement.
• Notary retains final authority even after a technology pass.