4.3 Remote Online Notary (RON) Identification

Overview

Nebraska authorizes Remote Online Notarization (RON), letting a registered online notary perform acts for a signer who is not physically present, using two-way, real-time audio-video communication. Because the notary never holds the signer's ID, identity verification is more layered than for in-person work and relies on technology to substitute for physical inspection.

Identity Proofing for a Remote Signer

For a signer the notary does not personally know, Nebraska law requires identity proofing built from two technical components performed by the RON platform: credential analysis of the government ID and knowledge-based authentication (KBA) of the signer. Personal knowledge of the signer or a credible witness present with the signer or notary can substitute for proofing, but the proofing path is the standard for strangers.

Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA)

KBA is a dynamic, out-of-wallet quiz. The signer first supplies identifying data, and the system pulls questions from credit and public records.

Typical industry standards require the signer to answer a set of multiple-choice questions (drawn from prior addresses, vehicles, or loans) within a time limit, scoring a minimum threshold, with only a limited number of retakes before lockout.

Credential Analysis

Credential analysis is the automated authentication of the government-issued photo ID. The platform captures and examines the front and back of the ID and validates its security features.

• The capture and analysis are performed by the platform, not a casually emailed or faxed photo.
• The system checks format, fonts, barcodes/MRZ data, and tamper indicators.
• The live video feed is used to compare the signer's face to the ID photo.

Required Platform Capabilities

Nebraska requires an approved RON technology provider whose system supports:

Recordkeeping

The online notary must create and keep an audio-video recording of each remote notarial act. Under Nebraska's online notary rules this recording is retained for at least 10 years, providing an evidentiary trail of how identity was established.

Becoming a Remote Online Notary

Note: the $100 RON fee is in addition to the standard commission costs — the ordinary $30 notary commission fee and the $15,000 surety bond required of every Nebraska notary.

Why Remote Proofing Is Layered

In person, a notary holds the card, feels its texture, tilts it to see holograms, and looks the signer in the eye. Remotely, none of that physical inspection is possible, so the law rebuilds equivalent assurance from independent layers. Credential analysis replaces the notary's tactile inspection of security features. KBA adds a second, knowledge-based factor that an impostor holding a stolen ID would likely fail. The live audio-video comparison lets the notary still match a face to the ID photo and observe the signer's demeanor.

No single layer is trusted alone; together they approximate the confidence of a face-to-face inspection. That is why removing any one layer — for example, skipping KBA — breaks the proofing standard for a signer the notary does not know.

When Proofing Is Not Needed

Identity proofing (credential analysis plus KBA) is the path for a stranger. If the online notary personally knows the remote signer, that personal knowledge satisfies identity the same way it does in person. Likewise, a credible witness — physically present with either the signer or the notary and personally knowing the signer — can substitute for proofing. The witness is identified by the notary by personal knowledge or by satisfactory evidence. In practice, most remote sessions involve strangers, so the credential-analysis-plus-KBA combination is the default you should expect on the exam.

How the Fees Fit Together

Candidates routinely confuse the dollar figures, so anchor them. Every Nebraska notary — remote or not — needs a $15,000 surety bond and pays the standard $30 commission fee for a four-year term. To add remote authority on top of that base commission, the notary registers as an online notary and pays a separate $100 RON registration fee to the Secretary of State. The $100 is not a substitute for the $30; it is an additional, RON-specific charge, and it does not include the cost the notary separately pays a technology provider.

Common Traps

• "The signer can email the ID ahead of time." No — credential analysis happens through the platform during proofing, not by a pre-sent photo.
• Confusing the fees. RON registration is $100; the base commission fee is $30; the bond is $15,000. Do not merge them.
• Assuming KBA alone is enough. Identity proofing for a stranger requires both credential analysis and KBA.
• Forgetting the recording. The audio-video file must be retained (10 years); failing to keep it is a serious compliance lapse.
• Believing personal knowledge is unavailable remotely. It still applies if the notary genuinely knows the signer.