ATLANTA – State Representative Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas) recently introduced House Bill 334 to authorize remote online notarization in Georgia.
“Authorizing online notarization is a necessary and easy way to promote safer, remote ways to conduct our daily lives during the pandemic,” said Rep. Gullett. “As people and businesses in Georgia continue to adapt to online technology throughout this pandemic, our laws must continue to adapt also. House Bill 334 was crafted based on national models that have been adopted across the country, and the Georgia business community has embraced this bill. I hope that my colleagues in the House and Senate will also show their support for this common-sense legislation.”
House Bill 334 would authorize the use of remote online notarizations in Georgia, and this legislation would allow the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority to adopt and determine requirements for electronic journaling, applications and appointments.
Rep. Gullett’s legislation has been endorsed by a coalition of industries, which recently expressed their support through a joint letter. This coalition’s letter highlighted that notarial acts have become a necessary component of the many daily business activities that people engaged in across various industries. Further, the letter emphasized that shelter-at-home orders and social distancing protocols due to the pandemic have increased the importance of being able to conduct business and other transactions remotely. This group also expressed that limitations for online notarizations may cause increased risk to various industries by hampering the ability to serve consumers and enable state commerce.
The joint letter was submitted by Adobe, Inc.; American Council of Life Insurers; American Financial Services Association; American Property Casualty Insurance Association; Georgia Bankers Association; Georgia Financial Services Association; Georgia’s Own Credit Union; League of Southeastern Credit Unions and Affiliates; Metro Atlanta Chamber; Notarize, Inc.; Superior Court Clerks Association; Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA); Quicken Loans, LLC; Upstart, Inc.; and Zillow Group.
For more information on House Bill 334, please click here.
*Editor’s Note: The joint letter to endorse remote online notarization is attached.
Representative Joseph Gullett represents the citizens of District 19, which includes portions of Paulding County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Code Revision and Energy, Utilities, & Telecommunications committees and Secretary of the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves as on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development and the Interstate Cooperation, Insurance and Juvenile Justice committees.
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