State adapts to growing verification delays with a new order

Governor Parson Signs Executive Order 20-08 Regarding Notary Public in Response to COVID-19

In as much as Missourians and the rest of the nation are trying to maintain a business-as-usual routine while working remotely, there are still some things that require regulatory attention before they can move forward.  For business owners in the Missouri Medical Marijuana industry, verifications require notarizations – and not being able to visit a notary means verifications don’t get completed expeditiously.

At Monday’s Jefferson City briefing, Governor Parson signed Executive Order 20-08, which suspends a statutory requirement that a notary public must conduct the notarization of official documents while the signer appears in front of him or her in-person.  Jay Ashcroft, Secretary of State requested the order to allow for the use of audio-video technology to complete the personal appearance requirement for notarizations.

Parson said, “We need to do everything we can to ensure Missourians can still safely enter into contracts, sign mortgages, and update wills and personal health care directives without placing themselves or their notary at risk.”  This on the heels of the official stay-home order that began today in our state means that more and more of our long-held “policies” really CAN be modified if the needs of the constituents drive policymaking.

The Executive Order (seen below) invokes the provisions of sections 44.100 and 44.110, RSMo, which declared a state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19.

   

It orders that the requirement of personal appearance before a notary public is suspended to the extent that any notarial act is authorized to be performed utilizing audio-video technology, provided certain conditions are met. The order is valid until May 15, 2020, unless extended.

Already-registered notaries must register as electronic notaries public. Details on registration and the personal appearance suspension will soon be available on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.mo.gov. Please email commissions@sos.mo.gov or call (573) 751-2783 with questions.

Facilities hoping to continue execution of their plans to become operational as close to their planned dates as possible have the opportunity to react and get verifications complete,  in a way that is definitely a progressive solution to a historically cumbersome task.