Seems there's still lots of confusion about this issue. The message linked to above talks about e-notarization being required - and I wouldn't disagree that that's likely to be a very long time away. But that doesn't mean that e-notarized documents aren't being recorded in some fashion already.
I don't claim to be an expert on this issue and haven't really made an effort to stay up with the latest trends. However, when I researched this issue a decade or so ago, I learned that even back then, there were about three stages of implementation of e-recording. I don't really know if any counties have yet gotten to the final stage of being completely electronic, where a document can be recorded without a hard copy ever being generated.
However, that *can* be the case with other types of documents that don't require recording. For example, I can picture local companies, running what they consider a paperless office, remotely contacting some organization in Virginia to have a document notarized, then continuing to use it however they need, as they do other electronic documents. It's probably already going on. I've met with some signers who have claimed to work in paperless offices who say they have trouble remembering how to sign their name, let alone write in cursive... 
It wouldn't surprise me if it takes more than one generation to completely transition to all paperless transactions, but that doesn't mean that the process is already well underway. Whether or not this includes the REMOTE aspect of notarization is a whole other issue. I wouldn't be at all surprised if its legality ends up being determined in court someday. |
