House Approves Remote Notary Bill
The House on Feb. 27 approved the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act. The legislation would help small businesses and consumers, including those engaged in the home building sector, as notarizations are used extensively in real estate transactions.
The SECURE Act would establish nationwide standards and technical requirements for remote online notarization and allow a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals.
The bill would also require U.S. courts and states to recognize remote notarizations, including remote notarizations from notary publics commissioned in other states or U.S. territories, that occur in or affect interstate commerce.
Current law requires a signer to physically be in the presence of a notary. This requirement is often impractical, costly or even completely unworkable because of ongoing social distancing constraints in some communities resulting from COVID-19, as well as other barriers including military service or work travel that prevents face-to-face interactions.
The SECURE Act would establish nationwide standards and technical requirements for remote online notarization and allow a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals.
The bill would also require U.S. courts and states to recognize remote notarizations, including remote notarizations from notary publics commissioned in other states or U.S. territories, that occur in or affect interstate commerce.
Current law requires a signer to physically be in the presence of a notary. This requirement is often impractical, costly or even completely unworkable because of ongoing social distancing constraints in some communities resulting from COVID-19, as well as other barriers including military service or work travel that prevents face-to-face interactions.
Latest from NAHBNow
Legal
Jun 11, 2026
Supreme Court Sides Against DOE Appliance OverreachOn June 8, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a D.C. Circuit Court ruling that would have allowed the Department of Energy (DOE) to effectively eliminate certain gas appliances from the market.
Resiliency | Environmental Issues | Disaster Response
Jun 10, 2026
NAHB Urges Long-Term NFIP Reauthorization, Warns Against PrivatizationIn a joint letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, NAHB and the National Association of Realtors urged the secretaries, as co-chairs of the FEMA Review Council, to act on four key items related to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jun 11, 2026
Residential Building Material Prices Rise at Highest Rate In Over Three YearsWholesale prices of goods used in residential construction rose in May as energy prices continued to climb.
Economics
Jun 10, 2026
Inflation Surpassed 4% in MayInflation accelerated to a new three-year high in May, driven by continued increases in energy costs from the Iran war. Energy costs drove more than 60% of the monthly increase, with national gasoline prices jumping more than a dollar since the war began.
Economics
Jun 10, 2026
Home Building Regulatory Cost Burdens Increased 40% from 2021 to 2026A new NAHB study shows that, on average, regulations imposed by government at all levels account for $131,734, or 26.4%, of the final price of a new single-family home built for sale. Of this amount, $46,795 is due to a higher price for the finished lot, attributable to regulations imposed during the lot’s development.