{"id":"AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-039","kind":"order","level":"state","jurisdiction":"Massachusetts (General Court)","state":"MA","metro":"","industry":"","agency":"ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS","eco":"","issuer":"Massachusetts General Court; approved by Governor Charles D. Baker","authority":"Mass. Const. pt. 2, ch. 1 (legislative power); emergency legislation tied to the Governor\u0027s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency","instrument":"Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2020","title":"An Act providing for virtual notarization to address challenges related to COVID-19","dateIssued":"2020-04-23","effective":"2020-04-23 (emergency law)","end":"Section 8: the repealing section \u0027shall take effect 3 business days after termination of the governor\u0027s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency\u0027; amended by ch. 20 of the Acts of 2021, sec. 7, to take effect \u0027on December 15, 2021\u0027 (AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-040)","startDate":"2020-04-23","endDate":"","quarters":["2020Q2","2020Q3","2020Q4","2021Q1","2021Q2","2021Q3"],"types":["CRT","OTHER"],"addressees":["notaries public (including paralegals employed by attorneys)","principals and witnesses","parties to deeds, mortgages, wills and other notarized documents"],"clause":"SECTION 3. (a) An acknowledgment, affirmation or other notarial act utilizing electronic video conferencing pursuant to this act shall be valid and effective if: (i) the notary public observes each principal\u0027s execution of a document;... [the notary shall] create an audio and video recording of the performance of the notarial act; provided that, the audio and video recording shall be retained for a period of 10 years by the notary public.... SECTION 8. Section 7 shall take effect 3 business days after termination of the governor\u0027s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency.","enforcement":"Statute; notarial acts valid only on compliance with the act\u0027s conditions (identification credential, affidavit, recording, physical presence in the Commonwealth)","functions":["CL closings, mortgages and deeds","OF law offices (paralegal notaries)","FI lending documents","CB","OP corporate documents"],"notes":"Massachusetts registries of deeds had closed to the public in March 2020 (Massachusetts land-records page capture queued as -060); the act allowed closings to proceed with the parties apart.","sourceUrl":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2020/Chapter71","snapshot":"","fileExists":true,"fileBytes":131204,"grade":"primary","character":"","description":"","collection":"AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS","url":"/library/AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-039","exhibitUrl":"/exhibit/AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-039","citation":"Massachusetts General Court; approved by Governor Charles D. Baker, Chapter 71 of the Acts of 2020 (Apr. 23, 2020) (Ex. AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-039)","stateName":"Massachusetts","related":["AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-040"]}