Requesting a Notary for a Closing

Snapdocs’ mobile notary search platform is connected with our digital closing platform to provide lenders and title companies a seamless end-to-end experience from document preparation to signing completion.

Whether your closing is wet, hybrid, or fully digital, Snapdocs helps you secure a qualified notary, manage document transfer, and keep communication all in one place. Snapdocs' Request a Notary functionality connects you to thousands of signing services across the country that have access to over 50,000 notaries for scheduling.

Request a mobile notary for a digital closing 

Step 1: View your Closings dashboard and select the closing for which you need a mobile notary.

Step 2: To request a notary for the signing, select the Request a notary button.

If you don’t see the Request a notary button make sure you're accessing Snapdocs Closings. If you're accessing Snapdocs Closings, your dashboard has a Borrower column on the left side of the main dashboard. If you're in the Closings product and you don't see the Request a notary button, your company may not be configured to request mobile notaries on Snapdocs. 

Step 3: In the request form, enter the signing appointment details. 

Step 4: Choose the scheduling company that will fulfill your order. A scheduling company is an entity that finds and schedules notaries for a signing. This is most often a signing service.

Step 5: Choose the settlement office. 

Step 6: Choose the signing product. The fee noted next to the signing product is the client’s fee. If you need to change the signing product or fee, use the role switcher in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to switch to your client role. Message the scheduler to ask them to change the signing product.

 Optional Step 7: Fields such as transaction type and special instructions are available to add more relevant information. Your input to these fields is shared with the scheduler or signing service fulfilling the mobile notary request.

• Require scanbacks?: Select this checkbox if you require that the notary uploads the wet signed documents to the closing once complete. You can add additional requirements and instructions if needed.
• Pre-arranged notary: If you've already arranged a notary for the signing, you can type their name here. 
• Language requirements: If the signing requires a specific language competency, indicate it here.
• Special instructions: If you have any special instructions for the notary or signing service, type them here.

Step 8: After the required and optional fields are completed, select the Request notary button.

Notary assignment

When a notary is assigned to the signing, you'll receive an email notification. Anyone who has access to the closing will be able to view the notary details on the closing page.

To communicate with the notary or scheduling company, switch to the mobile notary portal. Use the role switcher in the top right-hand corner of the screen to access your client role.

Signing appointment

Mobile notaries can be requested for any type of signing appointment: wet, hybrid, or fully digital. Regardless of the signing type, Snapdocs will keep the notary up-to-date about their duties and the signing details along the way. This simplifies all of the information the notary needs to keep track of and reduces room for error.

Hybrid 

For hybrid signings, the notary has visibility into the consumer's eSign status. With this insight, the notary can know which documents they need to print and sign ahead of the signing appointment.

If the consumer eSigns, the notary will receive a notification that they only need to print the wet sign package. As an added layer of security, the notary will no longer be able to download eSign documents.

If the consumer opts out of eSigning, it means the notary needs to download and print all documents associated with the closing.

Three hours before the signing appointment, an email is sent to the notary with the most up-to-date signing details:

• If the consumer has eSigned: The notary needs to download only wet sign documents.
• If the consumer has opted out of eSigning: The notary needs to download all documents.
• Otherwise, we'll tell the notary that they should be prepared with all documents in case the consumer does not eSign before the appointment.

After the notary marks the signing as complete from their portal, you are able to see that a signing status was added on the closing. If the notary uploads scanbacks, you have access to the scanbacks directly from the closing.

Messaging

Any user that requests a mobile notary order through the closings platform is able to both send messages to the scheduling company and receive messages sent by the scheduling company directly within the closings platform. The user utilizes the current messaging functionality that they use to communicate with the lender or consumer within closings and has the option to include the scheduling company in the message (as seen below). All messages sent to the notary requestor by the scheduling company show up in the current closing's message/activity feed. 

If you need to message the signing service, you are able to do so directly from the closing after requesting the notary. Alternatively, you may also use the role switcher in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to switch to your client role.