Is There No More Need for Notaries in New York?

New year, new changes in New York State, including when and how we use notaries.

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One of the latest updates for 2024 in New York is a new law that lets people use affirmations instead of notarizations in most cases. And, this isn't just for professionals like lawyers and doctors anymore - now anyone and everyone, even individuals located outside of the United States can take advantage of the option to use an affirmation in New York.

Lawmakers say that the main goal of this new law is to bring New York in line with other states and federal practices to make the legal process easier and faster for everyone involved. Instead of running around to find a notary, people can now simply provide a signed statement under the threat of perjury. No notarization is needed.

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The idea behind the new law is to be practical and make things more convenient for people. Some states, like Maryland, started doing this a while back to give people who have moral objections to taking an oath a different option.

The law recognizes that we live in a digital and global world, so reforms like this are likely to be the way forward from now on.

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With pretty much everything going virtual these days, New York wanted to make sure that residents would be able to meet their legal obligations without jumping through hoops. So now you have the option to use affirmations instead of notarizations in most cases, all while keeping the legal system solid.