Online Notaries Public Privacy Overview
Online Notaries Public is committed to safeguarding the privacy of your personal information. As a network that connects individuals with certified Remote Online Notaries (RON) throughout the country, our vision goes beyond providing efficient online notary services. We are dedicated to building a trusted platform and ensuring the protection of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines Online Notaries Public’s privacy practices and is designed to tell you how we collect and use the information we obtain from you and what you can expect regarding our handling of that information as a user of our website and services.
About Online Notaries Public
Online Notaries Public is a NotaryStars.com service that serves as the nation’s top directory and source for remote notarization services. With Online Notaries Public, users can search, compare and hire commissioned notaries, learn about our business, benefits and advantages, and access state-by-state RON regulations. Individuals, businesses and notaries from anywhere in the U.S. can benefit from our technology and our commitment to an efficient, secure and user-friendly process. Privacy is a core feature of how we are able to serve to best meet everyone’s needs in providing transparent, compliant and user-centric services.
Scope of Online Notaries Public Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all of the information collected through our website (https://onlinenotariespublic.com/), mobile apps, related sales, marketing or events. It covers how we use the data related to users who search for, register as a notary, use educational content, or otherwise use our websites or services. By using our websites or services, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out directly at [email protected] or 346-284-2961.
This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you choose to search our websites (Websites) or otherwise engage with us (Services).
How We Collect Information
When you use our services, we collect and analyze information from users, notaries and site visitors. The information collected generally falls into the following categories:
- Personally identifiable information: This may include your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address and any additional identifiers you provide to us when setting up your account, enlisting a notary’s services, or contacting us.
- Professional Information: For notaries in particular, this may include your notary commission, state of commission, certification information, business name (if applicable), etc.
- Transactional information: When listing a service or hiring a notary we may collect payment information, transactional data, and related records.
- Site usage data: We collect search and browsing data including queries executed on our site, website pages viewed, viewed notary profile pages, and other site interactions.
- Device and technical information: This includes automatic collection of IP address, browser type, operating system, device type and cookies in order to assist security efforts and maximize user experience.
- Communications: Any communications you have via email, telephone, or one of our contact forms may be stored for support and quality assurance purposes.
What Information We Gather
We gather information via several channels to do this accurately and efficiently:
- Directly From You: When you register with us, build an NNA profile, retain a notary, complete contact forms, subscribe to newsletters, and attend training classes.
- Automatically: Through the use of cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to monitor your activity on our site.
- From Others: We may receive information about you from partner sites (e.g., NotaryStars.com), our payment processing service (to confirm your billing information), or from integrated third parties (with your permission).
- Publicly Available Sources: We may, for notaries, check for credentials/commission status in non-secured public databases or state registries. We do this to verify that notaries add the correct information to their profiles as we are responsible for managing the integrity of the directory.
Use of Information We Collect
We utilize your personal data in order to provide our services and help enhance your experience on Online Notaries Public. More specifically, we may use your information for the purposes listed below:
- To enable you to search, compare, and hire from our database of Remote Online Notaries
- To prepare, maintain, and manage user and notary profiles
- To process payments you submit and retain transaction information
- To facilitate communications between users and notaries
- To make available educational materials, arrange mentoring, and offer industry news
- To enhance website usability, personalize user experience, and conduct analysis
- To comply with applicable law and regulation in connection with remote notarization
- To send out account notices, service announcements, and advertising or marketing messages (with your permission)
- To investigate and/or prevent fraud, abuse, and other user misconduct and unauthorized access to the Online Notaries Public systems
We do not sell or rent to third parties unaffiliated with Online Notaries Public, for their own marketing use, your personal information.
Cookies
Online Notaries Public uses cookies and other similar tracking technologies to personalize your experience on this site, analyze site usage and assist with core functionalities of the site. Cookies are small data files placed on your computer or device to remember things about your online session and help you stay logged into our sites. We use them for things like remembering your preferences between sessions, keeping you signed in and serving up relevant content.
We use the following cookies:
- Required Cookies: Site required cookies support security features.
- Performance Cookies: Personalization of site functionality and remembering user choices.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how our users browse our sites (e.g., aggregate usage data).
- Advertising Cookies: Serve targeted information or marketing messages relevant to a user’s location or interests (with explicit consent).
You can modify or deactivate these tracking technologies at any time through your browser settings. Do note that certain functionalities may not be fully supported if you disable tracking technologies. For more details, please review our Cookie Policy.
Sharing Your Information
We uphold a rigorous approach to confidentiality and only share your information in the following circumstances:
- With Notaries: When you buy a service, or contact a Notary, the appropriate information (for instance, name and contact details) will be shared to arrange the services and to enable efficient communication between Notaries and Consumers.
- With Users: Notaries who integrate their services in our directory consent to disclose their professional information, public profile and other relevant credentials to Consumers interested in purchasing certain services.
- With Providers of Services: Certain vendors provide services directly to you on our behalf, including payment processing, website hosting, analytics, etc. These providers are required by contractual agreements to keep your information confidential and may not use it for any purpose other than that for which they are retained.
- As Required By Law: We will disclose any information we hold if compelled by law, applicable regulations, subpoena, court order or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
- Business Transfers: If Online Notaries Public’s assets are acquired as part of a transaction (merger/acquisition) or sold, all of your information may be one of the transferred business assets. We will ensure that this information is protected by equivalent privacy commitments.
We do not give, sell or lease this information to outside parties for their independent use.
Security
Protecting your information is a top priority for Online Notaries Public. We employ a variety of physical, technical, and administrative security policies in an effort to safeguard your information against unauthorized access, disclosure, modification or destruction including, but not limited to, the following:
- Encryption of all data transfers in Secure Socket Layer (SSL) format
- Regularly monitored security auditing and vulnerability scanning
- Firewalls and intrusion detection systems
- Staff provisioning and authentication protocols for internal staff and service providers
- Data storage protocols and access restrictions for sensitive information
- Staff training on privacy and data protection best practices
Please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100 percent secure. We urge you to only share strong passwords with our site and to utilize common sense when providing sensitive information online.
Retention
We will retain your personal data for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes we collected it. We may also retain for a longer period where such retention is necessary for compliance with the applicable law, or to resolve disputes.
Depending upon the data in question and the purpose of its collection, we will retain your personal data as follows:
- User and notary profiles: As long as your account is active, or as otherwise necessary to provide services
- Transaction records: For a minimum of seven years to meet transaction, industry, insurance and legal record-keeping obligations
- Communications: For as long as is necessary to resolve disputes or guarantee quality assurance
- Analytical and usage data: As aggregated and anonymized data for continuous improvement purposes
You can request the deletion, suspension or restriction of your account and personal information at any time by contacting [email protected]. We will respect such requests unless we need to retain the personal data to comply with a legal obligation, or resolve disputes. Again, we and our third-parties store and process your data in different jurisdictions.
Children’s Online Policy
Online Notaries Public is not designed for use by children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information of minors. If you have reason to believe that a minor has provided “personal information” to us, we ask that you contact us promptly at [email protected] to permit us to take the proper actions. Parents or guardians of children should monitor their children’s internet use and be sure to enforce this policy.
Conditions of Use require a User to be at least 18:
- User’s Responsibilities:
- (a) To maintain the confidentiality of the User IDs, passwords, certificates or the like associated with any User account or made available to User, and the compromise of which would cause danger of personal and business privacy or fiscal harm;
- (b) Not to act in any way to jeopardize the authorized use of Online Notaries Public services.
- (c) Prerequisites for Subscriber Account registration:
- (i) Customers accessing Online Notaries Public must be at least 18 years old;
- (ii) The customer must have possession of and control over a computer or mobile device with access to the Internet and web browser that supports secure http transactions;
- (iii) In order to register for access through the Online Notaries Public service portal, the customer must possess one of the following – (1) U.S. government-issued ID; (2) U.S.-issued passport; (3) US Permanent Resident Card, aka green card; (4) Federal US Employee ID; (5) US Military or Military Dependent ID card;
- Note for customers registering with foreign passports: Authentication may require a birth certificate or other documentary information such as formal verification from a foreign consulate or notified consular officer.
- (vi) In order to use certain biometrics features, Subscribers may need to download and install various hardware and software programs. Subscriber’s device must meet system requirements as may be announced from time to time.
Consumer Rights and Choices
You have certain rights in relation to your personal data, including:
- Access – You have a right to get a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction – You have the right to correct any inaccuracies or complete information at any time using your account dashboard or by contacting us
- Deletion – You have a right to ask us to delete or erase your account and all related information
- Restriction – You have the right to restrict certain uses and disclosures of your personal data
- Objection – You have the right to opt-out of non-essential communications or processing of your personal data
- Data portability – You have a right to an export of your data in commonly-used format
To exercise these rights, you may email us at [email protected] or call (346) 284-2961. We will respond to all requests within a reasonable timeframe and as required by applicable law.
Your Choices Under The CCPA
As a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) in addition to all other rights you may have. You have:
- The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell (we don’t sell personal information).
- The right to request that we delete your personal data.
- The right to opt out of the sale of your personal information.
- The right not to be discriminated against for exercising any privacy rights.
To make a CCPA related request, please send an email to [email protected] or call (346) 284-2961. In order to respond to you, we may need to verify your identity.
International Users
Online Notaries Public is a United States-based website processing information pursuant to the laws of the United States and/or applicable in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States at the time you use our website, please note that your information may be sent to, used by, and stored in the United States. By using Online Notaries Public, you consent to the transfer of this information and the applicability of United States privacy laws, which may or may not be similar to the privacy laws or regulations where you are located. International users should consult their own local privacy laws, and contact Online Notaries Public with any questions.
Links to Other Sites
Some third-party websites, tools or services may be linked from our site (payment processor, training tools, outside schools, etc.). The privacy practices or the content of those third parties is not controlled by Online Notaries Public. Please read their privacy policies before providing any information or personal data.
Advertising and Communications Preferences
With your express permission, we may use your contact information to send you newsletters, promotional communications, service announcements, and notices relevant to the industry. You can opt-out of these communications at any time by:
- Opting out of email newsletters (and other communications) through the ‘opt-out’ link contained within each email we send,
- Updating your account settings through our website,
- Contacting us at [email protected]
We respect your privacy preferences and will act in accordance with them in a timely manner. Please keep in mind that certain communications or transactional messaging related to your account may be required to enable the services requested and not all communications can be opted out of.
Online Notaries Public Practices Specific to Notaries
If you are a notary offering your services on Online Notaries Public to the public, your professional notary profile (name, state of commission, professional credentials, contact information, account profile photos, and your published reviews) will be viewable publicly by other accounts who are searching for RON providers. We recommend providing only information you deem necessary for business purposes. We encourage you to periodically review such profile information for accuracy. ‘NotaryStar.com’ training and mentorship services offered through this website may require additional personal or professional profile information, which is governed by this Privacy Policy.
Sensitive Information
Online Notarization may involve sensitive documents and personal information, so we encourage all customers and notaries to exchange confidential documents through secure, encrypted channels, and not through unsecured e-mail or messaging services. Our system does not retain encrypted notarization documents after they have been uploaded; it simply connects parties for encrypted communication. All notaries are bound by state and national privacy laws that relate to client information and document handling.
Updates To Our Privacy Policy
From time to time, we may change this Privacy Policy in order to address changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other business needs. If we make a material change in the Privacy Policy we will notify users by placing a prominent notice on the website or by emailing our registered users. The effective date at the top of this Policy will be revised appropriately. We recommend that you periodically review the Policy to remain informed about what we are doing to protect your information.
Contact Online Notaries Public
In the event you have any questions, concerns or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us by either:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (346) 284-2961
- Mailed correspondence to: 1300 Post Oak Blvd Ste 610, Houston TX 77056
- Web Form Submission via the Contact Us webpage on our website
As a company devoted to full transparency and timeliness of service, we care about your inquiries and actively encourage you to reach out with any notions or hesitations you may have.
How can we assist you today
At Online Notaries Public we aim to equip our users with information and privacy safeguards. If you are looking to hire a Remote Online Notary, list your notary services with us, or get information about RON laws and best practices, we can help you with every step along the way. If you have any questions, requests or suggestions regarding privacy, please contact us by phone, email or via our online form. We value your security, confidence and satisfaction.