I was just informed that a customer needing notarization is blind but has a machine that scans the document and then reads it back to her. Can that be used during a notarization? — C. N., Florida
No. Florida laws says the Notary must read the entire document to the blind signer. Specifically, the law states: “A notary public may notarize the signature of a person who is blind after the notary public has read the entire instrument to that person” (FS 117.05[14][a]).
For guidelines about notarizing for visually impaired signers in other states, please see our article, “How to notarize for a visually impaired signer.”
Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors
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