Purchase X.509 Certificates for Notaries
Overview
Purpose of the Article
This article explains how Corporate Account managers can purchase X.509 digital signing certificates on behalf of their notaries within the Notary Hub platform.
Who Should Use This Guide
- Corporate account managers managing notary onboarding and compliance.
- Admins seeking to streamline digital certificate procurement for corporate notaries.
Key Takeaways
- How to purchase certificates for notaries.
How to Purchase X.509 Certificates for Notaries
| Instructions | Visuals |
|---|---|
| Log in to Notary Hub and navigate to the "Notaries" page under your corporate account. |  |
| Click the "Invite Notary" button to begin onboarding a new notary. |  |
| Enter the email address of the notary you want to invite and purchase the X.509 certificate for. |  |
| Select the radio button labeled "By inviting this new notary, I pre-authorize purchases for digital signing certificates to be made by this notary to be made using the same billing account used for the EverythingLegal platform." |  |
| Complete the invitation by clicking the blue "Invite" button. |  |
| Once the notary accepts the invitation and completes their registration, they will appear on the Notaries page with a status of "Invited." |  |
| Click the "Approve" button to finalize invitation. |  |
| The status of the new notary will update to "Approved." |  |
Important Notes About Certificate Purchases
- Non-Transferable: Once assigned, certificates cannot be reassigned to another notary.
- Expiration: Certificates are valid for one year from the date of issue and must be renewed annually.
- Revocation: If a notary leaves your corporate account, their certificate will be disabled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I purchase certificates in advance without assigning them?
- A: No. Certificates are issued only when a notary is invited and the purchase option is selected.
Q: What if the notary never completes registration?
- A: The certificate is not issued until registration is complete, so no charge will occur until that step.
Q: Can notaries purchase their own certificates?
- A: Yes. You can also allow notaries to purchase certificates independently by selecting that option during the invite process.
Q: How will I know the certificate has been successfully issued?
- A: You’ll see their status update to “Approved” on the Notaries page, and the certificate will be attached to their profile.
Q: Can I cancel a certificate after purchase?
- A: No, all certificate sales are final once issued.
Q: Is there a bulk-purchase option for 10+ notaries?
- A: Currently, purchases are made on a per-notary basis, but bulk options are under consideration.
Q: Will I be notified when certificates are near expiration?
- A: Yes, you will receive email reminders 30 days before expiration.
Q: Can I reassign a certificate if a notary leaves before using it?
- A: No. Certificates are issued to an individual notary and are not transferable once assigned.
Q: What happens if a notary is removed from the corporate account mid-year?
- A: Their certificate will be deactivated. No partial refunds are provided.
Q: What payment method is used for certificate purchases?
- A: Purchases are billed to the corporate account’s existing payment method.
Q: Is there a discount for renewing certificates?
- A: At this time, certificate renewals are priced the same as initial purchases.
Q: Will notaries receive a copy of their certificate?
- A: No, certificates are provisioned and managed by the platform. Notaries do not need to handle them directly.
Q: What if I accidentally selected the wrong purchase option when inviting a notary?
- A: Cancel the invitation and re-invite the notary with the correct selection.