Florida SB 1232: Recording of Instruments Conveying Real Property

Bill Text

1232 
Recording of Instruments Conveying Real Property 
2026-01-06T10:25:16Z 
Requiring that electronic signatures for certain notarial acts include specified information as a watermark to prevent copying; prohibiting the recording of certain instruments without specified identification; defining the term “valid and unredacted identification document”; authorizing a clerk of the circuit court to return instruments for correction in specified circumstances, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1232 

 By Senator Arrington 

 25-00534B-26 20261232__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to recording of instruments conveying 
 3 real property; amending s. 117.021, F.S.; requiring 
 4 that electronic signatures for certain notarial acts 
 5 include specified information as a watermark to 
 6 prevent copying; amending s. 695.26, F.S.; prohibiting 
 7 the recording of certain instruments without specified 
 8 identification; defining the term “valid and 
 9 unredacted identification document”; authorizing a 
 10 clerk of the circuit court to return instruments for 
 11 correction in specified circumstances; requiring that 
 12 such instruments be returned within a specified 
 13 timeframe; providing an effective date. 
 14 
 15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 16 
 17 Section 1. Present subsections (4) through (7) of section 
 18 117.021, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5) 
 19 through (8), respectively, and a new subsection (4) is added to 
 20 that section, to read: 
 21 117.021 Electronic notarization.— 
 22 (4) When performing a notarial act under s. 695.03, in 
 23 addition to all other requirements of this section, a notary 
 24 public shall use an electronic signature that is accompanied by 
 25 a date, a time stamp, and the names of the grantor and grantee. 
 26 The date, time stamp, and names of the grantor and grantee must 
 27 appear as a watermark through the signature to prevent copying 
 28 the signature to another document. 
 29 Section 2. Present subsections (3) and (4) of section 
 30 695.26, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4) 
 31 and (5), respectively, a new subsection (3) is added to that 
 32 section, and subsection (1) of that section is amended, to read: 
 33 695.26 Requirements for recording instruments affecting 
 34 real property.— 
 35 (1) No instrument by which the title to real property or 
 36 any interest therein is conveyed, assigned, encumbered, or 
 37 otherwise disposed of shall be recorded by the clerk of the 
 38 circuit court unless: 
 39 (a) The name of each person who executed such instrument is 
 40 legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument 
 41 immediately beneath the signature of such person and the post 
 42 office address of each such person is legibly printed, 
 43 typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument; 
 44 (b) A clear and legible copy of a valid and unredacted 
 45 identification document in the name of each person who executed 
 46 such instrument is presented to the clerk; 
 47 (c)(b) The name and post-office address of the natural 
 48 person who prepared the instrument or under whose supervision it 
 49 was prepared are legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped upon 
 50 such instrument; 
 51 (d)(c) The name of each witness to the instrument is 
 52 legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument 
 53 immediately beneath the signature of such witness and the post 
 54 office address of each such person is legibly printed, 
 55 typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument; 
 56 (e)(d) The name of any notary public or other officer 
 57 authorized to take acknowledgments or proofs whose signature 
 58 appears upon the instrument is legibly printed, typewritten, or 
 59 stamped upon such instrument immediately beneath the signature 
 60 of such notary public or other officer authorized to take 
 61 acknowledgment or proofs; 
 62 (f)(e) A 3-inch by 3-inch space at the top right-hand 
 63 corner on the first page and a 1-inch by 3-inch space at the top 
 64 right-hand corner on each subsequent page are reserved for use 
 65 by the clerk of the court; and 
 66 (g)(f) In any instrument other than a mortgage conveying or 
 67 purporting to convey any interest in real property, the name and 
 68 post-office address of each grantee in such instrument are 
 69 legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped upon such instrument. 
 70 
 71 As used in this subsection, the term “valid and unredacted 
 72 identification document” means a government-issued photographic 
 73 identification card that includes the individual’s name, 
 74 address, photograph, and signature. The term includes, but is 
 75 not limited to, a driver license, a passport, an identification 
 76 card issued by a state, a consular identification card, or a 
 77 permanent resident card. 
 78 (3) The clerk of the circuit court may r