How Vital Records Online Modernized Ordering Certified Copy Records with Notarize by Proof

When people need a certified copy of birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates, they expect it to be straightforward. For Vital Records Online (VRO), the process was anything but simple. Customers could begin applications on VRO’s website, but completing them required printing forms, tracking down a local notary, and mailing the originals back. That meant waiting more than a week for documents to be processed and exposing sensitive identity information in the mail (in some cases, by literally mailing IDs!).

VRO knew its customers deserved better.

The Challenge: Paper, Postage, and Pain Points

The original process created barriers for both customers and VRO’s team. As Co-Founder & CEO Guillaume Ker explains, “Before Proof, our customers had to leave home, track down a notary, and send us original documents through the mail. It was inconvenient, time-consuming, and created unnecessary risk.”

Turnaround times stretched to seven to ten days depending on mailing delays. Errors and incomplete forms forced customers to restart the process from scratch. For VRO, this meant frustrated customers, extra manual handling, and increased pressure from state agencies that required proof the service was secure and fraud-resistant. With some applicants mailing IDs and even cash, the stakes were high.

The Solution: Remote Online Notarization with Proof

VRO partnered with Proof in 2020 to streamline the notarization step through a digital workflow. Now, customers start their application on the VRO site and are guided directly into Notarize by Proof. The difference is immediate.

Customers connect with live notaries in 7 seconds (on average), and completion rates remain above 94%. Notary sessions themselves take an average of less than 5 minutes. Documents are notarized and users are identity verified in one sitting, which means no printing, no travel, and no mailing. What once took over a week is now simple, easy, and accessible.

For VRO, the integration with Proof provides both speed and compliance. Proof’s SOC 2 and IAL2 certifications gave the company confidence that every transaction met strict security requirements. State partners that previously scrutinized mailed IDs now see a secure, paperless process with digital certificates.

Guillaume explains the value clearly: “The biggest difference is how seamless it feels. A customer can sit down at their computer, complete the application, and be finished in minutes. That is a huge win for them and for us.”

A More Trusted Customer Experience

With Proof, VRO has transformed one of life’s most paperwork-heavy tasks into a secure, digital experience. Customers now expect speed, convenience, and confidence in every step of the process, and VRO delivers. State agencies that once questioned security see compliance, certification, and fraud prevention built into the workflow.

“What stood out with Proof was not just the technology but the partnership,” Guillaume says. “They understand our industry, our customers, and our regulators. That combination is rare.”

VRO’s journey shows how modernizing notarization is about more than cutting steps. It’s about building trust at scale. Proof helps organizations like VRO reduce friction, increase security, and deliver results in record time.

If you are ready to provide your customers with a faster, smarter, and more trustworthy experience, learn how Proof can help you simplify remote online notarization from end to end.