How Does a Notary Public Identify a Signer
For a Notary Public to adequately verify the signer, the signer must make a personal appearance at the time of notarization.
In the state of California, a Notary Public may rely on any one of the following forms of identification provided it is current or issued within the last five years:
- ID card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles
- United States passport or passport card
- Inmate ID card issued by the California Department of Corrections if the inmates is in custody in prison only
- Any form of inmate ID issued by a sheriff’s department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility
A Notary Public may also use the following forms of identification, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years and must contain a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number:
- A drivers’ license issued from another state or by Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue drivers’ licenses
- An identification card issued by another state
- An identification card issued by any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States
- An employee identification card issued by an agency or office of the State of California (city, county, state)
- An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government
Please note, Immigration Green Cards are not acceptable ID for notarizing documents. A Notary can only accept an Immigration Green Card for ID purposes of notarizing jurats of USCIS form. This is the only exception to accepting a Green Card for ID.