Acceptable Forms of ID for Notary


What does notary public do? What are acceptable forms of id for Notary?  Most of the people usually ask the same questions. Well, to clarify the concept here is a little overview.

The main duty of the notary public is to authenticate the individualities of every signer on any document. This is mainly to prevent them against the deceitful acts that, in other case, negates a notarized document. The duty of the notary public is to request each signer to offer the identification that confirms their recognition and identity. In a case, where the client doesn’t provide a conventional form of documentation, the notary public is lawfully obliged to reject a service.

The main purpose of the notary public might seem a little easy, but in reality, they are accountable for accomplishing numerous critical duties to assure the document’s or file’s execution is achieved decorously and agreeing to the national and state laws. The duties performed by the notary public include the substantiating and validating of signer’s identity and assuring the document and file is signed without any compulsion.

Other than this, the identification needed for such services (notarial services) are identical for all the 50 states. This includes allowing the usage of the driver’s license, ID cards and much more. Moreover, it prohibits the usage of the school ID cards, Bay-forms, birth certificates and such kind of identification. Clienteles who are seeking the different notarial services should bring any form of acknowledged identification.

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Accepted documents of recognition for taking the notarial services accomplished consists of the following things:

  • State- declared driver’s license
  • State-declared documentation card
  • U.S. army identification card
  • Resident alien identification card (green card)
  • U.S. passport

Unaccepted documents of recognition consist of the following:

  • Birth certificates
  • Social security cards
  • School identification cards
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards

In case you are incapable to attain a suitable document of identification, you are capable to authenticate your recognition to the notary public via a credible witness. 

The question here is; “what is a credible witness?”

A credible witness is a person who knows the signer of the document and can assure for their own identity. It’s crucial to notice that not every state allows you to use the credible witness in order to authenticate and verify the identity of the signer.  Moreover, the signer can’t just use the witness just for the sake of ease and convenience. For example if a signer leaves his driver’s license at home by mistake they are not allowed to let their family members or friends vouch for their recognition.  The credible witnesses are only allowed when the signer doesn’t have any kind of form that provides acceptable identification, and the signer can’t rationally gain an acceptable document of identification.

Credible witnesses are required to sign an affidavit which states:

  • The signer of the file or the document is identified to the credible witness.
  • The credible witness has to be certain of the signer of the file that doesn’t acquire a conventional form of recognition.
  • The credible witness has confidence in the the signer of the file and is rationally incapable to attain an adequate form of recognition.
  • The credible witness doesn’t have any monetary interest or inducement for the file’s execution.

Therefore we can say that checking and verification is the critical step while performing a notarial service. So, whenever you want to notarize a document, make sure you bring the accepted forms along with you.  If you have a questions about notary or acceptable forms of id for notary, contact the notaries at Mail Boxes Times.