Being prepared for a notary signing. Proper identification is required for any notarial service that requires verification of a signature. California recognizes the following types of identification documents as valid
All of these ID cards must be either current or issued within the last 5 years.
1. An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles;
2. A United States passport;
3. An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in custody in California state prison;
4. Any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff’s department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility; or
5. A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicants country of citizenship, or a valid passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship;
6. A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses;
7. An identification card issued by another state;
8. A United States military identification card (caution: current military identification cards might not contain all the required information);
9. An employee identification card issued by an agency or of office of the State of California, or an agency or of office of a city, county, or city and county in California.
10. An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government.
No ID? In the event, the signer does not have a valid identification document, you may be identified under the oath or affirmation of credible identifying witnesses who have their own approved ID card. The notary public must establish the identity of the credible witness by the presentation of paper identification documents as set forth above. Under oath, the credible witness must swear or affirm that each of the following is true
- Individual appearing before the notary public as the signer of the document is the person named in the document;
- The credible witness personally knows the signer;
- The credible witness reasonably believes that the circumstances of the signer are such that it would be very difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain another form of identification;
- The signer does not possess any of the identification documents authorized by law to establish the signer’s identity; and
- The credible witness does not have a financial interest and is not named in the document signed.
Note: The credible witnesses must sign the notary public’s journal
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