Identification

You will need valid ID or two credible witnesses at time of your appointment.

See below to learn what types of ID we accept. Credible witnesses must have valid ID.

A notary public is required to certify to the identity of the signer of the document. Identity is established if the notary public is presented with satisfactory evidence of the signer’s identity.

Option 1

Identifcation Documents – The notary public can establish the identity of the signer using identifcation documents as follows (Civil Code section 1185(b)(3) and (4)):

1. There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identifcation, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years:

a. An identifcation card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles;

b. A United States passport;

c. An inmate identifcation card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in custody in California state prison;

d. Any form of inmate identifcation issued by a sherif’s department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility; or

2. There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identifcation, provided that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number:

(a) A valid consular identifcation document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship;

(b) A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses;

(c) An identifcation card issued by another state;

(d) A United States military identifcation card (caution: current military identifcation cards might not contain all the required information);

(e) An employee identifcation card issued by an agency or ofce of the State of California, or an agency or ofce of a city, county, or city and county in California.

(f) An identifcation card issued by a federally recognized tribal government. Note: The notary public must include in his or her journal the type of identifying document, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial or identifying number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the document that was used to establish the identity of the signer. (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(D))

Option 2

Oaths of Two Credible Witnesses – The identity of the signer can be established by the oaths of two credible witnesses whom the notary public does not personally know. The notary public frst must establish the identities of the two credible witnesses by the presentation of paper identifcation documents as listed above. Under oath, the credible witnesses must swear or afrm under penalty of perjury to each of the things sworn to or afrmed by a single credible witness, as set forth above. (Civil Code sections 1185(b)(2) and 1185(b)(1)(A)(i)-(v))

Note: The credible witnesses must sign the notary public’s journal and the notary public must indicate in his or her journal the type of identifying documents, the identifying numbers of the documents, and the dates of issuance or expiration of the documents presented by the witnesses to establish their identities. (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(E))

Note: Some loan singings do not accept credible witnesses as valid identification.