Affidavit of Identity by One or Two Credible Witnesses
Form popularity
FAQ
California allows Notaries to identify the signer through one or two credible identifying witnesses under certain situations. A credible witness is an individual who personally knows the signer and can vouch for the signer's identity to the Notary.
A credible witness is an individual who can legally vouch for the identity of the signer of a document when proper identification is not available.
The credible witness must sign the notary public's official journal or the notary public must record in the notary public's official journal the type of identification document presented, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the document
A credible witness is a witness who comes across as competent and worthy of belief. Their testimony is assumed to be more than likely true due to their experience, knowledge, training, and sense of honesty.
A California power of attorney witness must be an adult. All witnesses must also be mentally competent. For example, you cannot have an elderly family friend who may have dementia or someone with a recorded mental illness witness the document.
For two credible witnesses, the following information must be recorded in the journal: The signature of each credible witness. The type of written identification presented for each credible witness. The serial or identifying number on each credible witness' written identification.
There must be a chain of personal knowledge from the witness to the signer to the notary. The credible witness must sign an affidavit that states the following: The individual appearing before the notary is known to the credible witness and is indeed the individual whose name is on the document in question.
The credible witness must sign the notary public's official journal or the notary public must record in the notary public's official journal the type of identification document presented, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the document