Get Notarized Identity Verification

The first and most ancient form of verifying the identity of a signer is for the notary public to know him or her personally. ... The second form of identity verification involves a credible witness, someone whom the notary public already personally knows and who also personally knows the document signer.

Notary publics witness the signing of important documents and verify the identity of the signer(s), their willingness to sign the documents, and their awareness of the contents of the document or transaction.

Some states prohibit their notaries public from notarizing documents with a signature stamp. However, the notary statutes in some states merely state that the notary shall sign and affix a notary seal to the certificate at the time of the execution of the notarization.

Notaries are not attorneys and cannot validate or qualify documents as to their legality. The purpose of notarizing a SIGNATURE of a document signer is to assure that the person signing the document meets the legal requirements of identity established by the state where the notarization is performed.

The signer must be PERSONALLY KNOWN to the notary or must produce SATISFACTORY EVIDENCE OF IDENTIFICATION. One of the notary's main responsibilities is to determine, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the person who has come for a notarial act is the same person named in the document as the signer.

For signature witnessing, a document signer will personally appear before a notary and will present the document to be signed. The notary will positively establish the identity of the signer through personal knowledge of the signer, or by examining satisfactory evidence of identification.

Notarized Documents. A notarized document is a document that has been certified by a notary public. The notary public is an official who verifies the identities of everybody signing the document, witnesses the signatures, and marks the document with a stamp (or seal ).

If A Notary Cannot Accept An Expired ID In most cases, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport would be acceptable. U.S. passports are valid for 10 years, typically double that of most driver's licenses and state IDs.

Bring Acceptable Identification The primary duty of a Notary Public is to verify your identity as the document signer. The most common way they determine that you are who you say you are, is by checking state-issued identification documents, like driver's licenses and passports.

A notary cannot complete a notarization properly without having a moment to visually scan the entire document. Seeing only a signature page is not sufficient. ... Merely identify the document to be notarized (deed, contract, etc.). Record the type of document in your notary journal.

Powers of attorneys also need to be notarized. When you get your document notarized, you must provide proof of identification or ID. A driver's license or passport is two commonly used forms of ID. The notary will review your ID to make sure you are who you claim to be.

The primary job duty of a notary is to help prevent fraud by witnessing the signing of documents and verifying their authenticity. However, beyond these universal job duties that every notary public performs, some lesser-known duties are also performed by notaries.

This date is going to determine whether you, the Notary Public, can notarize the document being presented. ... If the document has a date that is in the future, the document is not yet in effect and cannot be notarized. A properly dated document is a requirement of a lawful notarial act.

If you don't have ID, many states allow the use of credible witnesses. Two people could identify you before a notary public, sign the notary's journal, and produce identification themselves. But, honestly, if you need to get notarized, go down to your DMV and get a state issued identification card.

Official identification: The notary will ask for identification to verify that you really are who you say you are. You'll need official identification with a photograph a driver's license, passport, or other government-issued ID will typically do the trick, although requirements vary from state to state.