Know your state's requirements Some states only permit Notaries to accept an expired ID if it was issued within a certain time period. In California, any signer ID allowed under CA law must either be current or, if expired, must have been issued within the past five years.
Wondering if it's possible to get something notarized without ID? California law allows for an alternative solution – the use of “two credible witnesses.” If you're in a bind and lack a valid ID, two individuals with current government-issued IDs can step in.
Notaries must adhere to specific statutes such as California Civil Code Section 1185, which dictates the acceptable forms of identification. These include current state-issued driver's licenses, passports, and federal or tribal government IDs, all issued within the last five years.
Acceptable forms in California are government-issued documents that contain a photograph, signature, and physical description of the bearer. Primary IDs include a California driver's license and a U.S. Passport. A wider range of options falls under secondary IDs, but those need to meet additional requirements.
Identification card issued by the federal, state, or local government that contains a photograph. U.S. or foreign passport, U.S. passport card (expired passport may be used) or identification card issued by a foreign embassy or consulate that contains a photograph.
A notarized letter of authorization gives someone else permission to act on your behalf for a specific task, like signing a contract or picking up important documents.
To write a letter of authorization to allow someone to collect documents, you must include your name, the date, and your contact information. You'll also need to add the recipient's details and explicitly mention that you're authorizing someone else to collect documents on your behalf.
Every notarized letter of authorization must list the names of the requesting parties and the reason for authorization. The document must also contain the signatures of each party as well as the notary public's signature to confirm that they witnessed and verified the signatures.
One of the most common mistakes that notaries make is not printing or signing their name exactly as it appears on their notary commission.