Notary Guidelines for Accepting or Rejecting a Signer's ID
Identifying signers is a critical responsibility for Notaries, as it ensures the integrity of the process. However, assessing the acceptability of a particular ID can pose challenges.
Given the wide range of ID types worldwide, it's highly likely that Notaries will encounter unfamiliar IDs at some point. So, how can we determine if an ID is acceptable? The answer lies in the jurisdiction where the Notary is commissioned. Guidelines vary significantly from state to state, requiring Notaries to be well-versed in their respective state's ID requirements. These guidelines dictate the level of judgment and discretion a Notary must exercise when accepting or rejecting an ID.
Certain states provide comprehensive lists of acceptable IDs for Notaries. For example, California has specific lists of IDs, and if an ID is not included, a Notary is prohibited from accepting it as proof of identity.
In California, Notaries are allowed to accept the following forms of identification, provided they are current or issued within the past 5 years:

• California driver's license or nondriver's ID
• U.S. passport (or passport card)
• Inmate identification card issued by the California Department of
     Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in prison, or any form of
     inmate identification issued by a sheriff's department, if the inmate is
     in custody in a local detention facility


Additionally, California permits the acceptance of the following IDs, provided they contain a photograph, signature, description of the person, and a serial or ID number, and are current or issued within the past 5 years:

Driver's license or official nondriver's ID issued by a U.S. state
Canadian or Mexican driver's license issued by an appropriate public      agency
U.S. military ID
Valid foreign passport from the applicant's country of citizenship
Employee ID issued by an agency or office of a California city,      county, or city and county
Identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal      government
Valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the      applicant's country of citizenship, meeting specific requirements (Please      note: Matricula consular cards issued by the government of Mexico do not      meet California's statutory requirements.)

It's important to note that the above information is based on the guidelines as of the provided date and is subject to change.IDs, provided they contain a photograph, signature, description of the person, and a serial or ID number, and are current or issued within the past 5 years:

• Driver's license or official nondriver's ID issued by a U.S. state
• Canadian or Mexican driver's license issued by an appropriate public
     agency
• U.S. military ID
• Valid foreign passport from the applicant's country of citizenship
• Employee ID issued by an agency or office of a California city,
     county, or city and county
• Identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal
     government
• Valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the
     applicant's country of citizenship, meeting specific requirements
     (Please note: Matricula consular cards issued by the government of
     Mexico do not meet California's statutory requirements.)

It's important to note that the above information is based on the guidelines as of the provided date and is subject to change.