Please remember; in most cases the notary must witness your signature so do not sign any documents until you meet with the notary. You will also need current photo identification, such as a driver license, state ID card or passport or US passport card, that must be presented to the notary at the time of the document signing; 1. There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years: a. An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles; b. A United States passport; 2. There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years, provided that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number: a. A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid passport (USCIS stamp is no longer required as of January 1, 2017), 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 drivers’ licenses; c. An identification card issued by another state; d. An identification card issued by any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States (caution: current military identification cards may not have all of the required elements); e. An employee identification card issued by an agency or office of the State of California, or by an agency or office of a city, county, or city and county in California; f. An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government. The Matrícula Consular de Alta Seguridad (MCAS) and Credencial Para Votar are NOT acceptable identification for notarization due to lack of required information on the ID. When notarizing a signature on a document, a notary public must be able to communicate with the customer in order for the signer either to swear to or affirm the contents of the affidavit or to acknowledge the execution of the document. An interpreter should not be used, as vital information could be lost in the translation. If a notary public is unable to communicate with a customer, the customer should be referred to a notary public who speaks the customer’s language.

Customer Alert - California Notaries Public Cannot Perform Notarial Services Online Online webcam notarizations are invalid and illegal activities for California notaries public. California notaries public should beware of misleading information from private companies claiming to have legal online notarization websites and legal online notarization services. Web-based platforms that purport to allow a person to submit copies of identification over the Internet and to use a webcam in lieu of a personal appearance in front of a notary public (e.g., appearance via webcam) do not meet the requirements for notarization by California notaries public.