All signers must be present at the signing and provide proper identification (described above). Documents must be printed by the time of appointment. It is also crucial the document signers know what kind of notarization is needed for their document if there isn’t a notary certificate already provided on the document.

Identification MUST be current (not expired) and include the signer’s photograph, signature, identifying number, and a physical description that includes height, weight, color of hair and color of eyes.

One of the following is required:
- Driver’s License or Identification Card issued by a State or Territory of the U.S.
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Military Identification Card
- Inmate identification card if the signer is in custody
- Any other ID issued by the U.S. Government that meets the requirements listed above
- For USA Real Estate Transactions for Canadian or Mexican citizens: a valid, unexpired passport issued by a National Government other than the United States Government, and that is accompanied by a valid, unexpired Visa or other documentation that is necessary to establish an individual’s legal presence in the United States.

Unacceptable forms of ID:
- U.S. Military Common Access Card
- Green Cards – Permanent Resident and Border Crossing Cards
- Social Security Cards
- Credit Cards
- Temporary Driver’s license
- Driver’s license without photograph
- Marriage License
- Birth Certificate
- Organizational Membership Cards

You may be identified by a credible identifying witness who must produce acceptable identification. Only one credible identifying witness is required if they are personally known by the notary. Two credible identifying witnesses are required if neither of them are personally known by the Notary.

Requirements for a Credible Identifying Witness:
- They must know the signer personally and take an oath attesting to your identity.
- They may not have any financial/beneficial interest in the document or be named in the document.
- They must also swear or affirm that the document signer appearing before the Notary is the person that is named in the document, they personally know the signer, the signer does not have any acceptable identification, and they believe that it would be difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain acceptable identification

The name on the identification must either match what is on the document or follow the “less but not more than rule” explained below.

If the document reflects less of a name than what appears on the ID, the Notary may proceed with the notarization. For example, if your ID reads “Norton John Smith,” and the document reads “Norton J. Smith,” the Notary may accept your ID for that document because the “J” is defined.

If the document reflects more of a name than what appears on the ID, the Notary may not proceed with the notarization. For example, if your identification reads “Norton J. Smith,” but the document reads “Norton John Smith,” the Notary may not accept your ID for that document because it does not define the “J.“

A disabled person may sign a document by marking an “X” in the presence of two credible identifying witnesses.

Requirements for a Credible Identifying Witness in this case:
- They must know the signer personally and take an oath attesting to their identity.
- They may not have any financial/beneficial interest in the document or be named in the document.

Notaries are prohibited from notarizing any document that is incomplete. Any blanks should be filled in by the signer, lined through, or marked as “not applicable”.

Notaries must perform all lawful and reasonable requests for notarization. However, the following are some circumstances under which a Notary may decline service:
- If the document signer is unable to produce proper identification
- If the document signer is unable to produce credible identifying witnesses
- If the document is incomplete or contains blank spaces
- If the document does not provide notarial wording and the signer is unable to provide instructions as such
- If the Notary is uncertain of a signer’s willingness, mental awareness, or has cause to suspect fraud

This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be constructed as legal advice.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: An Acknowledgement / Proof of Acknowledgement is a certification that a signer personally appeared before the notary, was identified by the notary, and formerly declared to the notary that the signer willingly signed the document for its intended purpose.

AFFIANT: one who swears or affirms something; a person who is sworn to an affidavit, or gives evidence by way of an affidavit or deposition

AFFIRMATION: a solemn spoken pledge upon one's personal honor, affirming the truthfulness of a statement

ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE: a document assigning someone to make health care decisions for another person (or specify treatment preferences) when he or she cannot make his or her own decisions

AFFIDAVIT: a voluntary declaration of facts, written down and sworn to or affirmed by the declarant (or affiant) before a Notary Public or other officer having the authority to administer an oath

ATTORNEY IN FACT: a person who has received a Power of Attorney- allowing him or her to execute legal documents on behalf of the document signer

BENEFIT or INTEREST: indicates the possibility of financial gain or loss (or other benefits) in a transaction; family members are usually considered to have a financial or beneficial interest even if not specifically named in a document

COPY CERTIFICATION: a notarial act where the Notary makes and verifies a true and legally acceptable copy of an original document, such as a Power of Attorney

CREDIBLE WITNESS: an impartial person with satisfactory evidence of identity appearing on behalf of a signer to establish the signer's identity; unless the Witness is personally known by the Notary Public, two Credible Witnesses are required

DEED: a legal document transferring the title (or ownership) of real property from one person to another such as a Deed of Trust, a Deed of Reconveyance, or a Quitclaim Deed

DEPOSITION: an oral affidavit; the sworn testimony of a witness prior to a court appearance or trial, usually notarized only by a Court Reporter

NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE: the State-specified wording which is part of, or attached to, a document to be notarized; the Acknowledgement, Jurat, and Copy Certification all have the venue (the state and county), the date, specific wording, the Notary's signature and the Notary's official...

OATH: a solemn declaration, accompanied by a swearing to God, a revered person or thing, that one's statement is true, or to be bound to a promise

IMPARTIAL PERSON: one who has no beneficial interest in the document(s) being witnessed or notarized

JURAT: a notarial certificate which verifies the identity of the signer, who signs the document in the presence of the Notary, and swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true; must contain the specified State-required wording "Subscribed and sworn to before me..."

PARTY TO THE INSTRUMENT or TO THE TRANSACTION: someone who is mentioned in the document (or the instrument) by name, job title or classification, or who would have a beneficial interest in the transaction being documented

PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE: being familiar with an individual over sufficient time and through enough interaction to verify that person's identity without reasonable doubt

POWER OF ATTORNEY: a document which empowers an individual (the attorney in fact) to act or sign on behalf of another individual (the affiant)

SIGNING AGENT: a Notary Public with expertise in dealing with real estate loan documents

SUBSCRIBING WITNESS: a person who will prove (under oath) that the document signer (or principal), who is unable to appear before a Notary due to unforeseen circumstances, is the person described in the document, and that the subscribing witness saw or heard the principal acknowledge signing the document