Governor Vetoes Controversial ‘Matricula Consular’ Legislation

CALIFORNIA — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed the state’s Notaries to accept the Mexican matricula consular ID card as satisfactory evidence of identity. The move prevents statutory recognition of an identification document that a number of state and federal officials have branded as untrustworthy.

During the nine months that Assembly Bill 442 was being considered in the California Legislature, Notaries from across the state joined the National Notary Association in mounting strong opposition to the legislation through letter writing and lobbying campaigns — efforts that continued as the bill made its way to the Governor’s office.

In rejecting the legislation, the Governor noted: “While it is important that individuals be able to identify themselves for notarization purposes, the Civil Code already provides for more secure forms of identification than the matricula consular — including Mexican driver’s licenses and passports — to identify Mexican nationals …” Because of this, the Governor maintained that there was no need to add this less-secure form of identification to the list of IDs that can be accepted by Notaries.

Schwarzenegger noted that Notaries should not be required to accept an ID that officials at the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have pronounced as untrustworthy. Unlike the Mexican driver’s license and passport, issuance of a matricula card may not always be based on reliable foundation documents. The card is easily obtained and does not include a description of the bearer.