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Can I Accept A Foreign ID?

Are we able to notarize documents for a signer with a foreign ID, such as an Argentinian driver’s license or passport? R.W., Florida

An Argentinian driver’s license, no; an Argentinian passport, yes, if it meets the legal requirement. A Florida Notary is allowed to identify a signer with a foreign passport as long as the passport is 1) current, or if expired, issued within the past five years and 2) bears a serial or other identifying number.  In addition, a foreign passport must also be stamped by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Argentinian driver’s license would not be acceptable, since the only foreign driver’s licenses that are acceptable are licenses from Mexico or Canada.

Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors

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4 Comments

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Deanna Crichton

22 Feb 2017

Is CA the only state that changed the requirement for foreign passports so that the USCIS stamp is no longer required?

National Notary Association

01 Mar 2017

Hello. This was a state-specific change in California that took effect January 1.

Sonia Dorsey

05 Mar 2019

In MD can we use International passport as a form of ID?

National Notary Association

06 Mar 2019

Hello. Maryland does not provide a list of specific forms of IDs Notaries may accept. The "Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public" provides the following recommendation: "“Satisfactory proof is that amount of proof which is sufficient to convince the notary public that the person making the acknowledgment is the person described in the document, and the one who executed it. A good rule for a notary public to follow would be to require such proof of identification as he or she would require to cash a very large check for that person”

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