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Can Notaries accept foreign passports or consular cards as signer ID?

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Can Notaries accept foreign passports or consular cards as proof of a signer’s identity?D.C., Texas

Yes and no. A Texas Notary may accept a foreign passport as proof of a signer’s identity only when notarizing residential real estate transactions. A Texas Notary may not accept a matricula consular card to identify the signer. The relevant law requires IDs to be issued by the federal (U.S.) or state government. A matricula consular card is issued by neither which is why Notaries can’t accept it. See Texas Administrative Code provision (1 TAC 87.1[1]).

Please see our article on unusual signer IDs for information on other state rules regarding Notaries accepting consular identification cards as proof of signer identity.

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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5 Comments

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michelle hall

24 Jul 2023

Hi, I need information from the California notary.

National Notary Association

24 Jul 2023

Hello. You can find more information on CA Notary identification guidelines here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2017/04/3-facts-california-notaries-identifying-signers

Jerry Lucas

24 Jul 2023

There are over 200 countries in the United Nations. Many countries do not use English as an official language and their passports may not include an English translation. Some foreign languages, such as Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Thai, do not use the Latin alphabet. So, the notary may not be able to read a foreign passport in a foreign language. Colorado requires the signer's address to be included in the notary journal entry. But, the address is not shown on the passport.

Maxine Brown

31 Jul 2024

I received the email below from a physician at my workplace who is aware that I am a notary. I was not aware that you could notarize the passport of an American citizen. Please advise if this is even possible as I have not responded to the individual and will only do so once I hear back from you. Subject: FW: [External] Boulis_passport_2024 Maxine: I have to notarize a copy of my PP/Driver’s license to open a foreign bank account. I also need to notarize a signature on an easement agreement. Can you help me with this? The PP/DL copies are attached. I will forward the easement…

National Notary Association

02 Aug 2024

Hello. To help us answer your question, can you please tell us what state you are commissioned in?

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