As a military spouse, I had my base ID renewed today. Are you aware the new IDs issued in the past year do not require a signature? How will that affect my using that form of ID for notarizations if there is no signature required? As of now, they need a signature to be a valid form of identification. — C.P., California
The NNA is not aware of any new IDs authorized for use by Notaries that do not require a signature. In the past, certain uniformed services ID cards have met the minimum requirements of Civil Code 1185 (i.e., they had a signature), but the newer cards, including the one we suspect you now have, do not. Until the statute is amended to include newer military IDs without a signature, the California Notary Public cannot accept your military identification without a signature. We suggest that if you have not obtained a U.S. passport that you apply for one. A U.S. passport is universally accepted for notarial acts not just in California, but in every other state and jurisdiction of the United States.
For more information on other state ID requirements, please see our article, “Notary guidelines for accepting or rejecting a signer’s ID.”
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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