ID Requirements

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The notary public can establish the identity of the signer using identification documents as follows (Civil Code section 1185(b)(3) & (4))

There is a reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years:

• An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles;
• A United States passport;
• An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and   Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in custody in California state prison;
• Any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff’s department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility

There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number:

• A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid  passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship;
• A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses;
• An identification card issued by another state;
• A United States military identification card (caution: current military identification cards might not contain all the required information);
• An employee identification card issued by an agency or office of the State of California, or an agency or office of a city, county, or city and county  in California.
• An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government.