Identification and Personal Appearance Requirements
Satisfactory evidence of identity
RULONA requires the notary to identify each signer using satisfactory evidence, which means one of three things: (1) personal knowledge of the individual; (2) a government-issued photo identification bearing the individual's signature-driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID-that is current or recently expired; or (3) a credible witness personally known to the notary who personally knows the signer, or two credible witnesses whose own identities are proven by satisfactory evidence.
Personal appearance
The signer must appear in person before the notary. A spouse, caregiver, coworker, or courier cannot present the document for someone else. Remote appearance is lawful only when expressly authorized and conducted through an approved remote notarization system by a notary who has satisfied registration requirements-never ad hoc over a video call.
What examiners test
- Expired ID. Questions generally treat an expired photo ID as insufficient; check the expiration date rather than assuming.
- No photo or no signature. A membership card, a photocopy of an ID, or a badge that is not government-issued fails the standard.
- "Personally known." This requires an established familiarity; recognizing a face from the neighborhood or meeting someone once is not enough.
- Presence violations. Notarizing a signer waiting in a car, on speakerphone, or represented by an agent is a personal-appearance violation.
Rule of thumb
Compare face, name, and signature; record the ID type, number, and expiration in the journal; and if identity is doubtful, do not proceed on a hunch-require better evidence or decline.
Why it matters
Identification and presence failures are the most common factual grounds for discipline and the most frequently tested scenario.