California Notary Public ExamAcknowledgments and Proofs of ExecutionMedium
A Notary Public is presented with a document for an acknowledgment. The signer provides a foreign passport for identification. The Notary observes that the passport is not current but was issued within the last five years and contains a photograph, physical description, and signature. What is the Notary's appropriate action?
- AAccept the foreign passport as satisfactory evidence of identity.
- BRequire the signer to provide a second form of identification.
- CRefuse the foreign passport because it is not current.
- DAccept the passport, but only if the signer also provides a credible witness.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Refuse the foreign passport because it is not current.
Unlike a California driver's license or U.S. passport, which can be current or issued within the past five years, a foreign passport used as satisfactory evidence of identity must be current (unexpired). An expired foreign passport, even if issued within five years, is not acceptable.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. An expired foreign passport is not an acceptable form of identification for satisfactory evidence, even if issued within five years.
- B. Requiring a second form of ID doesn't fix the issue of the primary ID being unacceptable.
- D. Credible witnesses are used when no satisfactory evidence is available, not to supplement an unacceptable primary ID.
Satisfactory Evidence - Foreign Passport Expiration
A foreign passport presented as satisfactory evidence of identity for a California Notary Public must be current (unexpired) at the time of the notarization. The 'issued within five years' rule does not apply to foreign passports.
- Must be current/unexpired.
- Issued within 5 years rule does NOT apply.
- Requires photo, signature, serial number.
Memory trick: For 'Foreign' ID, 'Current' is the 'Rule', no '5-year' extension for a 'global' view.