Five steps to Checking IDs

Notary Bulletin 5 Steps To Checking IDs By Bill Anderson on May 05, 2016 in Best Practices How to check an ID Updated 4-10-18. A Notary's duties require you to identify a signer — but you may be wondering how to tell if a signer's ID is genuine or not. Here are some practical tips to help you do just that. First, get to know your state’s IDs and U.S. passports because these are the IDs you’ll encounter most often. Become familiar with their security features: micro-printing, “ghost” photos, holograms, swipe stripes, barcodes and raised lettering (such as the raised date of birth found on Texas driver's license photos). Learn their informational elements, such as name, address, issue and expiration dates, on both the front and back of the ID and know where they are placed. Also, be sure to check for changes to your state's ID rules on a regular basis. In 2017, Florida added a veterans health ID card to the list of identification document Florida Notaries may accept from a signer, while California added consular and tribal IDs that are issued within the past 5 years, have a serial or identification number, and contain the signature, photograph and description of the individual to its list of acceptable IDs. And effective July 27, 2018, Arizona Notaries may accept a nonoperating ID license; an inmate identification card issued by Arizona Department of Corrections, if the inmate is in the custody of ADC or any form of inmate ID issued by a county sheriff, if the inmate is in their custody as proof of a signer's identity. Handy Resources For IDs from other states, a copy of the current edition of the NNA Keesing Documentchecker Guide is a good resource. The Guide is updated each year and includes the latest versions of IDs. Next, get a small ultraviolet or “blue light” and magnifying glass. The blue light will show hidden ID security features like holograms and ghost photos. The magnifying glass will help you spot micro-printing on the ID. Use these tools in front of the signer to show you’re serious about what you’re doing. 5 Steps To Checking IDs There are 5 simple steps to follow when checking any ID every time you perform a notarization. In order to follow these steps, ask the signer to hand you the ID so you can inspect it. Step 1. Look at the photo on the ID and then look at the signer. Then do it again. Make sure the photo and physical description reasonably match the signer. Step 2. Check the expiration date. Step 3. Make sure all informational elements on the ID are present — both front and back. Step 4. Use the blue light and magnifying glass to check the ID’s security features. Step 5. Have the individual sign your journal so that you can compare the signature in the journal with the one on the ID. Like the photograph and physical description, check the signatures to see if they are reasonably similar. All these steps should take less than a minute. The time will be well spent. Most signers will appreciate the lengths you’ve gone to protect them and their transaction from forgery. You also will go a long way toward protecting yourself against claims.

What to do when no notary certificate

3 Important Tips For When A Document Lacks A Notary Certificate By David Thun on April 11, 2018 in Best Practices confused-no-cert-resized.jpgThe simplest way to know what type of notarization is needed on a document is to look at the Notary certificate. If it is an acknowledgment form or the wording has any variation of the word “acknowledge” in it, you perform an acknowledgment. If it is a jurat or verification form, or the wording has the words “subscribed and sworn,” you perform a jurat or verification. But what do you do if there’s no certificate? Here are three important steps to follow in this situation: 1. Avoid the unauthorized practice of law. If you aren’t an attorney, remember that it’s against the law for you to provide unauthorized legal advice. This includes answering simple questions from a signer such as “What notarization do you think I should use here?” or “Which certificate form should I use?” Giving that sort of advice is a violation of law and can result in some states with being charged with a criminal offense or possibly losing your Notary commission. And, if you give a signer the wrong information and it causes the signer legal problems, you could be forced to pay costly damages in a lawsuit. When faced with the need to know the type of notarization a signer needs, always follow these rules: Never choose the type of notarization for the signer, even if the signer wants you to. Never give a signer advice about the type of notarization a particular document needs. For example, you should never say, “Most power of attorney documents I notarize require an acknowledgment.” You have no way of knowing if the signer’s document is an exception to the norm. Even if it isn’t, you’re unlawfully practicing law because you are applying legal concepts to a signer’s particular situation. 2. Ask the signer to choose. While you can’t choose the notarization for a document, the signer can. If the signer can tell you the type of notarization they want, you can simply proceed from there. However, most signers are unaware that there is more than one type of notarization or how to distinguish one from another. If the signer isn’t sure what they want, it’s OK to describe the different notarial acts the law authorizes you to perform and allow the signer to pick the one they want. For example, you can describe how acknowledgments and verifications (or jurats) differ and let the signer choose between them. Again, the most important thing is not to make the choice for them. 3. Check with the issuing or receiving agency. If the signer still isn’t sure which notarization they need, they should contact someone who knows. This could be the individual or agency that issued the document, or the one that will receive it. If they can’t provide help, the signer may need to consult with an attorney who can give legal advice about the document. David Thun is an Associate Editor at the National Notary Association.

Notary Needs to Check Information on New Notary Stamp Before Using the Notary Stamp

A mobile VA notary ordered a notary stamp and found out recently that the registration number was wrong. The client had applied for Authentication from the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth and was rejected. When the notary found out about the situation, the correct number was placed on the document The notary destroyed the stamp with the incorrect notary number and ordered a replacement stamp from another provider. The notary had another notary stamp with the correct notary number. The notary also showed the customer the notary appointment with correct notary number. The notary recommends all notaries check their notary stamp for the accuracy of information before using the stamp.

A PA notary was a significant witness against the Pa Attorney General

Notary Bulletin Notary’s Journal Key Evidence In High-Profile Criminal Trial By Michael Lewis on August 17, 2016 in Notary News Notary journal evidence in perjury case A Notary working in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office provided key evidence that helped convict her boss of perjury and several other charges. Prosecutors are praising the Notary for her superior recordkeeping practices. Kathleen Kane, who was elected Pennsylvania’s Attorney General in 2012, was convicted this week of nine counts of perjury, conspiracy and other charges, according to media reports. Prosecutors claimed that Kane leaked information to the media about a 2009 grand jury investigation in an attempt to retaliate against a political rival, and then tried to cover it up. Notary Wanda Scheib, a long-time administrative assistant in the Attorney General’s office, became involved when Kane testified before a grand jury in 2014 that she never signed secrecy oaths that required her to keep confidential information about state grand jury investigations that occurred prior to her term in office. But Scheib had notarized Kane’s secrecy oaths and duly recorded them in her journal — called a register of notarial acts in Pennsylvania — which she kept locked in a filing cabinet in her office. Pennsylvania Notaries are required to record all notarial acts. During the trial, Scheib testified that she struggled for several days over what to do. She worried about what might happen if she spoke up. She finally consulted a trusted co-worker, who helped her turn over the information to prosecutors. That led investigators to the signed oaths. Prosecutor Michelle Henry said investigators may never have discovered the signed oaths without Scheib’s help. “She does the hardest thing,” Henry is quoted by pennlivecom. “She picks up a phone and tells someone.” Michael Lewis is Managing Editor of member publications for the National Notary Association.

New Rules For ID for Notaries as of July 1,2016

"Satisfactory evidence of identity" means identification of an individual based on (i) examination of one or more of the following unexpired documents bearing a photographic image of the individual's face and signature: a United States PassportBook, a United States Passport Card, a certificate of United States citizenship, a certificate of naturalization, an unexpireda foreign passport, an alien registration card with photograph, a state issued driver's license or a state issued identification card or a United States military card or (ii) the oath or affirmation of one credible witness unaffected by the document or transaction who is personally known to the notary and who personally knows the individual or of two credible witnesses unaffected by the document or transaction who each personally knows the individual and shows to the notary documentary identification as described in clause (i). In the case of an electronic notarization, "satisfactory evidence of identity" may be based on video and audio conference technology, in accordance with the standards for electronic video and audio communications set out in subdivisions B 1, B 2, and B 3 of § 19.2-3.1, that permits the notary to communicate with and identify the principal at the time of the notarial act, provided that such identification is confirmed by (a) personal knowledge, (b) an antecedent in-person identity proofing process in accordance with the specifications of the Federal Bridge Certification Authority, or (c) a valid digital certificate accessed by biometric data or by use of an interoperable Personal Identity Verification card that is designed, issued, and managed in accordance with the specifications published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 201-1, "Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors," and supplements thereto or revisions thereof, including the specifications published by the Federal Chief Information Officers Council in "Personal Identity Verification Interoperability for Non-Federal Issuers."

Update On VA Notary Law Can no longer accept expired ID

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Effective today, House Bill 189 allows you to accept a U.S. passport book or card as identification. The law also clarifies that any ID presented to you must not be expired. For more information and analysis about how this new law affects you, click the link above to access details in the NNA's free, easy-to-search Notary Laws database. Thank you!

New Guideline Unless you know the person No ID No Notary

A notary must always be completely satisfied with the identity of the person whose signature is being notarized. A notary is not obligated to notarize a person’s signature without being sure that the person is who he or she claims to be. Always check identification and be satisfied that the identification is valid. Never accept the word of a third party as being sufficient for identification to justify notarizing a person’s signature