Section 8: Identification A notary public may not notarize a signature on a document unless he or she personally knows, or has been provided with satisfactory evidence, that the person whose signature is to be notarized is the individual who is described in and who is executing the instrument. A notary public must certify in the acknowledgment or oath the type of identification, either based on personal knowledge or other form of identification, upon which the notary public is relying. Personally Known Personally known means having an acquaintance, derived from association with the individual, which establishes the individual's identity with at least a reasonable degree of certainty. It does not mean that a friend of yours knows this person. It means that your knowledge of this person is derived from association with the individual in relation to other people and based upon a chain of circumstances surrounding the individual, which establishes the individual’s identity. If you have personal knowledge of the identity of an individual then satisfactory evidence is not required. Satisfactory Evidence Satisfactory evidence means the reliance on the presentation of a current, government-issued identification card bearing a photograph or signature or physical description and serial or identification number or the oath or affirmation of a credible witness who is personally known to the notary and who personally knows the individual. Satisfactory evidence of identity consists of a current state or federal government-issued photo identification document and includes presentation of one of the following current and unexpired documents. U.S. Passport or passport card A foreign government issued passport using letters, characters and language that are read, written and understood by the notarial officer State Issued Driver’s License or nondriver identification card A driver’s license or identification card issued by a state or territory of Canada or Mexico, so long as it uses letters, characters, and a language read, written and understood by the notarial officer. Other forms of government identification, including: An identification card issued by the U.S. armed forces (any branch) An inmate identification card issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for an inmate who is currently in the custody of the Department An identification card issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Social Security card Medicare card Pennsylvania state and state-related university identification card Satisfactory evidence may also be established through the oath of a credible witness that personally known to the notary and who personally knows the signer. So long as that witness does not have a conflict of interest with regards to the record being notarized. The credible witness must verify an oath or affirmation that each of the following is true: Signer of the document who is appearing before the notary public is the person named in the document The signer is personally known to the credible witness The credible witness reasonably believes the circumstances of the signer would make it very difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain another form of identification The signer does not possess any of the identification documents authorized by law to establish the signer’s identity The credible witness has no direct or pecuniary interest in the record being notarized Section Review 1.   The reliance on the presentation of a current, government-issued identification card bearing a photograph or signature or physical description and serial or identification number or the oath or affirmation of a credible witness who is personally known to the notary and who personally knows the individual can be referred to as:   Personally known.   Satisfactory evidence.   Credible witnessing. Correct Incorrect 2.   Having an acquaintance, derived from association with the individual, which establishes the individual's identity with at least a reasonable degree of certainty can be referred to as:   Personally known.   Satisfactory evidence.   Credible witnessing. Correct Incorrect 3.   Satisfactory evidence of identity consists of a current state or federal government-issued photo identification document and includes presentation of which of the following documents?   Federal Government Issued Photo Identification   Military Photo Identification Document   U.S. Passport   State Issued Photo Identification Document   State Issued Driver’s License   Any of the above Correct Incorrect

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