With the new, smaller “passport card” now available from the federal government for land and sea travel, Notaries in some states are now permitted to accept them as satisfactory evidence of identity from signers.
The passport card is a wallet-sized identification card issued for travelers crossing U.S. borders with Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean at land and sea entry points, and contains a photo and information about the bearer. It may not be used as ID for air travel.
The California Secretary of State’s office said that Notaries in that state may lawfully accept passport cards as ID from signers, since they are issued by the U.S. government, and provide the same type of information and function as full-sized passports. So far, California and Oregon Notaries are permitted to accept the cards, and officials in other border states are considering their use as satisfactory evidence.