Updated 11-6-23. A signer from another country asks for a notarization. The only ID he has is a passport from his country. Your first question is: Can I accept this?
To accept foreign IDs, they must meet the requirements of your state's Notary laws. Here are some examples of state rules regarding foreign IDs.
Foreign passports
Foreign passports are the most commonly acceptable form of foreign identification for notarization, but state laws vary on the requirements.
One common requirement is that the passport must be stamped by USCIS. Among the states with laws allowing Notaries to accept a properly stamped foreign passport are Florida, Georgia, Nebraska and Tennessee.
Other states that allow foreign passports do not specify that they must be stamped. These include Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and West Virginia. With the exception of Mississippi and Utah, these states allow expired passports so long as the date of expiration is not more than three years before of the notarization.
Some states have more stringent requirements for foreign passports. California and Tennessee, for example, require all foreign passports to include a serial or ID number as well as a photo, physical description and signature of the holder (California Notaries may accept a foreign passport without a USCIS stamp). Florida requires a foreign passport to include a serial or identifying number and to be current or if expired, issued within the past 5 years. Massachusetts requires passports to contain a signature and photograph. Oregon requires a foreign passport to be from a nation federally recognized by the United States.
In Arizona, a foreign passport may be used to identify signers for documents conveying or financing real property, and in Texas, for a deed or other document relating to a residential real estate transaction. However, neither of these states allow a foreign passport to be used for any other type of document.
Other types of international identification
State laws allow Notaries to accept very few other foreign IDs.
California allows driver’s licenses issued by Mexico and Canada that contain a serial number, photograph, physical description and signature. Florida also allows these driver’s licenses if the license has a serial number. In both of these states, the license does not have to be current as long as it was issued within the past five years.
In Arizona, when dealing with real estate conveyances and financing, you may accept any other valid, unexpired ID that is acceptable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to establish an individual’s legal presence in the United States and that is accompanied by supporting documents as required by DHS. Notaries in the state may check the Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual for more information.
One type of ID that causes confusion is a consular ID issued by the consulate of a foreign country. Matricula consular cards issued by Mexican consulates are among the most common of these. They look very official and reliable — especially the newer versions — but only Notaries in Illinois and Nevada are specifically allowed to accept them. Matricula cards have been controversial in the past because of concerns that they are vulnerable to fraud. California Notaries may accept foreign consular IDs as proof of identity under a 2017 state law if the ID is current or issued in the past five years, has a serial or identification number, and contains the signature, photograph and description of the bearer. However, some Mexican matricula consular cards may not be acceptable under California law because they lack a physical description of the bearer.
Where guidance about IDs is not provided
Many states do not mention foreign passports or foreign IDs by name in their laws, but present a list of general requirements for any IDs Notaries may accept.
If you are a Notary in one of these states, check your state’s Notary handbook or commissioning agency’s website for guidance. For example, Georgia’s Notary Handbook lists a foreign passport duly stamped by the USCIS as an example of an ID that Notaries may accept from a signer as satisfactory evidence of identity.
If a signer has no acceptable identification at all, depending on the state you may instead be able to rely on one or more credible identifying witnesses regardless of citizenship or immigration status. In addition, for Notaries in Delaware and Virginia, a signer may present an alien registration card (U.S. Permanent Resident or “green” card) with a photograph.
Foreign IDs that Notaries should not accept
Don’t forget that foreign IDs also are often printed in a foreign language. Unless you understand the language on your client’s passport or the passport contains an English translation within it, you shouldn’t accept it, because you wouldn’t be able to verify the particulars of your client’s identity. Of course, under no circumstances should you rely on a third party to translate information for you.
Related Articles:
Can a Notary accept an expired ID?
Additional Resources:
NNA Hotline
Notary Law Primers