当进行公证服务的时候，公证员需要核对签字人的身份证件。（民法11859(a),1189条）。签字人需要提供符合要求的身份证件，在公证员检查无误后方可公证。（民法1185(a)条）。
符合要求的身份证件 – “符合要求“只是在缺乏所要求的信息，证据，和其它条件下，签字人无法证明其所声称的身份是其本人，且（A）身份证件或（B）一名可信证人的宣誓，或(C)两名可信证人的证词宣誓，如下所示：
A. 身份证件 – 公证员可以通过身份证件来确认签字人的身份，身份证件要求如下（民法1185(b)(3)和(4)条）：
- 有效期内或5年内签发的以下任意一种身份证件
- a. 加州车管所签发的驾照或身份证；
- b. 美国护照
- c. 如果是在州立监狱服刑中的犯人，由加州惩教署签发的囚犯身份证；
- d. 如果是在本地监狱服刑中的犯人，由郡警长签发的任意格式的囚犯身份证明；或
- 以下任意一种身份证件，且该身份证件包含照片，个人描述，签名和序列号：
- (a) 领事证件，如证明申请人国籍的领事证件，或申请人的有效他国护照；
- (b) 美国其它州或加拿大或墨西哥公共机构颁发的驾驶执照；
- (c) 美国其它州签发的身份证；
- (d) 美国军人证（注意：当前的军人证可能未能包含所有必要信息）；
- (e) 加州的州、郡、市各级政府机构签发的雇员证；
- (f) 联邦认可的部落政府机构签发的身份证。
注意，公证员必须在公证簿中记录用于识别签字人的身份证明文件信息，包括身份证明文件的种类，签发机构，序列号和签发或过期日期。
B. 单个可信证人的宣誓 – 签字人的身份信息可有由另外一个和公证员共同认识的可信证人宣誓来证明。（民法1185（b)(1)条）。这个签字人和公证员共同认识的人需要提供符合上面提到的身份证明材料。宣誓后，可信证人必须通过宣誓或确认以下各项均真实有效。（民法1183(b)(1)(A)(i)-(v)）:
- 签字人是文书中指定的人；
- 可信证人认识签字人；
- 可信证人有充分理由相信在当前情况下，签字人很难或不可能获得另外的身份证明；
- 签字人不持有任意法律授权的身份证件；且可信证人不存在经济利益且名字没有出现在所签署的文书中。
注意：单个可信证人必须在公证簿上签字，或者公证员必须记录单个可信证人的身份证明文件信息，包括身份证明文件的种类，签发机构，序列号和签发或过期日期。（政府法规8206(a)(2)(D)）
C. 两名可信真人的宣誓 – 签字人的身份信息可以由两名和公证员不相识的可信证人来证明。（民法1185(b)(2)）公证员必须首先通过符合要求的身份证件确认两名可信证人的身份。宣誓后，两位可信证人必须宣誓或确认和单个可信证人相同的每项内容。（民法1185(b)(2)和1185(b)(1)(A)(i)-(v)）
注意：两名可信证人必须在公证簿上签字，且公证员必须记录两个可信证人的身份证明文件信息，包括身份证明文件的种类，签发机构，序列号和签发或过期日期。（政府法规8206(a)(2)(E)）
Identifcation
When completing a certificate of acknowledgment or a jurat, a notary public is required to certify to the identity of the signer of the document. (Civil Code sections 1185(a), 1189, Government Code section 8202) Identity is established if the notary public is presented with satisfactory evidence of the signer’s identity. (Civil Code section 1185(a))
Satisfactory Evidence – “Satisfactory Evidence” means the absence of any information, evidence, or other circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the individual is not the individual he or she claims to be and (A) identification documents or (B) the oath of a single credible witness or (C) the oaths of two credible witnesses under penalty of perjury, as specified below:
A. Identification Documents – The notary public can establish the identity of the signer using identification documents as follows (Civil Code section 1185(b)(3) and (4)):
- There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided it is current or was issued within 5 years:
a. An identification card or driver’s license issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles;
b. A United States passport;
c. An inmate identification card issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the inmate is in custody in California state prison;
d. Any form of inmate identification issued by a sheriff’s department, if the inmate is in custody in a local detention facility; or - There is reasonable reliance on any one of the following forms of identification, provided that it also contains a photograph, description of the person, signature of the person, and an identifying number:
(a) A valid consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship;
(b) A driver’s license issued by another state or by a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses;
(c) An identification card issued by another state;
(d) A United States military identification card (caution: current military identification cards might not contain all the required information);
(e) An employee identification card issued by an agency or office of the State of California, or an agency or office of a city, county, or city and county in California.
(f) An identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government.
Note: The notary public must include in his or her journal the type of identifying document, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial or identifying number of the document, and the date of issue or expiration of the document that was used to establish the identity of the signer. (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(D))
B. Oath of a Single Credible Witness – The identity of the signer can be established by the oath of a single credible witness whom the notary public personally knows. (Civil Code section 1185(b)(1)) The notary public must establish the identity of the credible witness by the presentation of paper identification documents as set forth above. Under oath, the credible witness must swear or affirm that each of the following is true (Civil Code section 1185(b)(1) (A)(i)-(v)):
- The individual appearing before the notary public as the signer of the document is the person named in the document;
- The credible witness personally knows the signer;
- The credible witness reasonably believes that the circumstances of the signer are such that it would be 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; and
- The credible witness does not have a financial interest and is not named in the document signed.
Note: The single credible witness must sign the notary public’s journal or the notary public must indicate in his or her journal the type of identifying document, the governmental agency issuing the document, the identifying number of the document, and the date of issuance or expiration of the document presented by the witness to establish the identity of the witness. (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(D))
C. Oaths of Two Credible Witnesses – The identity of the signer can be established by the oaths of two credible witnesses whom the notary public does not personally know. (Civil Code section 1185(b)(2)) The notary public first must establish the identities of the two credible witnesses by the presentation of paper identification documents as listed above. Under oath, the credible witnesses must swear or affirm under penalty of perjury to each of the things sworn to or affirmed by a single credible witness, as set forth above. (Civil Code sections 1185(b)(2) and 1185(b)(1)(A)(i)-(v))
Note: The credible witnesses must sign the notary public’s journal and the notary public must indicate in his or her journal the type of identifying documents, the identifying numbers of the documents, and the dates of issuance or expiration of the documents presented by the witnesses to establish their identities. (Government Code section 8206(a)(2)(E))
