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November 15, 2016

How to spot fake ID at a notarization

Filed under: Identification For Being Notarized,Popular on Facebook (A little),Popular on Facebook (comments),Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Linked In,Popular Overall — Tags: , , , — admin @ 11:41 pm

Most Notaries study Notary law. But, do we keep handbooks that are up to date about spotting fake ID’s? Perhaps we should . Our primary task as a Notary is not to make people feel good, and is not to get the job done either. It is to identify signers and make sure that fraud doesn’t take place. It is better to say “no” rather than to get a Notary job done wrong — hence the name “no”–tary. Otherwise we would be yestaries and the world would go down the tubes.

ID Handbooks
The NNA and other vendors have books going over every state’s identification documents. They can tell you about distinguishing features, new watermarks, and other telltale signs that the ID is genuine.

Jeremy’s Solution — an online ID database
Personally, I think there should be a computer system to let the Notary look you up on a Federal or state database — but, that’s just me.

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Things to look for one the ID

(1) Physical Description
Sometimes the physical description doesn’t match the signer. With ladies changing their hairstyle frequently, it is hard to tell their identity.

(2) Mispellings
Then, there could be misspellings in the name or a wrong name variation.

(3) Tampering
Obvious signs of tampering are almost a guarantee of a fake ID. I saw one of those once and only once.

(4) Watermarks
Finally watermarks are used in identification documents and currency to prove authenticity. It is possible, but hard for a fraud to replicate an authentic watermark. In China I’m sure they’ll figure it out as faking things is their specialty. But, for the rest of us it would not be so easy.

(5) Lack of raised lettering
Many of the newer ID’s have raised lettering. However, without a guidebook, you won’t know which states and which identification years of issue have raised letters.

(6) What’s your sign?
Ask the signer their sign. If they are using a fake ID with wrong DOB it will be very difficult for them to immediately recite their sign. You can also ask for their zip code to spot a fraud.

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Most Notaries do not inspect ID’s carefully. They just record the information in their journal. Unless something fake is jumping out at them, they will not notice that something is wrong. It pays to get a handbook and become and expert. After all, the whole point of being a Notary is to deter fraud. In my opinion, each state’s Notary division should require all Notaries to be experts at spotting fake ID’s in addition to other critical related skills. Maybe one day technology and training will improve.

Smokey bear says — say no to forest fires. Notary Jer says — say no to fake notary identifications — if you can spot them.

You might also like:

Seven error free ways to identify a signer
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15288

Notarized document expired identification
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8294

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November 2, 2016

How can I get a Spanish language document notarized?

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:48 pm

How can I get a Spanish language document notarized?
Some states require that the Notary Public understand the contents of the document. If a document is in Spanish, then some states would require the Notary to be able to read the document in Spanish, etc. Other states require that the Notary speak the language of the signer so that they could have direct communication without the necessity of a translator.

How do I get a Spanish language document notarized?
How do you get a Spanish document notarized? On 123notary.com, you can find Notaries in any state that can notarize any type of document for you including foreign language documents. Just visit the advanced search page and look up by zip code.

California requires direct communication
In California, the Notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer. So, if the signer only speaks Spanish, please make sure your Notary speaks impeccable Spanish.

Immigration Questions
Notaries are not permitted to assist or advise in immigration matters unless they are specifically authorized to do so. Please direct your immigration questions to the proper authorities.

Notaries are generally not Attorneys
Please do not confuse the office of Notary Public with powers associated with Attorneys. In Latin America, a Notario Publico has an elevated position that is similar in many ways to being an Attorney, while in the United States, Notaries can only notarize documents, give Oaths, and not give legal advice. So, please direct your legal questions to a licensed Attorney.

Drafting Documents
Please do not rely on a Notary to draft your documents for you. Notaries are generally not authorized to draft legal documents or advise you on how to draft them. Please have a legal support center or Attorney draft your documents before calling a Notary.

Find a Notary on 123notary.com!
Just visit the advanced search page on 123notary.com and look up by city, county, or zip code. Then, use the Spanish language filter at the top of the search results to filter your results.

You might also like:

How do I find a Spanish speaking notary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18824

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

Find a Notary Public on 123notary!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4688

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October 29, 2016

How can I find a Vietnamese speaking Notary?

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 10:41 pm

Where can I find a Vietnamese speaking Notary?
Aside from booking a flight to Saigon — there’s always 123notary.com! We have many Vietnamese speaking Notaries in California, Texas, Virginia, and many other states. Just do a Notary search by zip code.

How do I get a Vietnamese document notarized?
In California, the Notary is not required to be able to read the document so long as the signer is named in the document (for an Acknowledged signature.) However, in California, direct communication is required between signer and the Notary Public. However, in other states, the Notary might be required to understand the document. The actual notarization proceedings go on in written English. The Acknowledgment or Jurat wording must be in English and ideally using the official wording of the state where the notarization is taking place.

Oaths in Vietnamese?
You can give an Oath in whatever language you like including Vietnamese for Notarial purposes. You might need to administer an Oath as a separate Notary act, or accompanying a Jurat, Acknowledgment or for credible witnesses.

Notaries are not Attorneys
Notaries in the United States are not normally Attorneys unless officially designated. So, please direct all legal questions to a licensed Attorney and not to a non-Attorney Notary.

Immigration questions
If you have immigration questions, please do not burden the Notary Public with these as they are not likely to be authorized to help you with these matters. Please contact immigration or an authorized advisor for immigration questions.

Vietnamese Speaking Notaries are expensive
Many Notaries who speak Vietnamese charge up to double for loan signings. So, if you can function in English at all, you might save a lot of cash by hiring a good old fashioned American Notary! (I’m sure Trump would prefer that in any case.)

You might also like:

What is a Notary Public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

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>

October 23, 2016

Where can I find a Japanese speaking Notary?

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 10:34 pm

How can I find a Japanese speaking Notary?
How do I find a Japanese speaking Notary?
123notary.com has many bilingual Notaries on file, many of whom speak Japanese. Please be advised that we have many more Spanish speaking Notaries than Japanese speaking Notaries. However, if you look up a Notary by zip code on our advanced search page and then use the language filter at the top right of the page, you can see if there are any Japanese speaking Notaries in the area.

How can I get a Japanese language document notarized?
Some states require that the Notary Public understand the contents of the document. If a document is in Japanese, then some states would require the Notary to be able to read the document in Japanese, etc. Other states require that the Notary speak the language of the signer so that they could have direct communication without the necessity of a translator.

How do I get a Japanese language document notarized?
How do you get a Japanese document notarized? On 123notary.com, you can find Notaries in any state that can notarize any type of document for you including foreign language documents. Just visit the advanced search page and look up by zip code.

California requires direct communication
In California, the Notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer. So, if the signer only speaks Japanese, please make sure your Notary speaks impeccable Japanese.

Immigration Questions
Notaries are not permitted to assist or advise in immigration matters unless they are specifically authorized to do so. Please direct your immigration questions to the proper authorities.

Notaries are generally not Attorneys
Please do not confuse the office of Notary Public with powers associated with Attorneys. In Latin America, a Notario Publico has an elevated position that is similar in many ways to being an Attorney, while in the United States, Notaries can only notarize documents, give Oaths, and not give legal advice. So, please direct your legal questions to a licensed Attorney.

Drafting Documents
Please do not rely on a Notary to draft your documents for you. Notaries are generally not authorized to draft legal documents or advise you on how to draft them. Please have a legal support center or Attorney draft your documents before calling a Notary.

Find a Notary on 123notary.com!
Just visit the advanced search page on 123notary.com and look up by city, county, or zip code. Then, use the language filter at the top right of the search results to filter your results.

You might also like:

Identification requirements for being Notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

What is a Notary Public
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

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October 16, 2016

Best Virtual Notary Comedy Compilation Updated to 2018

Filed under: Compilations,Virtual Comedy Themes — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:47 am

Back in 2015, I created a list of the most popular virual notary comedy blog entries written so far. I decided to create an updated list with some of the more popular older entries and a few newer entries that were in the top 20% of popularity in their category. Enjoy!
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ALPHABETICAL BY THEME OR POST NAME
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Animals – 20 posts about animals at signings
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=3074

Apps – New Notary Apps for the iPhone 7 you’ve never dreamed of!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10977

Apps – Honey you can kiss my app
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14902

Bartender Notary — a reverse mortgage on the rocks
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4080

Black Notaries vs. White Notaries Comedy String (popular)
Disclaimer: many of you are not able to discern between satire and racism and this is light-hearted satire and not demeaning to anyone. Please keep your comments polite or we will take action against you for slander.
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=black-notaries-versus-white-notaries

Children – Can I bring my 12 year old to a signing?

Can I bring my 12 year old to a signing?

Coffee — Notaries in cars getting coffee (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18945

Court – Noternity Court

Noternity Court

Dating – How Notary work is similar to online dating!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15763

Dating – Notary Dating & romance from A to Z (compilation)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17451

Debate – The 2016 Notary Public Debate
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16006

Disney Notary World (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18880

Driving – Notary Ed similar to Driver’s Education
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19132

Flashpoint – Notary job for a hostage with a multimillion dollar contract

Flashpoint — Notary job for a hostage with a multimillion dollar contract

George Lopez Notary Episodes
http://blog.123notary.com/?s=george+lopez

Heaven & Hell Index of Posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16640

Health – Barack’s Notary-Care, are you covered?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16055

Hell – Notary Hell — Yeah, but it’s a dry heat!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13196

Hotel – The Sleezy Notary Motel
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16118

Hotel – Welcome to the Notary Hotel (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=8822

Identification – When someone does not have ID. new approaches!

What to do when someone doesn’t have their ID – new approaches

Jane the Virgin Notary (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14899

Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous Signing Companies
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16715

Mafia – Compilation of Mafia Related Notary Posts
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20352

Mafia – Tony Soprano Gets Notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=14897

Mafia – The Notary, The Mafia & The Fedex Drop Box
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6867

Medical – Pulling the plug; A Notary story
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=13722

Notary Aptitude Test
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15853

Notary – Are you a Yes-tery or a No-tary?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16626

Notary – How Notary work is similar to online dating
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15763

Notary – The Noterator
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19116

Notary – You know you’re a notary when…
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=16038

Politics – A Compilation of posts about politics relating to Notaries. Posts about Trump, Hillary, Jeff Sessions, Alt-Right, Bernie, Immigration, and Guest Speakers who get harrased by college students.
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20357

Politics – How Carmen dealt with some Alt-Right customers (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19092

Psychic – Psych Notary Episodes
http://blog.123notary.com/?s=psych

Psychic – Notary Psychic Tarot Card Reading
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19126

Shark Tank — Self Driving Notary and other posts (popular string)
http://blog.123notary.com/?tag=shark-tank

Sleep – Can you sign in your sleep? What would that be like?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18874

Social Media — Affiant: a social media site for Notaries
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6410

Space – Notary Space Station: In space, nobody can hear you sign!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18920

Suicide – Notary Suicide Hotline (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6995

The Towles Booth
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=9456

Tourettes – Notary with Tourettes Syndrome (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18999

Train – The Notary Train
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18928

Transgender – A new acknowledgment form for transgender people

The new acknowledgment form for transgender people

Trump — Making American Notaries Great Again
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=17023

Vampire Notaries – 24 hour service!
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4094

Vietnam – Notarization in The Trang
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19652

Zoo – Welcome to the Notary Zoo (popular)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15994

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You might also like:

Best Virtual notary Comedy Compilation 2015
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15957

Compilation of best Notary sit-com episodes
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15949

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October 15, 2016

How can I find a French speaking Notary?

Filed under: Public Interest — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 9:42 pm

Where can I find a Notary who speaks French?
How do I find a French speaking Notary?
How do I find a Notary who speaks French?
Look no further. 123notary.com has many French speaking Notaries on board. Just look up a Notary by zip code and then use the language filter at the top right of the site. You can enter in the name of any language such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, or more! In fact, we have French speaking Notaries in almost all states and metros.

How good is their French language proficiency?
On 123notary.com, we have many Notaries who speak French. The degree of fluency varies from Notary to Notary as some are conversational while others are native speakers. A handful are from French speaking families who grew up in America and might be excellent at conversation but not as proficient at business oriented communication. So, test your French speaking Notary out over the phone to make sure they are up to your standards before hiring them!

Notary French — Attorneys vs. Non-Attorneys
Please be advised that Notaries in the United States are seldom Attorneys and non-Attorney Notaries may not give legal advice. Most Notaries are also not authorized to draft legal documents. There are affordable legal support centers where they can help you draft documents. Please make sure that your document is completely drafted before contacting a Notary Public from 123notary.com.

Immigration Advice
Notaries cannot give advice about immigration matters unless they are specifically licensed to do so. For immigration questions, please contact the proper authorities.

Notarizing in French?
Notaries may Notarize a document that is in French, however the Notary wording would be in English for the notarization. Some states require the Notary to be able to understand the document. Other states require the Notary to be able to communicate directly with the borrower in any language they both can communicate with. Please learn the laws of your state and how they apply to notarizing foreign language documents. The actual Notary wording must be in English if it is to be notarized in any of the 50 states in the USA. Each state has their own official Acknowledgment and Jurat Notarial wording which the Notary is responsible for knowing. The Notary wording can be included at the end of the document. However, the Notary can also staple a loose certificate form to the document and affix their seal to that certificate after it has been completely filled out. Signers will be required to sign the Notary journal in states where Notary journals are used (which includes most states.)

Oaths in French?
Some Notary acts such as Jurats, Oaths, or other acts that include Oaths such as swearing in credible witnesses require the Notary to administer an Oath. An Oath for an English language document or French language document can be performed in the language of your choice. If the signer or affiant feels more comfortable in French and the Notary knows French, you can conduct your Oath in French.

How can I get a French language document notarized?
As stated above, some states require the Notary to understand the language of the document while others don’t. However, the language of the notarization itself would be in English. You can find a notary on 123notary who speaks French to assist you in this matter. Just visit our Advanced Search page and look up a French Speaking Notary by zip code!

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You might also like:

How much can a Notary charge?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21308

Identification requirements for being Notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

How do I get a foreign language document notarized?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=18788

What is a Notary Public?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

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September 29, 2016

Notary Aptitude Test 2

Filed under: Best Humorous Posts,Humorous Posts,Popular on Facebook (shares),Popular on Linked In — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:56 am

(1) Notary Stamp is to Notary Seal what Attest is to:
(a) A test and a verbal verification (b) swearing and stating (c) The 123notary signing agent online test and proof (d) Oath and affirmation.

(2) Document Date is to Signing Date what Match.com date is to:
(a) Ditching date (b) Marriage date (c) Engagement date (d) Backdate (e) No relation

(3) Backdating is to signing what _____________ is to lying about your age.
(a) Match.com profiles (b) rescission date (c) Notary Applications (if you’re under 18 or not a US citizen) (d) notarizing an acknowledgment an hour before your signing appointment.

(4) Name on Title is to Name on a Document as name on Birth Certificate is to:
(a) Name on your ID (b) Your street aliases (c) Death Certificate (d) Mother’s maiden name

(5) Jurat is to Oath, what Oath is to:
(a) Quaker Oaths (b) Oath written text (c) Swearing (d) Attest

(6) Original document is to wet ink signature as commission paperwork is to:
(a) Secretary of State’s seal (b) name of your state (c) Felony conviction (d) Commission impossible

(7) Venue is to State what State is to:
(a) Secretary of State (b) City (c) County (d) Zip code

(8) Witness is to bank robbery what Notary act is to:
(a) Acknowledgment (b) Jurat (c) Protest (d) Unmarked Bills

(9) Subpoena is to testify what credible witness is to:
(a) Busy-body (b) Bank Robber (c) Subscribing Witness (d) Identify

(10) Middle initial is to document what ___________ is to identification
(a) Name (b) Middle Name (c) Matching or longer (d) Name on Title

(11) Digital signature is to an eSigning what a/an ________________ is to the future of the Notary profession.
(a) eDocuments (b) Notary (c) eNotary (d) 123notary

(12) SnapDocs is to the Notary Profession what Walmart is to:
(a) eBay (b) Retail (c) Amazon (d) Life

ANSWERS:

1. Note to readers, seal has two meanings. It could mean a stamp, or a signature). Answer (a) is correct even though it is part joke and part true.

2. (e) is the correct answer as the document date is arbitrary and could be any date, and has no relation to the signing date although it is commonly the same date as the signing date by convention.

3. (a) Match.com profiles typically have women who lie about their age and roll back the years about five to ten years. But, do men also backdate their age?

4. The name on Title is your official name that the property is registered to which carries a certain amount of official merit to it and permenance just like the name on your birth certificate. However, people do change their names after the fact that could lead to different names on the document or ID. Correct answer is (a).

5. (c) Swearing is a part of the Oath just like an Oath is a part of the Jurat process.

6-12 Figure it out on your own! That was fun!

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You might also like:

Notary Aptitude Test
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15853

Two & a Half Notaries: Detering Notary Fraud
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10452

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September 20, 2016

Their Signature

Filed under: Ken Edelstein — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 11:27 am

Their Signature

Let’s use, as a working definition of Their Signature; “somebody’s name written by him or her in a characteristic way”. Long ago, about a decade, I was often asked to provide “legible” signatures that matched the name signing. I tried that a few times, mostly with dismal failure. More often than not, the signature was totally illegible – more like artwork than written script handwriting.

Now let’s go back a lot further in the past, about two thousand years. Commercial transactions were common then as they are now. Most did not read or write, they made their mark. It was the seal of the Notary, who knew the affiant that validated the “mark”. Nothing has really changed. It is still the Notary who is supporting the validity of the signature.

They can sign many ways, with a pen, with a brush (artsy?), using their hands, feet, knees or mouth to hold the instrument of signing. Keep in mind the Americans with Disabilities Act. We must make reasonable accommodation to all who qualify for our seal. The signature does not have to be the same as, or even similar to the one on their ie: driver license. A lost limb or even both arms does not preclude notarization. Pen held in mouth is fine, the signature will be vastly different – but that really does not matter. Many elderly people have hands that shake, but their minds remain crystal clear.

Their “signature”, however written is the second aspect of accepting the Notary Oath. The first part is communicating a “yes” to the Oath; the signature is the written agreement. As mentioned – often the signature does not match the ID. Of course the picture must. There is one signature that (at least in NY State) must match – and that one is mine. My signature is recorded with the county clerk and for it to be authenticated; my signature on the document must be the same as my officially recorded one. Thus my signature cannot change.

To me what really counts is their printed name somewhere to indicate exactly who is being notarized. If it’s in my “loose ack” – I get to print the name. Sometimes it’s not that clear on the document, that is when I ask them to print their name under their signature. Notaries must take care to delimit their notarization to those actually given the oath and ID checked. When there are “other” places for signature, I often add “by affiant name” to the “sworn to and subscribed”.

Signatures vary greatly. I have seen perfectly formed cursive handwriting, squiggles and minor works of art with flourishes. Many bear no relation whatsoever to the name. Sometimes the same thing is on the ID, sometimes not. It’s my job to determine who they are, not to critique how they write their name. It would be so much more “absolute” if a DNA sample were to be added. Some think a thumbprint would be best; but not everyone has a thumb.

So, I am not a handwriting nanny. When the instructions mandate “clearly written” I tell the affiant what they “require” – and accept what they do. Usually I ask for their routine, standard signature “the way you would sign a check”. In my experience people object to being told “how to sign”. The signature, stamp and seal of the Notary makes whatever it is “Kosher”.

You might also like:

Your signature needs work
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15051

How to get something notarized that doesn’t have a signature
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4695

Identification requirements for being notarized
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4299

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September 11, 2016

How do I get a foreign language document notarized?

Filed under: Technical & Legal — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 9:16 pm

How do I get an international document notarized?
How do I get a foreign language document notarized?

This is a tricky point in Notary law. The answer is that it depends on what state you are living in. California requires the Notary to be able to communicate directly with the signer which means you need to know the same language well enough to communicate. However, California doesn’t require the Notary to understand the document. Other states might require the Notary to understand the entire document.

The Main Function is to Identify the Signer
The main function of a Notary Public is not to understand the document, but make sure the intended signer is mentioned in the document and is the person actually signing the document. The Notary uses identification documents to identify the signer. Normally a drivers license or passport is used to identify the signer.

Find Out Your State’s Rules
Most states allow notarizing foreign language documents if the Notary doesn’t know the particular foreign language. To find out your state’s rules for whether or not the Notary has to understand the document, you can visit your state’s notary division’s website. Many state notary websites omit critical information about many Notary procedures. So, if your state doesn’t specifically say that you can’t notarize a foreign language document, then it is up to your interpretation. However, the certificate for the notarization (which could be a loose form stapled to the document) must be in English and using wording identical or similar in content to your state’s official notary wording.

Direct Communication with the Signer
Some states allow the use of interpreters during a notarization for the Notary to communicate with the signer. It is not safe to do this as the interpreter could make a mistake or deliberately mislead the signer which could lead to trouble down the road. Even if your state doesn’t require direct communication with the signer, I recommended just to be on the safe side.

You might also like:

Notarizing your foreign language document! (Ken’s guide)
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=2768

10 tight points on loose certificates
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15449

What is a Notary Public?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=6498

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August 30, 2016

Self Notarization Landmine

Filed under: Ken Edelstein — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:16 am

Self Notarization Landmine

I’m referring to the form where you are the only person signing. Ignoring the fact that the form asks you to notarize your own statement, what it says can haunt you later. Yes, I know; you feel the statements are the absolute truth. What harm can it do? It’s not a filed document, nobody will ever see it *except* when it’s not truthful. Then can land on you like a ton of lawsuits.

Typically it has a venue, a statement (more on that later), and a place for Notary Public signature, stamp and commission number / expiration date. Sure seems like a “notary” act. But, as I said; let’s just ignore the illegality and get to the possible later grief.

I, the above described Notary Public, hereby certify that I have checked the identification of those parties who have signed before me and I have attached copies of their driver’s license(s) or other picture identification. I have verified them to be the same parties as those described in the instructions acknowledged by me. Witness my hand and official seal ……………

Lawyers love ambiguous verbiage. Here the two key words are “checked” and “verified”. Really? Just how did you do that? Are you trained in spotting a forgery? I’m not referring to a mess made on a copier. The “bad ones” just Google “fake driver license from china” and order from the site that rhymes with snowflake. I looked at their site – it scared me. For about a hundred dollars one can get a VERY good fake driver license from any state. Perhaps a police officer with real time access to police information can determine the serial number is not appropriate for the issue date or the birthdate on the document. But can you? I certainly cannot.

Thus, how can I make a statement that I certify and verify the identities? I know that is what notaries do – “check ID” – but there is a limit to our ability to detect forgeries. Some states have a specific “proof” list – the only items that can be used by the notary. Here in NY, it’s a bit fuzzy, the law requires the notary view “adequate proof” – seemingly a lower standard than verified.

I have followed articles and reviews of the “snowflake” – they have the technology to fool anybody who does not have police type access to driver license databases. It would easily pass my visual inspection. There are forgery detection manuals that go over “hidden” aspects of the various state issued licenses. I’m sure “snowflake” has a copy!

So, there is a good chance that, over the years; I have notarized by accepting a forgery. To me it was “adequate proof”; to you it was on “the list”. So where are we now? Well, I feel I followed my states laws, and so did you. The real issue is making a statement often entitled “Positive Proof Identification and Notary Signature Affidavit” that goes beyond my state requirements.

Recall the Miranda warning “anything you say can a will be used against you in a court of law”. The same admonition must apply even more strongly to things that you sign and “notarize”. I just return these forms untouched, with the exception of attaching a business card.

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