• California Driver License or ID Card
• A United States passport
• Driver license or ID card issued by another state
• Mexican or Canadian driver license issued by an authorized agency
• US Military identification card (must include signature)
• Foreign passport, if stamped by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• Green Card, Permanent residence/Alien Card (only for documents related to USCIS--e.g., Affidavit of Support)
• Federal, State or County employee ID card that contains photo, serial/employee number, issue or expiration date, signature

All of these ID cards must be either current or issued within the last 5 years. These are the only California-approved ID cards.

Should you be unable to provide one of these ID cards, you may be identified on the oath or affirmation of credible identifying witnesses who have their own approved ID card. Credible Identifying witnesses must have personal knowledge of your identity, believe it is not reasonable for you to obtain the approved ID, and be honest, aware, and impartial.

Sometimes the notarial wording is not found on the document you need notarized. When this happens, you should ask the creator of the document, or the receiving agency, what type of notarization they need. You may also seek advice from an attorney. You also have the option of choosing the act yourself. A notary may never advise/choose the notarial act. The following are the notarial acts that can be performed in California:

Acknowledgement:  The signer personally appears before the Notary, is identifed, and signs the document or acknowledged that he or she signed the document.

Proof of Execution by Subscribing witness:  An individual vouches before a Notary to having watched the signer of a document sign the document or take the signer's acknowledgement they signed and having been requested to sign the document themselves as a witness.

Jurat:  The signer personally appears before notary, is identified, signs in the presence of the notary and is administered an oath or affirmation declaring the truthfulness of the document.

Oath/Affirmation:  Spoken promises of truthfulness made in the presence of the Noatry.

Copy Certification:  Notary certifies a copy is an accurate reproduction of the original. (Powers of attorney only) For copy certification of other documents, a Copy Certification by Document Custodian may be executed. The signer certifies the copy is an accurate reproduction of the original by having the Notary administer an oath or affirmation to signer.

Protest:  Written statement by Notary verifying the payment such as promissory note or bank draft was not received.

I am not an attorney and therefore, by law, I cannot explain or interpret the contents of any document for you, instruct you on how to complete a document, or direct you on the advisability of signing a particular document. By doing so I would be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and could face legal penalties that include the possiblity of incarceration. Any important questions about your document should be addressed to the issuing/receiving agency or an attorney.