In California, all forms of identification must be original, current or issued within the last 5 years. Identification must contain a photo, signature, physical description, and identifying number. The following forms of identification are acceptable:
• California Driver’s License
• Other State U.S. Driver’s License
• U.S. Military ID Card
• California Identification Card
• Other State Identification Card
• U.S. Passport
• Foreign Passports Stamped by U.S. Customs
• Canadian or Mexican Driver’s License
• Inmate ID card
What if you don’t have proper identification?
The identity of the signer can be established by the oaths of two credible witnesses. The witnesses must swear to the signer’s identity. They must have proper ID, be age 18 or older and know the signer by the name on the document. They must not be named in the document, nor have a financial interest in the transaction described in the document.
The notary public must establish the identities of the two credible witnesses by the presentation of proper identification documents as listed above. The credible witnesses must sign the notary public’s journal and the notary public must record the type of identification and all necessary information contained in the documents used by the witnesses to establish their identities.