Signer Identification Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real MS NOTARY practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Signer Identification Methods flashcards as text
Which pair of documents would BOTH be acceptable identity documents for a Mississippi notary?
Answer: An unexpired U.S. passport and a current out-of-state driver's license
Passports and driver's licenses issued by a government are acceptable, while documents lacking a photo or signature tie generally are not.
Why are a birth certificate and Social Security card generally insufficient on their own to identify a signer?
Answer: Neither contains a photograph or physical description linking the bearer to the identity
These documents prove that an identity exists but cannot visually connect the person presenting them to that identity.
A hospital patient needs a power of attorney notarized but has no ID available. Which Mississippi-compliant solution works?
Answer: A credible witness known to the notary identifies the patient under oath
When documents are unavailable, a credible witness who is verifiable and knows the signer may establish identity under oath.
What should a Mississippi notary record in a journal or notes regarding identification, as a best practice?
Answer: The method of identification and the type of ID presented
Best practice is noting how identity was established, such as the document type, without storing unnecessary sensitive data.
An employer asks a notary employee to notarize a coworker's signature on a form the coworker already signed and left behind, using the coworker's ID badge on file. The notary should:
Answer: Refuse, because the signer must personally appear before the notary for identification
Identification can only occur when the signer personally appears before the notary at the time of the notarial act.
A signer presents a temporary paper driver's license without a photo. What is the notary's soundest approach?
Answer: Treat it as insufficient alone and require additional acceptable identification
A document lacking a photograph or signature does not meet the satisfactory-evidence standard by itself, so more is needed.
Which scenario best illustrates proper use of the credible witness method in Mississippi?
Answer: The notary's longtime colleague swears under oath that she personally knows the signer, her cousin, who lost his wallet
A witness personally known to the notary, who also personally knows the signer, may verify identity under oath.