NC Notary Signer Identification and Vetting 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A signer presents a valid foreign passport from a non-English-speaking country. The notary cannot read the text. What is the correct course of action?
- Refuse all foreign passports as a matter of policy
- Accept it if it contains a photo, signature, and physical description consistent with the signer (Correct answer)
- Require a certified translation of the passport before proceeding
- Accept it only if the consulate of that country is contacted first
Correct answer: Accept it if it contains a photo, signature, and physical description consistent with the signer
A foreign passport with a photo and identifying information can serve as satisfactory evidence; the notary verifies the photo and description match the signer, not the text's language.
Question 2: A credible witness is being used to identify a signer. Which of the following disqualifies someone from serving as a credible witness in North Carolina?
- The witness is over 70 years old
- The witness has a financial interest in the document being notarized (Correct answer)
- The witness lives in a different county than the signer
- The witness has known the signer for fewer than five years
Correct answer: The witness has a financial interest in the document being notarized
A credible witness with a financial interest in the transaction is disqualified because that interest undermines the reliability of the identification.
Question 3: What information should an NC notary record in the journal when a credible witness is used to identify a signer?
- Only the signer's name and the date
- The credible witness's name and the type of ID the witness presented to the notary (Correct answer)
- The signer's Social Security number for verification
- Nothing extra — journal entries are the same regardless of identification method
Correct answer: The credible witness's name and the type of ID the witness presented to the notary
The notary should record the credible witness's name and how the notary identified the witness, creating a complete audit trail of the identification chain.
Question 4: A signer presents a valid U.S. military dependent ID card. Should an NC notary accept this for identification?
- No, only IDs belonging to the signer personally are acceptable
- Yes, if it contains a photo and is issued by the U.S. Department of Defense (Correct answer)
- No, dependent IDs are not government-issued documents
- Yes, but only for signers on military installations
Correct answer: Yes, if it contains a photo and is issued by the U.S. Department of Defense
A U.S. military dependent ID issued by the DoD with a photo qualifies as a government-issued photo ID under NC notary requirements.
Question 5: Which scenario best illustrates a signer who is NOT willingly signing a document, a condition the notary must assess during vetting?
- The signer pauses to re-read each page before signing
- A third party answers questions directed at the signer and physically guides the signer's hand (Correct answer)
- The signer requests a brief break before completing the signing
- The signer signs with a mark instead of a full signature
Correct answer: A third party answers questions directed at the signer and physically guides the signer's hand
A third party controlling the interaction and physically directing the signer's hand is a strong indicator of duress or incompetency that the notary must not ignore.
Question 6: An NC notary is presented with a real ID-compliant state driver's license from another U.S. state. The signer now lives in NC but has not yet obtained an NC license. What should the notary do?
- Refuse it because only NC-issued IDs are valid in NC
- Accept it as satisfactory evidence since it is a valid government-issued photo ID from another state (Correct answer)
- Require the signer to provide an NC address confirmation in addition
- Contact the issuing state's DMV to verify the license before proceeding
Correct answer: Accept it as satisfactory evidence since it is a valid government-issued photo ID from another state
A valid, unexpired driver's license from any U.S. state qualifies as satisfactory evidence of identity; the notary's jurisdiction does not restrict IDs to NC-issued documents.
Question 7: A signer appears confused, cannot state the nature of the document, and asks the notary what they are signing. How should the notary respond?
- Explain the document and proceed with the notarization
- Refuse to notarize because the signer may lack the awareness to sign willingly and knowingly (Correct answer)
- Notarize with a note that the signer seemed confused
- Ask the person who brought the signer to explain the document, then proceed
Correct answer: Refuse to notarize because the signer may lack the awareness to sign willingly and knowingly
A notary must be satisfied that the signer is aware of what they are signing; visible confusion about the document's nature is grounds to decline the notarization.
NC Notary Signer Identification and Vetting 5
A signer presents a valid foreign passport from a non-English-speaking country.
The notary cannot read the text.
What is the correct course of action?