Proper Identification and Procedures Flashcards

A signer presents a U.S. military ID card. Under New Mexico law, this is:

Answer: Acceptable, because it is a government-issued identification with identifying features

A United States military identification card is government-issued and qualifies as satisfactory evidence of identity.

An employer directs a notary employee to notarize documents for absent coworkers to save time. The notary should:

Answer: Refuse, because personal appearance rules apply regardless of employer instructions

A notary's legal duties, including personal appearance, cannot be waived by an employer's instructions, and the notary is personally liable for violations.

A signer hands the notary an obviously altered driver's license with peeling lamination over the photo. The notary should:

Answer: Refuse the ID and request other satisfactory evidence of identity

Identification must be reasonably reliable, so a notary should reject an ID showing signs of tampering and seek another means of identification.

For a remote online notarization in New Mexico, how may a notary identify a signer who is not personally known?

Answer: Through identity proofing and credential analysis using approved technology, or oath of a credible witness

Remote notarization requires at least two forms of identity verification, such as credential analysis plus identity proofing, or a credible witness's verification.

A minor's school ID is offered as identification for the minor's parent, who claims the family resemblance proves identity. The notary should:

Answer: Reject it, because the ID must identify the actual signer and be government-issued

Identification must be a government-issued document identifying the signer personally, so another person's school ID proves nothing about the parent.

Halfway through a signing, the notary realizes the signer is her business partner in the transaction being notarized. What is the proper procedure?

Answer: Stop and decline, because a notary may not notarize a transaction in which she has a disqualifying interest

A notary is disqualified from performing a notarial act with respect to a record in which the notary or the notary's spouse has a direct beneficial interest.

A signer speaks only Spanish, and the notary speaks only English; a friend offers to translate. The best course is to:

Answer: Decline unless the notary can communicate directly with the signer, since reliance on an intermediary risks fraud

The notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer to confirm identity, willingness, and awareness, and should refer the signer to a notary who speaks their language.