NV Notary - Nevada Notary Proper Signer Identification Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A signer appears before a Nevada notary but does not have an acceptable form of identification. The signer's friend is present and is willing to vouch for the signer's identity. According to Nevada law, what condition must be met for this friend to serve as a credible witness?
- The friend must be a family member of the signer.
- The friend must present two forms of government-issued identification.
- The friend must be personally known by both the notary and the signer. (Correct answer)
- The friend must sign an affidavit stating they have known the signer for at least five years.
Correct answer: The friend must be personally known by both the notary and the signer.
Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 240.0025 defines a 'credible witness' as someone who swears or affirms the signer's identity and is known personally to both the signer and the notarial officer. This ensures a strong chain of personal knowledge to verify the signer's identity.
Question 2: Which of the following is an acceptable form of identification for a notarial act in Nevada?
- A student ID card from a private university.
- A credit card with a photograph.
- A valid U.S. Passport. (Correct answer)
- A birth certificate.
Correct answer: A valid U.S. Passport.
Nevada law requires satisfactory evidence of identity, which typically includes an unexpired, government-issued identification document containing a photograph and signature of the signer. A U.S. Passport meets these requirements. Other options like student IDs, photo credit cards, and birth certificates are generally not considered primary, acceptable forms of ID because they may lack a signature, a photo, or are not government-issued for identification purposes.
Question 3: A Nevada notary is asked to notarize a document for an individual who is 70 years old and does not possess a current, government-issued photo ID. Under which specific circumstance may the notary proceed?
- The notary can accept an expired driver's license if the photo still resembles the signer.
- The notary can accept an identification card issued by a governmental agency or a senior citizen center. (Correct answer)
- The notary can proceed if the signer can answer personal questions based on a public records search.
- The notary can waive the ID requirement due to the signer's age.
Correct answer: The notary can accept an identification card issued by a governmental agency or a senior citizen center.
Nevada law provides an exception for persons 65 years of age or older who cannot satisfy the standard identification requirements. In such cases, a notary may accept an identification card issued by a governmental agency or a senior citizen center. While notaries have some discretion on expired IDs, this specific exception is codified in law.
Question 4: When identifying a signer, a Nevada notary must determine identity through satisfactory evidence. Which of the following is NOT considered a form of satisfactory evidence in Nevada?
- Personal knowledge of the signer.
- An unexpired driver's license issued by a U.S. state.
- The oath of a single credible witness.
- Verification of identity over the phone by a trusted third party. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Verification of identity over the phone by a trusted third party.
Satisfactory evidence of a signer's identity in Nevada includes personal knowledge, an acceptable identification document, or the oath of a credible witness who personally appears before the notary. Verifying identity via a phone call with a third party does not meet the legal requirements for personal appearance and positive identification.
Question 5: A person presents a valid, unexpired foreign passport as identification to a Nevada notary. The name on the passport matches the name on the document to be notarized. What should the notary do?
- Refuse the notarization because the ID is not issued by a U.S. government agency.
- Accept the passport as a valid form of identification. (Correct answer)
- Require a second form of identification to accompany the foreign passport.
- Proceed only if the passport is from an English-speaking country.
Correct answer: Accept the passport as a valid form of identification.
A valid foreign passport is an acceptable form of identification for notarization in Nevada and many other states. It is a government-issued document that contains a photograph and a signature, meeting the primary requirements for identifying a signer.
Question 6: During a Remote Online Notarization (RON) in Nevada, the notary must identify the signer. Which identification method is a key component of the technology-based identity verification process for RON?
- The signer faxing a copy of their driver's license to the notary.
- The signer verbally stating their Social Security Number.
- Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) questions and credential analysis. (Correct answer)
- A sworn statement of identity emailed by the signer before the session.
Correct answer: Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) questions and credential analysis.
For Remote Online Notarizations, Nevada statutes and regulations require a multi-layered identity verification process. This includes analyzing the signer's government-issued ID (credential analysis) and having the signer answer dynamic Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) questions generated from public and private records. This robust process ensures the remote signer is who they claim to be.
A signer appears before a Nevada notary but does not have an acceptable form of identification.
The signer's friend is present and is willing to vouch for the signer's identity.
According to Nevada law, what condition must be met for this friend to serve as a credible witness?