RI Notary Signer Identity Verification 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A credible witness in Rhode Island must verify the signer's identity in what manner?
- Under oath or affirmation administered by the notary (Correct answer)
- In a written letter mailed in advance
- By showing a photograph of the signer
- By co-signing the notarized document
Correct answer: Under oath or affirmation administered by the notary
The credible witness's verification is made on oath or affirmation before the notary, making a false statement perjury.
Question 2: A signer presents a driver's license whose photo looks noticeably different from the person standing before the notary. The best first step is to:
- Compare the physical description and, if still unsatisfied, request additional identification (Correct answer)
- Refuse immediately and report the signer to police
- Accept the ID since licenses are government-issued
- Ask the signer to sign twice to compare signatures
Correct answer: Compare the physical description and, if still unsatisfied, request additional identification
The notary should compare all elements of the credential and may require additional identification before deciding to proceed or refuse.
Question 3: Which combination of elements makes an identification credential most reliable for notarial purposes?
- Photograph, signature, physical description, and issuance by a government agency (Correct answer)
- Photograph and the signer's home address only
- Signature and an employer's logo
- Physical description and a witness's business card
Correct answer: Photograph, signature, physical description, and issuance by a government agency
A reliable credential is government-issued and contains a photograph, signature, and physical description that the notary can compare to the bearer.
Question 4: The name on the document reads 'Margaret A. Sullivan' but the signer's license reads 'Peggy Sullivan.' What is the notary's proper concern?
- Whether the notary can be satisfied the ID identifies the person named in the document (Correct answer)
- Whether the document uses proper grammar
- Nothing; nicknames are always acceptable automatically
- Whether the license was issued in Rhode Island
Correct answer: Whether the notary can be satisfied the ID identifies the person named in the document
The notary must be satisfied that the credential establishes the signer is the individual named in the record, and a name mismatch may require additional evidence.
Question 5: A foreign national who is not a U.S. resident asks for a notarization in Providence. Which credential is most clearly acceptable?
- An unexpired foreign passport (Correct answer)
- A foreign library membership card
- A handwritten letter from his embassy
- An international phone bill in his name
Correct answer: An unexpired foreign passport
A passport is an accepted government-issued identity credential under Rhode Island's satisfactory-evidence standards.
Question 6: May a Rhode Island notary rely on another person's casual statement, without an oath, that the signer 'is who he says he is'?
- No; a witness's verification counts only when made under oath or affirmation with the witness properly identified (Correct answer)
- Yes, if the person seems trustworthy
- Yes, if the person is a lawyer
- Yes, if the signer also shows a business card
Correct answer: No; a witness's verification counts only when made under oath or affirmation with the witness properly identified
Only a sworn credible witness, personally known or properly identified, can substitute for the signer's own identification documents.
Question 7: What is the primary legal purpose of requiring satisfactory evidence of identity before notarizing?
- To deter fraud and impersonation in signed records (Correct answer)
- To collect demographic data for the state
- To speed up document recording
- To confirm the signer can read English
Correct answer: To deter fraud and impersonation in signed records
Identity verification exists to prevent impostors from executing documents in another person's name.
RI Notary Signer Identity Verification 3
A credible witness in Rhode Island must verify the signer's identity in what manner?