Guide
Updated · 5 min read
A Florida notary can accept any current, unexpired government-issued photo ID: a Florida driver licence or state ID card, a US passport, a military ID, an out-of-state or Canadian driver licence, or a foreign passport. It must be the physical document — not a photocopy, not a photo on your phone, and not expired. If you have no ID at all, Florida permits identification by credible witness.
Florida Statutes §117.05 sets out what counts as satisfactory evidence of identity. The list is broader than people expect, and includes several documents issued outside the United States.
Nearly every failed notarisation we attend fails on identification, and almost always for one of the same four reasons.
This one catches people constantly, particularly after a marriage or divorce. The deed is in a maiden name; the licence is in a married name. The notary is being asked to certify that the person in front of them is the person named in the document.
A notary can generally proceed where the ID name is a reasonable variant — a middle initial rather than a full middle name, or a suffix omitted. Where the names are genuinely different, bring the bridging document: the marriage certificate, the divorce decree, the court order. Tell us in advance and we will tell you whether what you have is sufficient before we drive out.
If you have no acceptable identification at all, Florida provides a lawful route: a credible witness swears under oath to your identity.
The requirements are strict, because this is the route fraud would use if it were loose. The witness must personally know you. The witness must produce their own valid photo ID. The witness must have no financial interest in the document and must not be named in it. And the witness must take an oath — this is a sworn statement, not a favour.
No. Florida requires identification to be current. An expired licence is not acceptable identification regardless of how recently it lapsed or how clearly the photo matches. Bring a passport instead, or arrange a credible witness.
No. The notary must physically examine the identification document itself, checking security features that a photograph cannot show. This is one of the few points on which there is no flexibility at all.
Yes. Florida expressly permits a passport issued by a foreign government as satisfactory evidence of identity. A US visa is not required for the notary to accept it.
No. Florida does not require a thumbprint for a standard notarisation. Some notaries take one voluntarily for their journal as a fraud-prevention step, but you cannot be required to provide one.
Tell us what the document is and where you are. You will get a time and a total on the call — before we get in the car.
Mon–Sat 8am–8pm · Sun 9am–6pm · After-hours by appointment