6.2 Acceptable Identification Documents
Key Takeaways
- Always-satisfactory IDs: passport, driver's license, or government-issued non-driver ID, current or expired not more than one year
- Foreign passports and foreign driver's licenses qualify under the same one-year expiration rule
- A qualifying ID must bear both a signature and a photograph of the signer for RON; in-person practice centers on the same core documents
- Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1076 makes Colorado mobile/digital IDs (MyColorado Digital ID) acceptable evidence of identity
- Non-government credentials such as employee badges, student IDs, and credit cards are never satisfactory evidence
Documents That Are Always Satisfactory
RULONA, C.R.S. 24-21-507(2)(a), names a short list of credentials that are automatically satisfactory evidence of identity. The notary does not need to exercise any further judgment about the document type once one of these is presented and inspected.
| Document | Domestic or foreign | Expiration rule |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | U.S. or foreign | Current or expired not more than 1 year |
| Driver's license | U.S. or foreign | Current or expired not more than 1 year |
| Government-issued non-driver ID card | U.S. (federal, state, tribal) | Current or expired not more than 1 year |
The one-year expiration window is the single most tested numeric fact in this section. An ID expired by 8 months is acceptable; an ID expired by 13 months is not. There is no rule allowing three years — that is a common distractor borrowed from other states' laws.
The Expiration Window — Worked Examples
| Scenario | Acceptable? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado driver's license, expires next year | Yes | Current |
| U.S. passport expired 6 months ago | Yes | Within the 1-year window |
| State ID expired exactly 1 year ago today | Borderline — treat "more than 1 year" as the cutoff; if past one year, refuse | Statute says "not more than one year" |
| Foreign driver's license expired 18 months ago | No | Beyond the 1-year window |
| Expired ID, but signer brings a current one too | Yes | Use the current credential |
Required Elements on the Credential
A qualifying document must allow the notary to match it to the person. For remote online notarization (RON), Colorado rules require the government-issued ID to contain both the signature and the photograph of the signer. In ordinary in-person practice the notary focuses on the same staple credentials and confirms the photograph matches the live person.
What the notary inspects
- Photograph matches the live signer's face.
- Name matches (or reconciles with) the name signed on the document.
- Expiration date falls within the one-year window.
- Security features (holograms, microprint, raised text) appear genuine and untampered.
Other Government-Issued IDs
Beyond the always-satisfactory list, other genuine government-issued credentials may serve as identification when they are issued by a federal, state, local, or tribal authority and meet the photo/signature and currency expectations. Common examples:
| ID type | Notes |
|---|---|
| U.S. military / Common Access Card | Federal government-issued |
| U.S. passport card | Wallet-size federal credential, treated like the passport book |
| Tribal enrollment ID | Government-issued if from a recognized tribe |
| Permanent Resident Card (green card) | Federal immigration credential |
Credentials That Never Qualify
| Credential | Reason it fails |
|---|---|
| Employee badge | Not government-issued |
| Student ID | Issued by a school, not a government |
| Credit / debit card | Private financial instrument |
| Social Security card | No photograph and no security baseline |
| Library card | Local quasi-government but lacks photo/identity baseline |
New for 2026: Colorado Digital ID (HB 25-1076)
Colorado House Bill 25-1076, signed by Governor Polis on March 14, 2025, modernized acceptable identification. Effective January 1, 2026, a state-issued mobile/digital identification document — such as the Colorado Digital ID delivered through the MyColorado app — is recognized in statute as valid evidence of identity.
| Before Jan 1, 2026 | On/after Jan 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Physical credential required | Physical OR state-issued digital/mobile ID accepted |
| Mobile driver's license not recognized | Mobile driver's license / Digital ID carries equal weight |
A notary should still verify the digital credential displays a current (or within-window) status, a photograph, and matches the signer — the medium changed, the verification standard did not.
Handling Name Discrepancies
The name signed on the document does not always match the ID exactly. RULONA does not require an identical match, but the notary must be reasonably satisfied the signer is the person named.
| Discrepancy | Typical handling |
|---|---|
| ID says "Robert", document signed "Bob" | Generally acceptable — common nickname |
| ID shows maiden name, document uses married name | Acceptable if the notary is satisfied of identity; some signers attach a marriage record |
| ID shows a full middle name, document uses an initial | Acceptable — a subset of the same name |
| ID name and document name are entirely different people | Not acceptable — refuse |
The notary identifies the person, not the signature style. The signer may sign in whatever form the document requires (for example, exactly as a deed is captioned), as long as the notary is confident the human being is the one the ID identifies.
Inspecting for Fraud
Because the always-satisfactory list is short and familiar, fraudsters tend to alter genuine credentials rather than invent new ones. Practical inspection habits:
- Tilt the card to confirm holograms and color-shifting ink behave as expected.
- Run a fingertip over raised printing such as the date of birth on many licenses.
- Check the photo edges for signs of relamination or a swapped image.
- Compare fonts and spacing across all data fields; mismatches signal tampering.
- Confirm the physical age of the cardholder roughly matches the date of birth shown.
If a credential fails any of these checks, the notary should decline rather than accept a possibly forged document.
Foreign Documents in Practice
Foreign passports and foreign driver's licenses are explicitly on the always-satisfactory list. The notary is not expected to be an expert in every country's security features, but the same one-year currency rule and photo-match requirement apply. When a credential is in a language the notary cannot read, the notary must still be able to locate the photograph and expiration date; if those cannot be reliably read, consider a credible witness or decline.
A signer presents a U.S. passport that expired 8 months ago. Under Colorado RULONA, may the notary accept it?
When did Colorado begin recognizing state-issued mobile/digital IDs (such as the MyColorado Digital ID) as satisfactory evidence of identity?