5.2 Acceptable Identification Documents

The Four-Part ID Test

For a single document to count as satisfactory evidence under G.S. 10B-3, it must satisfy all four of these at once:

Miss any one element and the document fails — there is no "close enough." A library card with a photo fails (not government-issued). A Social Security card fails (no photo). An expired license fails (not current).

Documents That Qualify

Note that NC does not require a U.S. ID specifically — a U.S.-issued tribal or federal document qualifies even when the holder is a foreign national, provided the four elements are met.

Documents That Do NOT Qualify

How to Actually Inspect an ID

Don't just glance at the photo. Run this checklist physically:

1. Expiration date — is it still valid today?
2. Photo match — does the face in front of you match the photo?
3. Physical descriptors — does the listed height, eye color, and approximate age line up?
4. Tampering — peeling lamination, mismatched fonts, ghost images, re-glued photos?
5. Security features — holograms, UV/microprint, raised lettering, state seal?
6. Name match — does the printed name match the name on the document being signed?

Name Discrepancies — A Frequent Exam Item

If the ID says "Robert A. Smith" but the document says "Bob Smith" or "R. A. Smith," you have a discrepancy to resolve, not assume away.

• Best practice: the document should be corrected to the legal name on the ID, OR the principal presents ID matching the document name.
• A defensible middle path is the "as known as / also-known-as" rule: a notary may notarize if the ID name contains the document name or vice versa and the notary is satisfied it is the same person — but never silently assume a nickname equals the legal name on a deed or power of attorney.
• If the gap cannot be resolved, decline.

Worked example: A newly married signer's license still shows her maiden name; the deed shows her married name. The cleanest fix is to notarize under the name on her current ID and let the document preparer handle the name, or have her bring updated ID. Do not invent a name change you cannot see.

One Document Is Enough — But Know the Edge Cases

G.S. 10B-3 requires only one qualifying document, not two. A common exam distractor offers "two forms of ID" as if more is always better; the statute simply needs a single document meeting all four elements. That said, when a single document is borderline (for example a worn foreign passport), a prudent notary may ask for a second corroborating item or pivot to a credible witness rather than guess.

What to Do With a Damaged or Suspicious ID

You are never obligated to accept an ID you cannot trust. "Reasonable care" means erring toward declining, not toward accommodating.

Tying It Back to the Notarial Certificate

Whatever ID you accept, your completed certificate effectively asserts that the named person was identified and personally appeared. If the ID later proves fraudulent and you exercised reasonable care in good faith, your exposure is far lower than if you skipped inspection. This is why the inspection checklist above is not busywork — it is your defense.

Quick Reference: Accept vs. Reject

• Accept: current DMV license/ID, U.S. passport/passport card, military CAC, Green Card, EAD, qualifying tribal ID.
• Reject outright: anything expired, any non-government ID (school, work, club, credit), and any government document lacking a face photo (Social Security card, birth certificate, plain registration).

Exam anchors: four-part test (current + government + face photo + sig/description); one qualifying document is enough; expired, student, employer, credit, SSN-card, and birth certificates all fail; resolve name mismatches before notarizing.