State Notary Agent®
The Florida Notary Public Directory
Florida law at §117.05(5) sets out how a notary establishes a signer's identity. In practice a notary will ask for a current, government-issued photo identification — a driver licence, state ID card, passport, or military ID.
The document must be current and must bear a photograph and signature. Expired identification is generally not acceptable.
A notary may also rely on personal knowledge of the signer — meaning the notary actually knows the person, not that they met them in the lobby ten minutes ago. This is a real legal standard, not a courtesy.
If you have no acceptable identification, Florida permits identification through credible witnesses. A credible witness personally knows you, swears to your identity, and must themselves be identified by the notary.
The witness cannot have a financial interest in the document and cannot be named in it. Requirements are specific, so tell the notary in advance if you will need this route — it changes who needs to be in the room.
A current government-issued photo identification such as a driver licence, state ID card, passport, or military ID. It must bear a photograph and signature and must not be expired.
Possibly. Florida permits identification through credible witnesses who personally know you, swear to your identity, and are themselves identified by the notary. A notary may also rely on personal knowledge if they genuinely know you.
Generally no. Identification is normally required to be current.
A credible witness must personally know the signer, must not have a financial interest in the document, and must not be named in it. Whether a particular relative qualifies depends on those conditions.
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