What is a credible identifying witness notary?
Asked by: Maverick Corkery | Last update: January 14, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (28 votes)
A credible witness is an individual who personally knows the signer and can vouch for the signer's identity to the Notary. If you use credible witnesses to identify a signer, what information do you need to write down about the witnesses in your journal?
Who is considered a credible witness?
A credible witness is a witness who comes across as competent and worthy of belief. Their testimony is assumed to be more than likely true due to their experience, knowledge, training, and sense of honesty.
Does a notary have to personally know the credible witness?
California is the only state that doesn't allow notaries to rely solely on personal knowledge to complete a credible witness signing.
What is credible identification?
A credible identifying witness is an individual who knows and can verify the identity of a signer. The witness appears at the time of the notarization and takes an oath or affirmation before the Notary that the signer is who they claim to be but lacks other forms of ID.
When using a credible witness for identity verification, what should the notary include in the notary journal?
If identity was established based on the oath of a credible witness personally known to the notary public, then the journal must contain the signature of the credible witness or the type of identifying document used to establish the witness' identity, the governmental agency issuing the document, the serial or ...
Using a Credible Witness to Identify a Signer
What is a credible witness in a notary?
California requirements for credible identifying witnesses
A credible witness must know the signer well enough to swear or affirm five facts to the Notary: The signer is named in the document. The credible witness personally knows the signer. The signer doesn't possess a qualifying identification document.
Which of the following are essential requirements for a person to be a credible witness?
Which of the following are essential requirements for a person to be a credible witness? Consciousness, attentiveness, age (over 5 years), no felony convictions.
Can a credible witness be a relative?
Family Member Credible Identifying Witnesses: A family relationship between the credible witness and the signatory does not automatically disqualify the witness, as the key is impartiality.
What qualifies as a credible source?
A credible source is one that is written by someone who is an expert in their discipline and is free of errors and bias.
Does a notary have to administer an oath affirmation for the credible witness?
However, when using a credible witness to verify the identity of a signer, a notary public must first administer an oath or affirmation to the credible witness (who will attest that the signer has the identity claimed) to compel truthfulness under the penalty of perjury.
What happens if a witness is not credible?
If the judge believes the witnesses, the judge will rule favorably for the convincing witnesses. If the witnesses appear to be uninformed or dishonest, the judge will likely rule the other way. And if a jury finds a witness to lack credibility, that witness hurts their own side.
Is a witness as good as a notary?
A notary public attests to a document's authenticity by verifying the signatures and identities of people signing legal documents. A witness is a neutral third party who watches you sign a document and then signs it too, confirming your identity and verifying that no forgery occurred.
Does a notary have to read what they are notarizing?
No, it is not illegal; however, the Notary should not read the documents they notarize because it is unnecessary and could possibly be a violation of the signer's privacy. You may scan over the document to obtain the information you need for your journal entry of the notarization. Confronted with a tricky notarization?
How to determine witness credibility?
Some of the factors that you may wish to consider in evaluating the testimony of a witness are as follows: Did the witness have an opportunity to see or hear the events about which he or she testified? Did the witness have the ability to recall those events accurately?
Is a friend a credible witness?
The simple answer is yes. A lot of non-lawyers will assume that because a witness has close ties to someone, they must be too biased to testify. This is not true at all.
Which of the following methods are acceptable for identifying a signer?
- Identification Cards.
- Personal Knowledge.
- Credible Identifying Witnesses.
What are 4 things to look for to verify a source is credible?
- An author who is an expert or a well-respected publisher (such as the NY Times or Wall Street Journal).
- Citations for sources used.
- Up-to-date information for your topic.
- Unbiased analysis of the topic (i.e. author examines more than one perspective on the issue).
What would not be considered a credible source?
Blogs, facebook posts, or other self-authored sites. Research articles without citations. Materials published over 15 years ago or have theories that are out of date. Individual or business websites.
What are the 3 types of credible sources?
Sources of information or evidence are often categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary material.
Who can be a witness for a notary?
Neighbors or co-workers make good witnesses and strangers will suffice. Witnesses should not have any type of beneficial or vested interest in the transaction. In other words, the witness(es) must not be able to enjoy any present or future benefit or financial gain arising from the transaction.
Can a witness signature be anyone?
To be a valid witness, a person must be at least 18 years old, be of sound mind, be a neutral third-party (not a beneficiary, agent, or a spouse of the beneficiary or agent), have a valid ID and provide contact information, and potentially pass a background check (depending on the state).
What happens if a notary does not witness signature?
In fact, most state notary laws prohibit a notary from notarizing a signature if the signer is not present. Violating the personal presence requirement may result in monetary loss for the client and lead to a lawsuit against the notary or a claim against the notary's bond.
What is a credible witness for a notary?
In California, Notaries are allowed to use credible identifying witnesses to identify the signer of a document under certain situations. A credible witness is an individual who personally knows the signer and can vouch for the signer's identity to the Notary.
What makes someone not a credible witness?
Several factors determine what makes a witness not credible, including their reputation, casting doubt on the reliability of the witness's testimony. One key aspect is the witness's conduct during questioning, especially under cross-examination, where inconsistencies or evasiveness may undermine their credibility.
Who is a credible identifying witness?
A Credible Identifying Witness (aka Credible Witness) is a method of Identity Verification whereby a witness validates another person's identity. A credible witness is used when the signer does not have a U.S. Social Security number and, therefore, cannot generate Knowledge-based Authentication (KBA) questions.