Verifying every Signer's Identity Is Crucial in Notarizations!
Your Personal Identity Is Golden! How is it Proven to a Tennessee Notary? Click Each Category Below for Answers.
For an IN-PERSON notarization the following is considered the "satisfactory evidence" leading a reasonable person to believe that an individual is the person they claim to be:
T.C.A. §§ 66-22-106
‘Satisfactory evidence’ is defined as the absence of any information, evidence, or other
circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the person making the
acknowledgment is not the individual he or she claims to be, together with any one of the
following:
1. The oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally known to the officer that the
person making the acknowledgment is personally known to the witness.
2. Reasonable reliance on the presentation to the officer of any one of the following, if the
document is current and contains a photo and signature:
(A) An identification card or driver license issued by the Tennessee Department of
Safety; or
(B) A passport issued by the United States Department of State.
3. Reasonable reliance on the presentation of any one of the following, if the document is
current or has been issued within five years, contains a photograph and description of
the person named on it, is signed by the person, bears a serial or other identifying
number, and, in the event that the document is a passport, has been stamped by the
United States immigration and naturalization service:
(A) A passport issued by a foreign government;
(B) A driver’s license issued by a state other than Tennessee;
(C) An identification card issued by a state other than Tennessee; or
(D) An identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United
States.
In the case of an ONLINE notarization, for persons with solid U.S. ties, the standards for indentity proofing and credential analysis to satisfy the requirements are as follows:
1360-07-03-.05 STANDARDS FOR ONLINE NOTARIZATION.
(1) Identity proofing and credential analysis must be performed by a third party who has provided
evidence to the online notary public of the ability to satisfy the requirements of this chapter.
(2) Requirements for Credential Analysis.
A credential is a non-military identification card or other document issued by the United
States government, any state government, or a passport issued by a foreign government that
has been stamped by the United States immigration and naturalization service. In order to be valid, the credential must also be unexpired and contain the photograph and signature of the principal. Credential analysis is the process by which the validity of a non-military
government-issued identification credential is verified. Credential analysis is performed
utilizing public and proprietary data sources to verify the credential presented by the principal.
Credential analysis shall, at a minimum:
(a) Use automated processes to aid the online notary public in verifying the identity of a
principal;
(b) Ensure that the credential passes an authenticity test, consistent with sound
commercial practices that:
1. Use appropriate technologies to confirm the integrity of visual, physical or
cryptographic security features;
2. Use appropriate technologies to confirm that the credential is not fraudulent or
inappropriately modified;
3. Use reasonable efforts to utilize information held or published by the issuing
source or authoritative source(s), as made generally available for commercial
purposes, to confirm the validity of personal details and credential details; and,
4. Provide output of the authenticity test to the online notary public; and
(c) Enable the online notary public to visually compare the following for consistency: the
information and photo presented on the credential itself and the principal as viewed by
the online notary public in real time through audio-visual transmission.
(3) Requirements for Identity Proofing.
Identity proofing is the process by which the identity of an individual is affirmed by a third
party through review of public and proprietary data sources. Identity proofing is performed
through dynamic Knowledge Based Authentication (KBA) which meets the following
requirements:
(a) The principal must answer a quiz consisting of a minimum of five (5) questions related
to the principal’s personal history or identity, formulated from public and proprietary
data sources;
(b) Each question must have a minimum of five (5) possible answer choices;
(c) At least 80% of questions must be answered correctly;
(d) All questions must be answered within two (2) minutes;
(e) If the principal fails in his or her first attempt, the principal may retake the quiz one time
within 24 hours;
(f) During the second attempt, a minimum of 60% of the prior questions must be replaced;
and
ONLINE NOTARIES PUBLIC CHAPTER 1360-07-03
(Rule 1360-07-03-.05, continued)
January, 2020 (Revised) 8
(g) If the principal fails in his or her second attempt, the principal is not permitted to retry
with the same online notary public for a period of 24 hours.
(4) If the principal must exit the workflow, the principal must meet the criteria outlined in this
section and must restart the identity proofing and credential analysis from the beginning.
(5) An online notarization system used to perform online notarial acts by means of two-way
audio-video communication shall:
(a) Provide for continuous, synchronous audio-visual feeds;
(b) Provide sufficient video resolution and audio clarity to enable the online notary public
and the principal to see and speak with each other simultaneously through live, realtime transmission;
(c) Provide sufficient captured image resolution for credential analysis to be performed in
accordance with these rules;
(d) Include a means of authentication that reasonably ensures only authorized parties
have access to the audio-video communication;
(e) Provide some manner of ensuring that the electronic record presented for online
notarization is the same record electronically signed by the principal;
(f) Be capable of securely creating and storing or transmitting securely to be stored an
electronic recording of the audio-video communication, keeping confidential the
questions asked as part of any identity proofing quiz and the means and methods used
to generate the credential analysis output; and
(g) Provide reasonable security measures to prevent unauthorized access to:
1. The live transmission of the audio-video communication; 2. A recording of the audio-video communication; 3. The verification methods and credentials used to verify the identity of the principal; and 4. The electronic documents presented for online notarization.
In order for the Notary to indentify a FOREIGN PERSON for notarization within the U.S.A.:
Key Requirements for Foreign Persons presenting a Passport for self-identification in Tennessee (To identify a Mexican or Canadian person for notarization in Tennessee, a foreign passport or a Canadian/Mexican driver’s license are acceptable primary IDs).
Current & Valid: Must be an unexpired passport.
Physical Traits: Must have a photograph, physical description, and signature.
Identification Number: Must contain a serial or other identifying number.
USCIS Stamp (for in-person): Generally, a passport used in-person should be stamped by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) or USCIS.
Remote Online Notary (RON): For online notarizations, the foreign passport must meet these criteria and undergo credential analysis (like KBA) or biometric verification if the platform allows, and the State has Implemented Biometric Verification. KBA requires some previous Tie to the U.S., such as owning real estate, or dual Citizenship. Otherwise, Biometric Verification becomes Necessary.
Purpose Matters: Rules differ for using foreign documents as ID for notarization vs obtaining an apostille for international use. General acceptance hinges on the document’s purpose (notarizations vs apostille/authentication), destination country’s treaty status (Hague Convention), and whether the document is an ID or official record.
Notarization (ID): Follows general rules, often requiring foreign passports to have photo, description, signature, and serial number.
For official certifications like apostilles: If the document is in a foreign language, an English translation is often required, especially for official certifications like apostilles, with Tennessee requiring English translations for non-English apostille documents.
For more information visit the National Notary Association.
Acceptable IDs for FOREIGN EXPATRIATES in the U.S.A.:
Acceptable IDs for Expatriates in Tennessee (In-Person/Remote)
Foreign Passport: Must be current, have a photo, signature, physical description, and serial number; a U.S. Customs stamp is required in Tennessee. Tennessee law specifically permits foreign passports, but the notary must be satisfied with the ID’s authenticity and the signer’s identity. foreign IDs also are often printed in a foreign language. Unless the passport contains an English translation within it, Artsa’s notary cannot accept it, since the notary is unable to verify the particulars of the signer’s identity
U.S. Passport: A standard acceptable form of ID.
U.S. Driver’s License or State ID Card: Unexpired and issued by a U.S. state.
Canadian or Mexican Driver’s License: These are often accepted.
Armed Forces ID: An ID card from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
Permanent Resident Card (Green Card): Accepted. US INS LAW 16: All Foreign Nationals applying for US Residence must use the Legal INS Forms and must be NOTARIZED by a US Notary if required, and with their Country Passport as proof of their good intention to reside in the country USA.
To Learn About the Expanded “Travel Ban” into the U.S. that took Effect January 1, 2026, follow this link: Expanded “Travel Ban” to Take Effect January 1, 2026 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Acceptable IDs for Expatriates in Tennessee (In-Person/Remote)
Foreign Passport: Must be current, have a photo, signature, physical description, and serial number; a U.S. Customs stamp is required in Tennessee. Tennessee law specifically permits foreign passports, but the notary must be satisfied with the ID’s authenticity and the signer’s identity. foreign IDs also are often printed in a foreign language. Unless the passport contains an English translation within it, Artsa’s notary cannot accept it, since the notary is unable to verify the particulars of the signer’s identity
U.S. Passport: A standard acceptable form of ID.
U.S. Driver’s License or State ID Card: Unexpired and issued by a U.S. state.
Canadian or Mexican Driver’s License: These are often accepted.
Armed Forces ID: An ID card from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
Permanent Resident Card (Green Card): Accepted. US INS LAW 16: All Foreign Nationals applying for US Residence must use the Legal INS Forms and must be NOTARIZED by a US Notary if required, and with their Country Passport as proof of their good intention to reside in the country USA.
For Notarization If a U.S.A. Expat is Abroad Or Return-Travels to the U.S.A.:
To identify an expat for a Tennessee notarization, they typically need a U.S. Passport, a Green Card, or a foreign passport with a USCIS stamp, plus a second ID, or rely on a credible witness if in-person; for remote notarization (RON), they must meet specific digital verification standards like Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) and provide live ID verification, often requiring a current U.S. Driver’s License/Passport/State ID, or a compliant foreign ID.
For In-Person Notarization (If the Expat Travels to TN):
Primary ID: A current, valid U.S. Passport, U.S. Driver’s License, State-Issued ID, or a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) are ideal.
Foreign Passport: A foreign passport is acceptable in TN if it’s current, includes a photo, physical description, and signature, and ideally has a USCIS stamp.
Credible Witnesses: If the expat lacks proper ID, a credible witnesses, with Whom the Notary is also Acquainted with, who know them and has acceptable ID can swear to their identity for the notary.
For Remote Online Notarization (RON) (If the Expat Stays Abroad):
Remote Online Notary (RON): The expat must use a TN-commissioned RON, such as the Notary found here at ARTSA Notarial Services.
Identity Proofing: This involves:
Live Video: Appearing before the notary via video.
Digital ID Verification: Submitting images of their government-issued ID (U.S. Passport, Foreign Passport with stamp, Green Card, etc.).
Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA): Answering personal history questions only they should know.
Key Actions for the Expat:
Check with the Notary: Confirm exactly which IDs they accept for their specific situation (in-person vs. remote).
Use a U.S. Passport: The easiest and most universally accepted ID for an American abroad.
Get an Apostille (If Needed): If notarized abroad at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate, the document needs an Apostille or authentication for use in the U.S., or vice versa if notarized in TN for use abroad