DMV Expiration Dates and Notarial Requirements
One of the most challenging parts of 2020 as a notary was navigating the legal requirements around the identification of the customers that are signing important documents that need to be notarized. With the pandemic closing many DMV offices or at the very least severely limiting the ability to make an appointment, many of our customers were having a hard time getting their licenses renewed. This was especially problematic to our senior citizen population that wanted to make sure to stay safe at home from being out in public and potentially exposed to COVID-19.
There’s good news as we start 2021 in that as of March 1st, most drivers 69 or less can apply and get a renewal to their license online. This is great news for many and from what I’m seeing, it will be important to stay on top of this and apply for renewal early so that there is no lapse in your license.
Even better, if you are over 70 -- the DMV is allowing you to renew up to one year after your expiration date if it occurred by the end of December 2020. If you are over 70, you can renew online during this time period or by mail.
We were happy to hear this as it helps us make sure we can notarize our clients’ documents without worrying about them having to find an unexpired passport, veteran’s card, or other forms of ID which aren’t always readily available or current.
Here’s a sample Real ID which many Californians now either have or will be getting soon. It’s identified by the bear with a star in the far right corner. To find your expiration date, simply look immediately above your last name on the card. If you are under 70, this date needs to be current for a notary to be able to stamp your documents.
If your expiration date was fairly recent, we can also notarize you if today is within 5 years of the issue date of the license. You can see the issue date on the button right corner where it says “ISS”. So, if today is March 5, 2021 and your issue date is September 10, 2017 but your card is for some reason expired -- we can still use the ID for identification purposes because it is within 5 years of the issue date. This usually isn’t the case but there are times where this works in your favor!
Even with all of the above information, there are times when you don’t have a current ID and need to have something notarized, we can use a system called credible witnesses to verify your identity. That will be the subject of another post and video soon!
If you need a notary in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito or Carpinteria, make sure to give us a call at 805-335-8360. If you are scheduling in advance, you can use our handy contact form on our site.
