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Notary name discrepancy: What if my name on documents doesn’t match the name on my ID?

Notary name discrepancy: What if my name on documents doesn’t match the name on my ID?

Notarizing with name discrepancies

Los Angeles Notary Now often faces a dilemma where we arrive to an appointment ready to identify, witness, and notarize a document only to sit down and start to view the ID and realize that the name on the identification card is not the name on the document that is requiring notarization. This can happen for many reasons, such as marriage, divorce, legal name change, nickname usage, middle names, names too long to fit on a drivers license, etc. The name on the document and the identification must match. For example, if on the drivers license it says “John Jones Smith.” He can be notarized on the document as “John Smith” “John J. Smith” “John Jones Smith”. He cannot be notarization as “John A. Smith” Or “John Smith-Jones” Or “Johnny Smith”. You cannot be notarized using a nickname. So if you opened an account using a nickname such as “Johnny” instead of your legal name “John”, you will encounter issues if you need something notarized for that account.

If the document is self prepared, or where you just write in your name, ensure that you use your legal name as it appears on your identification you are presenting if you want your document to be able to be notarized.
If you were directed by someone else to have the document notarized and your name is not correct, contact the person who issued you the document such as the bank, escrow, court, etc and explain to them that the name they listed is not your legal name and cannot be notarized.
If you have any questions about how to proceed legally, request the assistance of a lawyer to assist you in correcting the documents or how to be able to get them notarized using your proper name.

When you are ready to have your document notarized and your identification matches your name on the document, call Los Angeles Mobile Notary Now and we would be more than happy to assist.