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Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(A) A notary public has personal knowledge of the identity of the person appearing before the notary public if the person is personally known to the notary public through dealings sufficient to provide reasonable certainty that the person has the identity claimed.
(B) A notary public has satisfactory evidence of the identity of the person appearing before the notary public if the notary public can identify the person by either of the following means:
(1) An inspection of a passport, driver's license, government-issued nondriver identification card, or other form of government-issued identification with the signature or photograph of the individual, which is current or expired not more than three years before performance of the notarial act, and is satisfactory to the notary public;
(2) By verification on oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally appearing before the notary public and personally known to the notary public or whom the notary public can identify on the basis of a passport, driver's license, or other government-issued nondriver identification card, which is current or expired not more than three years before performance of the notarial act. A witness is not credible if the witness has a conflict of interest regarding the transaction.
(C) A notary public may require a person to provide additional information or identification credentials necessary to assure the notary public of the identity of the person.
(D) As used in this section, “conflict of interest” means either of the following:
(1) The person has a direct financial or other interest in the transaction in question.
(2) The person is named, individually or as a grantor, grantee, mortgagor, mortgagee, trustor, trustee, beneficiary, vendor, lessor, or lessee, or as a party in some other capacity to the transaction.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Ohio Revised Code Title I. State Government § 147.50 - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/oh/title-i-state-government/oh-rev-code-sect-147-50/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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