PRINTER'S NO. 4299
No. 2811 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY BISHOP, CALTAGIRONE, McGEEHAN, DENLINGER,
CREIGHTON, HENNESSEY, PARKER, SIPTROTH, YOUNGBLOOD AND
THOMAS, JUNE 20, 2006
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 20, 2006
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of August 21, 1953 (P.L.1323, No.373), entitled
2 "An act concerning notaries public; and amending, revising,
3 consolidating and changing the law relating thereto," further
4 providing for identification of persons appearing.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 12.1 of the act of August 21, 1953
8 (P.L.1323, No.373), known as The Notary Public Law, added
9 December 9, 2002 (P.L.1269, No.151), is amended to read:
10 Section 12.1. Determining Identity of Person Appearing.--(a)
11 The officer notarizing the instrument shall know through
12 personal knowledge or have satisfactory evidence that the person
13 appearing before the notary is the person described in and who
14 is executing the instrument. For the purposes of this act and
15 section 5 of the act of July 24, 1941 (P.L.490, No.188), known
16 as the "Uniform Acknowledgment Act," "personal knowledge" means
17 having an acquaintance, derived from association with the
18 individual in relation to other people and based upon a chain of
1 circumstances surrounding the individual, which establishes the
2 individual's identity, and "satisfactory evidence" means the
3 reliance on the presentation of a current, government-issued
4 identification card bearing a photograph, signature or physical
5 description and serial or identification number, or the oath or
6 affirmation of a credible witness who is personally known to the
7 notary and who personally knows the individual.
8 (b) In certifying a copy of a document or other item, a
9 notary public shall determine that the proffered copy is a full,
10 true and accurate transcription or reproduction of that which
11 was copied and, in the case of a deed, shall attach to the
12 certification a copy of a government-issued identification card
13 bearing a photograph of the person appearing before the notary.
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
D3L57VDL/20060H2811B4299 - 2 -