# What Is Competent Evidence of Identity? Philippine Notarial Requirements **Competent evidence of identity** is the term used in the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice for the documentary or testimonial proof a notary public must use to verify the identity of a signer before performing a notarial act. Without competent evidence of identity, a notarial act is irregular and exposes both the notary and the parties to serious risk. ## What Counts as Competent Evidence of Identity Under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice (A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC), competent evidence of identity is either: ### 1. A Current Government-Issued Photo ID A current and unexpired government-issued identification document bearing the photograph and signature of the individual. Commonly accepted Philippine IDs include: - Philippine passport - Driver's license (LTO) - PhilID (Philippine national ID) - Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) - Postal ID (with photo and signature) - PRC ID - Voter's ID with signature - Senior Citizen ID - Government office IDs (with photo and signature) - IBP ID (for lawyers) The notary inspects the ID, records the type, number, place and date of issuance, and includes those details in the notarial certificate. ### 2. The Oath or Affirmation of a Credible Witness A credible witness who is personally known to the notary, who personally knows the principal, and who is not a party to the document being notarized. This is rarely used in commercial practice but remains a valid fallback when the principal lacks a current government photo ID. ## What Does Not Count The following are **not** competent evidence of identity: - Expired government IDs - Photocopies of IDs (the original must be presented) - Cedula / community tax certificate (no photo, no signature) - Company IDs (unless from a government employer) - School IDs (with limited exceptions) - A signer's mere statement of who they are - Identification by a relative or party in interest A notary who relies on insufficient identification may face administrative sanctions and the document may be successfully challenged later. ## Why It Matters Competent evidence of identity is the single most important fraud safeguard in traditional notarization. Many of the most damaging notarial frauds in Philippine practice -- forged [SPAs](/glossary/special-power-of-attorney/), fake [deeds of sale](/glossary/deed-of-sale/), false [affidavits](/glossary/affidavit/) -- trace back to a notary who did not properly verify identity. For background, see [SC rulings on fraudulent notarial seals](/sc-rulings-on-fraudulent-notarial-seals-and-signatures-shows-why-e-notarization-is-the-future/) and [avoiding notary scams](/avoiding-notary-scams-guide-to-safe-document-signing-philippines/). ## Identity Verification Under E-Notarization [A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC](/glossary/am-no-24-10-14-sc/) and the implementing rules require [electronic notaries public](/glossary/electronic-notary-public/) to verify identity through **multi-factor authentication** that goes beyond the 2004 Rules' one-document standard. Typical layers include: 1. **Government-issued photo ID** -- captured and stored as part of the [audit trail](/glossary/document-audit-trail/) 2. **Facial recognition / liveness check** -- matching the live person to the ID photo 3. **One-time password (OTP)** -- sent to the principal's registered contact 4. **Knowledge-based authentication (KBA)** in some flows 5. **Recorded video session** -- for [REN](/glossary/remote-electronic-notarization/), the entire session is recorded This is materially stronger than the visual ID inspection used in traditional notarization, which is one of the reasons [e-notarization](/glossary/e-notarization/) is considered more fraud-resistant than wet-ink notarization. ## What to Bring to a Notarization Session Whether traditional or electronic, a signer should bring: - At least one **current** government-issued photo ID with signature (a second is often requested) - The **document** to be notarized in its complete and final form - For e-notarization: a **device with camera and microphone**, a stable internet connection, and a quiet, well-lit place For organization-side practice on identity verification, see [E-Notarization for Banks and Lenders](/solutions/banks-and-lenders/) and [E-Notarization for Insurance Companies](/solutions/insurance-companies/). ## Related Terms - [Notary Public](/glossary/notary-public/) - [Electronic Notary Public](/glossary/electronic-notary-public/) - [Acknowledgment](/glossary/acknowledgment/) - [Jurat](/glossary/jurat/) - [Document Audit Trail](/glossary/document-audit-trail/) --- [NotarialOS](https://notarialos.com) is a leading SC-accredited Electronic Notarization Facility with multi-factor identity verification built into every notarial act.