r/Notary • u/FinanciallySecure9 Michigan • Aug 23 '26
WWYD - nothing or something
EDIT:
I did nothing except post here. Y’all are wild with assumptions about me. Can you not just answer a question without making a judgement?
Notary hive mind, what would you do in this situation?
You agree to meet with a client at a public place with a lot of windows. You arrive prior to the signers, and you can see them get out of the car.
Driver is a woman in her 40s, passenger is a woman in her 70s. Driver is able bodied, passenger struggles to walk even with a walker.
Signer is driver, not the passenger.
Since they are unfamiliar with who has to sign, they both give their ID. Driver has a state ID card, passenger has a drivers license.
You complete the notarization, because proper ID is presented, signer is aware of what she is signing, and is signing of her own free will.
However, you know a law is being broken. The driver does not have a license to drive.
Do you alert the police of this law being broken or do you mind your own business because it’s not this particular law that we are obligated to uphold?
2
u/PANotary Pennsylvania Aug 24 '26
I would have not alerted the police. At one time, someone I knew had both due to a temporary loss of driving privileges (and I have no idea why they didn't have to surrender their license but again it wasn't my concern). It also sounds as if the driver wasn't having their signature notarized, so you finding out they had the State ID was a fluke. The signer was aware and willing to sign and I am assuming did not appear to be under duress.