05/02/2020
Good News! A Notary Public can take an expired drivers license that has expired from March 1st- May 31st. 2020. Following the guidance below.
California Extends Expiration Dates For Driver’s Licenses During COVID-19
The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced in press releases on April 1 and April 14 that driver’s license expirations dates would be extended in California for the following individuals:
Seniors 70 years of age and older whose noncommercial driver’s licenses expire between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, are given a 120-day extension to their driver’s licenses expiration date. The DMV will mail affected seniors a paper extension.
Californians under 70 who driver’s licenses expire between March 2020 and May 2020 will have their license expiration date extended to May 31, 2020. These drivers also have the option to request a free temporary paper extension online through the DMV’s Virtual Field Office to document extension.
If a Notary is presented with a California driver’s license bearing an expiration date from March 1, 2020, through May 31, 2020, the Notary should check for the correct date on the ID, understanding that the extension applies to the expiration date only.
Second, Notaries must know if the individual requesting the notarial act and presenting a driver’s license as satisfactory evidence of identity is under 70 years of age. These individuals may or may not have a paper extension documenting that their license is extended through May 31, 2020. If the individual has an extension, the Notary should ask to see both the driver’s license itself and the paper extension. If the individual does not have a paper extension, the Notary may accept the license through May 31, 2020.
Third, for persons requesting notarial services who are 70 years of age and older, the Notary should request to see both the driver’s license itself and the extension mailed to the bearer by the DMV. The extension will show the actual license extension date.
Fourth, the NNA recommends that Notaries note in their journals that the ID presented was extended by the Department of Motor Vehicle’s April 1, 2020, press release (for persons 70 and older) or April 14, 2020, press release (for persons under 70).
While Notaries of all U.S. states could technically accept an expired California driver’s license under the DMV’s press releases, the NNA recommends that these Notaries do so only if their state laws permit it and they follow the guidance provided above.
