I am a Notary Public. Things are a little different here in Louisiana, as we practice law using a Code ( book of written law).
I took a very hard test and passed it, and was sworn in as a Notary for life in Louisiana. In order to remain a Notary, I must follow the law and rules of Notary in my state.
In my state, an ID is required when you do notary work for someone. The purpose of having a Notary witness a document or act is to prove that the document is original and to witness that the person signing is indeed the person signing. As a Notary you are bound by law to require proof from an individual of their identity. I ALWAYS ask for ID before notarizing anything.
Let me give you an example where proof of identification by a
notary would be important: A person comes to my office with a car title in Joe Blow’s name. This person wants me to notarize a car sale to Thom Thumb. I don’t check for ids and notarize the title. Thom Thumb goes to the DMV to transfer the car and finds out the title has been reported as a stolen car. The guy who sold him the car was not Joe Blow. Since I did not ask for ID and facilitated the sale of the stolen car, I am at fault.
There are other circumstances where having documents notarized by qualified and competent Notaries is of the most extreme importance. If your Notary doesn’t check ID, find one who will. If you have nothing to hide, it is in your best interests.