Sometimes the universe likes to send you a lesson twice.

Apparently, this week, the universe wanted to talk about signer ID.

In two consecutive days, I had two different loan signings with two different identification issues. Different signers. Different notaries. Different transactions.

Same basic problem.

And honestly, it was the perfect reminder that when it comes to loan signings, identifying a signer is not just about what the notary is comfortable accepting. It is also not just about what the lender is willing to accept.

It is both.

Let me explain.

Day One: “What Will the Lender Take?”

On the first day, I received a call from a notary who had run into an issue at the signing table.

The signer’s ID was expired.

Not ideal, but also not the end of the world. These things happen. People forget their IDs expire. People misplace passports. People assume the old license in their wallet is still good because, apparently, expiration dates are merely decorative until a notary shows up.

So I asked the notary a very important question:

“What alternate forms of identification does your state allow?”

The notary responded with something along the lines of:

“Well, what will the lender take?”

So I asked again, because maybe we had a bad connection.

“What does your state allow?”

Again, the answer came back to the lender.

“Well, I can do whatever the lender allows.”

And that is where we had to pause.

Because no. No, my friend. That is not how this works.

The lender does not get to override your state’s notary laws.

Before we can ask what the lender will accept, we first have to know what the notary is legally allowed to accept under that state’s law.

Can the notary use an alternate form of ID?

Can the notary use credible witnesses?

Does the state allow personal knowledge?

Are there specific requirements for the ID to be current, government-issued, photograph-bearing, signature-bearing, or otherwise acceptable?

Those are state law questions.

Only after we know the legally available options can we go to the lender or title company and say, “Here are the options allowed under state law. Which of these will you accept for your transaction?”

That order matters.

State law first.

Lender approval second.

Day Two: “My State Allows It, So It Must Be Fine”

Then came the very next day.

Different signing. Different notary. Different signer. Same ID gremlin wearing a different outfit.

This time, the signer did not have a valid driver’s license, state ID card, or passport.

The notary accepted a pistol permit as identification.

Now, under the laws of that particular state, the pistol permit was an allowable form of identification. So from the state-law side, the notary may have been within the rules.

But here is the problem.

The lender would not accept the pistol permit for the loan transaction.

They wanted a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport.

And unfortunately, the notary did not call before proceeding.

The package went back.

The lender rejected it.

The borrower had to resign.

Cue the dramatic music, the collective sigh, and the sound of everyone’s schedule being set on fire.

The Two Opposite Mistakes

What made these two situations so interesting is that they were opposite sides of the same coin.

In the first situation, the notary was focused only on what the lender would accept.

In the second situation, the notary was focused only on what the state would allow.

But in loan signings, you need both.

A notarization may be legally valid under state law, but that does not automatically mean the lender or title company will accept the document package.

At the same time, a lender or title company may be flexible, but their flexibility does not give a notary permission to step outside the law.

The notary’s authority comes from the state.

The lender’s requirements come from the transaction.

Both matter.

The Correct Order When There Is an ID Issue

When you run into an identification issue during a loan signing, the process should look like this:

First, determine what your state allows.

Before calling the lender or title company, you need to know your legal options. Not what you think is probably okay. Not what you did once in 2017 and no one complained. Not what another notary posted in a Facebook group with alarming confidence.

What does your actual state law allow?

Second, stay within what your state allows.

If your state does not allow a certain form of identification, then the lender cannot magically approve it into existence.

The lender may say, “We are fine with that,” but if your state says no, the answer is still no.

Third, confirm what the lender or title company will accept.

Once you know the options your state allows, then you contact the hiring party.

You can say, “The signer does not have a valid driver’s license, passport, or state ID. Under my state law, these are the alternate options available. Which of these, if any, will the lender accept?”

That is the conversation that needs to happen before the signing is completed.

Not after the package is shipped.

Not after the documents are rejected.

Not after everyone is suddenly using the word “resign” like it is no big deal.

Why This Matters

Identification issues are not small details.

They can delay funding.

They can cause a redraw or resign.

They can frustrate borrowers.

They can create problems for title companies, lenders, signing services, and notaries.

And they can put the notary in a very uncomfortable position if the notary either accepts something the state does not allow or fails to follow the lender’s instructions for the transaction.

This is especially important in loan signings because notaries are operating in two worlds at once.

You are performing a notarization under your state’s notary laws.

But you are also handling a loan package that must meet lender and title requirements.

Those are not the same thing.

And one does not automatically satisfy the other.

The Lesson

Two days.

Two signers.

Two identification problems.

Two completely different approaches.

One very clear lesson:

Know what your state allows.

Stay within what your state allows.

Then confirm what the lender or title company will accept.

Do not guess.

Do not assume.

Do not wing it.

Do not say, “Well, the lender said it was okay,” if your state does not allow it.

And do not say, “Well, my state allows it,” if the lender has stricter requirements for that transaction.

When in doubt, stop and make the call.

A quick phone call before you complete the signing can save everyone from a rejected package, a frustrated borrower, and a second trip to the signing table.

And trust me, nobody wants a sequel called “The Resign: Part Two.”

Final Thought for Notaries and Signing Agents

As notaries, we are responsible for knowing our state laws.

As signing agents, we also need to understand that lenders and title companies may have transaction-specific requirements.

The best signing agents know how to balance both.

They do not step outside their legal authority.

They do not ignore lender instructions.

And when there is an ID issue, they communicate before moving forward.

Because the stamp may be yours, but the consequences can belong to everyone involved.