Alabama Notary Requirements

ACCEPTABLE IDs FOR AN ALABAMA NOTARY

Ala. Code § 36-20-73.1 (as revised by Act 2023-548). (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any signature acknowledged by a notary public shall be executed within this state and shall be executed in the physical presence of the notary public at the time of the acknowledgment, only after the notary public has positively identified the prospective signatory via personal knowledge of the affiant or the examination of photo identification issued by a governmental entity or agency.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) ORIGINAL SIGNATURE. A signature signed directly onto a document in wet ink by an individual who is named on the document. (2) SIGNATORY. The individual who is named on the document and is to sign the document.
(c) Unless otherwise provided by law, the powers and functions of a notary public require his or her original signature.

State & Local IDs

Alabama requires a current, state-issued photo identification.

Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.

Driver's License
Out of State Driver's License
State Issued ID
Out of State State Issued ID
License to Carry/CHL
Out of State License to Carry/CHL1
Voter ID Card
Out of State Voter ID Card2
Out of State Voter Registration Certificate

1Acceptable only if the License to Carry/CHL card bears a photograph - verify on the card presented; some states' License to Carry/CHLs do not.

2Acceptable only if the Voter ID card bears a photograph - verify on the card presented; some states' Voter IDs do not.

Federal IDs

Alabama requires a current, federally issued photo identification.

Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.

U.S. Passport Book
U.S. Passport Card
Permanent Resident Card
Employment Authorization Card
Social Security Card
Certificate of Citizenship
Certificate of Naturalization

Military & Veteran

U.S. Military ID
U.S. Military Dependent ID
Veteran ID Card
VA Health ID Card

Government Employment

Alabama requires a current, government-issued photo identification.

State Government Employee ID1
County Government Employee ID1
Municipal Government Employee ID1
Federal Government Employee ID1

1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph - verify on the card presented.

Tribal

Tribal ID1

1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph - verify on the card presented.

Foreign IDs

Alabama requires a current, foreign-government issued photo identification.

Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.

Foreign Passport
Consular/Matricula ID
Foreign Driver's License
Foreign National ID Card

Inmate & Corrections

Alabama accepts state, county, and federal inmate identification as listed below.

State Inmate ID
County Inmate ID1
Federal Inmate ID

1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph - verify on the card presented.

CREDIBLE WITNESS(ES)

Credible Witness
Not permitted

PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE

Personally Known1

*Personal knowledge of the affiant permitted as alternative to photo ID.

Last verified: September 2026

Journal Rules

NO TRADITIONAL JOURNAL MANDATE.

Journal required?
✗
Bound paper journal required?
✗
Wet signature required in journal?
✗
Wet thumbprint required?
✗
Digital journal allowed?
✓
Journal format
Optional
Last verified: September 2026

Notary Fees

Ala. Code § 36-20-74 (FEES; as amended by Act 2023-548, eff. Sept. 1, 2023): A notary public commissioned pursuant to this article is permitted a reasonable fee, not to exceed ten dollars ($10), for each notarial act performed. No fee may be charged by a state, county, or municipal employee for a notarial act performed during, and as a part of, his or her public service, unless otherwise provided by law.

Acknowledgment (max)
$10.00
Jurat (max)
$10.00
Additional signature (max)
$10.00
Travel fee capped?
✗
Travel fee disclosure required?
✓
Last verified: September 2026

Notarial Acts

Acknowledgment
Jurat
Oath / affirmation
Certified copy
Signature witnessing
Protest
Last verified: September 2026

Certificate Language

Ala. Code 35-4-29
Acknowledgment · Corporate · statutory form
I, {notary_name}, in and for said County in said State, hereby certify that {signer_name} whose name as {representative_title} of {entity_name}, a corporation, is signed to the foregoing conveyance and who is known to me, acknowledged before me on this day that, being informed of the contents of the conveyance, he, as such officer and with full authority, executed the same voluntarily for and as the act of said corporation.

Given under my hand this {date_day} day of {date_month}, A.D. {date_year}.
Acknowledgment · Individual · statutory form
I, {notary_name}, hereby certify that {signer_name} whose name is signed to the foregoing conveyance, and who is known to me, acknowledged before me on this day that, being informed of the contents of the conveyance, he executed the same voluntarily on the day the same bears date.

Given under my hand this {date_day} day of {date_month}, A.D. {date_year}.
Acknowledgment · Representative · statutory form
I, {notary_name}, in and for said County in said State, hereby certify that {signer_name}, whose name as {representative_title} is signed to the foregoing conveyance and who is known to me, acknowledged before me on this day that, being informed of the contents of the conveyance, he, in his capacity as such {representative_title}, executed the same voluntarily on the day the same bears date.

Given under my hand this {date_day} day of {date_month}, A.D. {date_year}.
Jurat · Individual · safe-harbor wording
Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on {date} by {signer_name}.
Last verified: September 2026

Source Documents

Full statute and (where published) the commissioning authority’s notary handbook. Download links appear here once the documents table is populated.

📄 Full notary statute (coming soon) 📄 Notary handbook (coming soon)