Kentucky Notary Requirements
ACCEPTABLE IDs FOR A KENTUCKY NOTARY
KRS § 423.325 (Personal knowledge and satisfactory evidence of identity). (1) A notarial officer has personal knowledge of the identity of an individual appearing before the officer if the individual is personally known to the officer through dealings sufficient to provide reasonable certainty that the individual has the identity claimed. (2) A notarial officer has satisfactory evidence of the identity of an individual appearing before the officer if the officer can identify the individual by means of one (1) of the following credentials: (a) A non-expired passport, driver's license, or government-issued identification card; (b) Another current form of government identification issued to an individual, which contains the signature and a photograph of the individual, and is satisfactory to the notarial officer; or (c) If the means presented in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection are unavailable, verification on oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally appearing before the notarial officer and known to the notarial officer or whom the notarial officer can identify on the basis of a current passport, driver's license, or government-issued identification card. (4) A notarial officer may require an individual to provide additional information or identification credentials necessary to assure the notarial officer of the identity of the individual.
State & Local IDs
Kentucky requires a current, state-issued identification bearing a photograph and signature.
Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.
1Acceptable only if the License to Carry/CHL card bears a photograph and signature - verify on the card presented; some states' License to Carry/CHLs do not.
2Kentucky does not issue this credential.
Federal IDs
Kentucky requires a current, federally issued identification bearing a photograph and signature.
Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.
Military & Veteran
Government Employment
Kentucky requires a current, government-issued identification bearing a photograph and signature.
1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph and signature - verify on the card presented.
Tribal
1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph and signature - verify on the card presented.
Foreign IDs
Kentucky requires a current, foreign-government issued identification bearing a photograph and signature.
Documents qualifying under this standard remain subject to your judgment as the notary that the identification presented is satisfactory.
1Most foreign driver's licenses bear a photograph and signature; verify the signature is present before accepting - some countries do not include one.
Inmate & Corrections
Kentucky accepts county inmate identification as listed below.
1Acceptable if the card bears a photograph and signature - verify on the card presented.
CREDIBLE WITNESS(ES)
Kentucky (KRS 423.325(2)(c)) accepts a verification on oath or affirmation of a credible witness (known to the notary or identified by ID) when other means are unavailable; the oath is the act.
Is the signer unable to produce a non-expired identification? Kentucky law (KRS 423.325(2)(c)) permits credible witness identification only as a last resort when non-expired ID is unavailable.
PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE
*Personal knowledge through sufficient dealings.
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
Notary Fees
KRS ch. 423 (RULONA): NO per-act statutory fee maximum - Kentucky's RULONA does not cap per-act notarial fees; notary-set with advance fee disclosure expected (KY groups with AK/AZ/AR/KS/ME for advance-notice). Commission/renewal fees are set at KRS 423.430.
- Acknowledgment (max)
- $5.00
- Jurat (max)
- $5.00
- Additional signature (max)
- $5.00
- Travel fee capped?
- ✗
- Travel fee disclosure required?
- ✓
Notarial Acts
Certificate Language
Dated: {date}
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)