Pennsylvania Notary Public Practice Exam

A personal reference letter is not considered a form of satisfactory identification evidence because it does not serve to verify an individual's identity in a formal manner. Unlike government-issued IDs, which are standardized forms of identification that include specific details such as the bearer's name, photograph, and sometimes an address, or a signature that can be compared against known signatures for authenticity, a personal reference letter lacks the requisite verification and formalization. In legal and notarial contexts, identification needs to be reliable and easily authenticated. A personal reference letter may provide some context about a person’s character or relationships but does not fulfill the necessary requirements for verifying identity in a transaction that requires notarial action.