October 2020 is fast approaching. This is the time in which one will need a "Real ID" or Passport in order to travel domestically.
I have found that many people have already gone down to the DMV to request a Real ID. For those who have not made the time commitment I would make a suggestion to obtain a passport. Passports are valid for 10 years and are the gold standard of IDs. A California Driver's license will be valid for 5 years and an identification card is valid for six(6) birthdates or if you are a senior citizen eight(8) birthdates.
The reason that I wanted to address this issue of the Real ID card is the fact that when obtaining one from the DMV there is a process in which you must be aware. If your ID is valid currently the DMV will invalidate your ID by punching a hole in the expiration date and issuing a temporary ID paper. This is fine until you need some documents notarized.
As a California Notary Public we are required to record the expiration date of the identifying document. With a hole in the expiration date, this becomes impossible. I am providing the links to obtain your license or passport here.
What is an Apostille and what does it really do for me?
Apostille (pronounced ah-po-stee) is a French word which means a certification. In notary language, it refers to a certificate issued by the Secretary of State to authenticate the signature of a notary public and other public officers then placed on documents that are to be sent overseas. The Apostille certifies that the notary’s commission is current and the notary is in good standing.
So now that you know what it is, how do you handle one? The agency to which the document needs to go in the foreign country should direct you as to what needs to be done after your document receives an apostille. The important thing to remember when handling a document that has an apostille attached is to never detach any of the papers. Detaching any of the pages will invalidate your apostille.