California was one of the first states to pass a law requiring the notaries to obtain a fingerprint of the signer. The Sunshine State passes this law in 1996, and it remains in effect to this day. It’s important to note that not all notarial acts conducted in California require a fingerprint. Only those related to estate transactions, such as deed of trust, grant and deed, are required.
The purpose of obtaining a signer’s fingerprint is to prevent fraud by verifying the signer’s identify. Driver’s licenses and signatures are easily forged, but it’s incredibly difficult to forge a fingerprint, especially when it’s taken in front of an unbiased third-party like a notary public. If a notarial act requires a signature, the signer typically placed his or her thumb on an ink pad and then places it on the notary’s journal. This journal is safeguarded by the notary and should not be given to anyone else, which further increases the security of the notarial act.