Under which condition can a notary refuse to perform a notarial act?

A notary has a responsibility to ensure that the person requesting a notarial act can be properly identified. If the signer presents improper identification, it becomes impossible for the notary to verify their identity and thus perform the notarial act with integrity and according to the law. Proper identification is crucial as it helps prevent fraud and ensures that the notary is acting in compliance with regulations.

In contrast, a notary is generally expected to accommodate signers and may not have grounds to refuse service based solely on factors like the absence of a witness, the signer being late, or the document being outdated. Each of these situations might not compromise the identity verification process, which is the fundamental reason behind the refusal in the case of improper identification.