Ace the Ohio Notary Exam 2025 – Notarize Your Success!

The requirement for the signer to appear face-to-face with the notary is essential in the notarization process. This ensures that the notary can directly verify the identity of the signer in real-time, which is crucial for preventing fraud and ensuring that the signer is willingly and knowingly signing the document. This personal appearance step is fundamental to the notary's duties, as it allows them to observe the signer's demeanor and confirm their competency at the moment of signing.

In the context of the other options presented, while knowing the signer personally or having identification ready can be valuable, they are not as universally critical as the face-to-face interaction. Additionally, requiring a third party to accompany the signer is unnecessary and does not align with standard notarial procedures, which emphasize the direct relationship between the signer and the notary during the signing process.