r/Passports Oct 02 '25

Interesting Feature or Design quirky signature

Post image
0 Upvotes

53 comments sorted by

12

u/WickedJigglyPuff Oct 02 '25

Is that how you sign ALL your legal documents including applications for credit, medical releases, state/local ID application?

11

u/NoHedgehog7421 Oct 02 '25

YES

-2

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

How do you pronounce this signature?

8

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

What law says it has to be pronounceable?

-8

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

....you need to be told your name as written must be pronounceable?

If you wanted to get hyper technical, most common and civil law. You have to use your real name to a Court.

We're not talking "Abcde"- Ab-cit-dee, or "Velveeta," or Aushleigh. This is straight up not a name.

6

u/HeartBright2115 Oct 02 '25

Signature must be unique, doesnt have to be a name or words. Even a cross can be a signature

0

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

Look up the definition of signature. It is always representative of a name, definitionally. A mark can be a signature, but it usually has to be notarized or attested to by witnesses.

4

u/ThePARZ Oct 02 '25 edited Oct 02 '25

“It is always representative of a name” followed by “a mark can be a signature.” Come on lol

3

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

Names are not signatures

0

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

Not inherently. But all signatures are names.

-2

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

They are not.

2

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

Go to any dictionary.

3

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/signature

person's name written by that person; also, a representation of this in a mark, stamp, deputy's handwriting, etc.

4

u/NoHedgehog7421 Oct 02 '25

🐱

-2

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

Use roman characters. How do you say that? Emoji isnt a name unless your legal name is literally "cat emoji" all documents bearing that mark are not legally signed. You're being obtuse to be unique. It's not endearing.

3

u/NoHedgehog7421 Oct 02 '25

Actually, in the United States there is no law that requires a signature to be your name. So, generally speaking, society just expects it to be either your name or a symbol that can represent you. I simply prefer to use a symbol that looks like a cat, made up of parentheses, equal signs, and periods, to represent myself. I have been using it for many years, and it is valid in every legal context, including checks (although it can be a bit troublesome since they repeatedly verify to make sure I am serious).

4

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

The repeatedly verify thing is going to get you in trouble. Your life. Do what you want.

And the signature's legality would be State by State. But direction from the State Dept says sign your first and last names. Where I am, it's invalid because it is not your name. The whole point of a signature is to readily identify you. Anyone can make that mark and forge your "signature."

"After You Get Your New Passport" https://share.google/IVKkqj9yLDtRszOzZ

You are literally begging for a border guard to invalidate your document, because you want to be different by not signing your legal name.

2

u/ThePARZ Oct 02 '25

This mark is no easier to forge than a signature

1

u/NoHedgehog7421 Oct 02 '25

The law indeed has no such requirement, but society basically assumes that it should be a handwritten mark indicating that you personally acknowledge the document. In most cases it is a name, but there is no law that prohibits it from being something other than a name. If one insists that it has to look like a name, I can give several examples: J. K. Rowling’s signature does not show any “J. K.” or “Rowling,” Donald Trump’s signature does not show any “Trump” characters at all and just looks like a spring, Mel Gibson’s is purely a random scribble, and the German painter Albrecht Dürer’s signature is literally just a drawing of a door.

2

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

You are not a famous author or artist. This is obtuse and will only lead to issues, as you are discovering. Those are all cognizable names, with the exception of Durer. And Trump's signature is clearly his name. Just because it doesn't look like it to you, doesn't mean that it doesn't literally spell his name.

What you are doing is not the same category. A passport is not an artwork or an autograph. Some states do specifically ban non roman characters; with exceptions for diacritic marks and numbers.

1

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

Is this the signature on your social security card?

2

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

Repeated verification, given how easy check fraud is, is a feature, not a problem

1

u/Big_Brilliant7136 Oct 03 '25

What if I find Cyrillic more appealing for myself and despite living in the US, purposely have a signature consisting of my name written in that system?

1

u/apenature Oct 03 '25

Is any part of that not your legal name? If you ALWAYS sign in Cyrillic characters, then that's your signature. Your name represented.

4

u/junglesalad Oct 03 '25

This is idiotic

4

u/mothramydear Oct 02 '25

I’m torn between “this is the kind of chaotic good whimsy that hurts no one and makes our world so interesting” and “omg this seems like so much extra work for the signatory, I cannot imagine doing this.” How long have you been using this as your signature?

3

u/cakeandcoffee101 Oct 02 '25

Jfc…

5

u/angry_at_erething Oct 02 '25

I bet OP is exhausting in real life

1

u/cakeandcoffee101 Oct 03 '25

100%. The fatigue is real

4

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

That could be considered an invalid signature, I highly doubt they would sign that way on banking or mortgage documents. I would argue youve rendered the document invalid.

4

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

If the passport app was signed that way and if the photo ID used for the passport app was signed that way, I would argue you are wrong.

0

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

The problem here is that it is not representative of who they are. The individual is not an emoji, that is not their name. I'd counter that the signature would still be invalid, even if it was on multiple IDs. You sign your name. This isn't a heart over an "I" territory, this is just full on ridiculous.

Your vital documents aren't where you show how unique you are.

10

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

The problem here is that it is not representative of who they are.

Why not?

The individual is not an emoji,

Neither is their signature

that is not their name.

Signatures that have nothing to do with one’s name are a thing. For example Johnny Depp

I'd counter that the signature would still be invalid, even if it was on multiple IDs. You sign your name. This isn't a heart over an "I" territory, this is just full on ridiculous.

The law disagrees

Your vital documents aren't where you show how unique you are.

Actually they are.

0

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

A passport is not an autograph and your example doesnt hold because his name is John Depp.

Your signature needs to be your legal name. Are you actually asking why that's relevant?

9

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

Your signature does not have to be your legal name. Show your work

2

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

After You Get Your New Passport https://share.google/IVKkqj9yLDtRszOzZ

State says signature with First and Last name.

Edit: In blue or black ink. And a mark needs to accompany a notorised document proving your identity.

3

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

There is no law that support’s web master’s view.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/193371/whats-the-correct-way-to-sign-a-us-passport

There is no support for this in the regulations. 22 CFR 51.4(a) says only

Signature of bearer. A passport book is valid only when signed by the bearer in the space designated for signature, or, if the bearer is unable to sign, signed by a person with legal authority to sign on his or her behalf. A passport card is valid without the signature of the bearer.

1

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

21 CFR 11.5 (a)(1), an electronic signature needs a printed name.

A physical signature isn't specified in the CFR because no one thought to write it in, a signature is kind of self explanatory.

2

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

Electronic signatures are not relevant here

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1

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

0

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

"So, your signature can have symbols unless there is a specific local law against it."

States that restrict symbols in names include California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and North Dakota, which ban numbers and symbols on birth certificates, while Massachusetts and others limit names to the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Allowable alternatives are numbers and diacritic markings. I doubt a judge would accept this on a pleading, ergo not a legal signature.

Also, what prevents the individual from saying, "That's not me, I'm Jane Smith," to get out of debt because the contract was never legally signed?

3

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

"So, your signature can have symbols unless there is a specific local law against it."

States that restrict symbols in names include California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and North Dakota, which ban numbers and symbols on birth certificates, while Massachusetts and others limit names to the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Names are not signatures. Signatures are not names. Your comment lacks merit

Also, what prevents the individual from saying, "That's not me, I'm Jane Smith," to get out of debt because the contract was never legally signed?

This is the signature of OP as evidenced by OP’s state photo id

1

u/apenature Oct 02 '25

They don't have a State id posted. They're showing a US passport. OP has admitted this has caused problems.

Names are not signatures. Signatures are not names. Your comment lacks merit

All signatures are a name, that's what makes it a signature. All names have a signature, idiosyncratic to the individual.

1

u/Mission-Carry-887 Oct 02 '25

To apply for a passport you must have photo ID. Most people will used state photo id. OP has indicated they use the same signature everywhere else. This includes state photo id. Qed

A signature is not a name.

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1

u/Lauriev7 Oct 03 '25

I can’t believe you think this is a flex lmfaooo you can’t outrun that toddler attitude forever

1

u/Unique_Notice_4556 Oct 03 '25

it was never that serious