Common Notarial Acts

Acknowledgment

The most common notarial act. The signer acknowledges that they signed the document voluntarily. The signer does not need to sign in your presence — they can bring a pre-signed document.

Certificate language: “This instrument was acknowledged before me on [date] by [name]…”

Jurat

The signer signs in your presence AND takes an oath or affirmation that the contents are true. You must witness the signing.

Certificate language: “Sworn to and subscribed before me on [date] by [name]…”

Oath vs Affirmation

An oath references a higher power (“so help you God”). An affirmation is the secular equivalent (“under penalty of perjury”). Both are legally binding — the signer chooses.

Certified Copies

Some states allow notaries to certify copies of certain documents (typically powers of attorney). You compare the copy to the original and certify that it’s a true and complete copy.

Not all documents can be certified: birth certificates, death certificates, and court-issued documents must be certified by the issuing agency.

Choosing the Right Act

As a notary, you don’t choose the notarial act — the document’s wording or the signer tells you. If the document has no certificate wording, ask the signer which type they need. If they don’t know, they should contact the document’s issuing agency or an attorney.