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Two of the most common notarial acts are acknowledgements and jurats. While these two acts are very similar, there are also several important differences between the two. Below I have created a chart to help you determine which type of notarial act you need. If you are still unsure of which act you need, you must contact the originator of the document. It is not legal for me to provide you advice or suggestions as to which type of act should be performed.
| Acknowledgement | Jurat | |
|---|---|---|
| Signer must personally appear before notary | YES | YES |
| Signer must provide satisfactory identification | YES | YES |
| Document must be complete (no blanks) | YES | YES |
| Document must be signed in presence of notary | NO | YES |
| Signer acknowledges they signed document under penalty of perjury | YES | YES |
| Signer affirms/swears to the truthfulness of the information in the document under penalty of perjury | NO | YES |
| Document requires an oath or affirmation be administered by notary | NO | YES |
| Notary wording in the document contains "sworn" or "affirmed" or similar language | NO | YES |
| Typically used in affidavits and other legal documents | NO | YES |
Essentially, if the document you are having notarized contains wording similar to “sworn” or “affirmed,” then a jurat is required. If it merely states that you appeared before a notary and acknowledged being the signer of a document, then often this document is just an acknowledgement.
If you are notarizing a document that does not contain any notarial wording of its own and therefore requires a loose certificate to be attached, you must decide whether to have an acknowledgement or a jurat performed. Again, if you are unsure of which notarial act you need, you should contact either the originator of the document or the party to whom the document will be submitted/recorded. At no time can I or any other notary (in the absence of pre-written notarial wording) recommend, suggest, or decide for you which type of notarial act needs to be performed.