General Information

Most notary transactions will be in the form of either an Acknowledgement or administering an Oath or an Affirmation for a Jurat.

Acknowledgement - An acknowledgement is a notarial act in which a Notary certifies having positively identified a document signer who admitted having signed the document.

Jurat (For an Oath or Affirmation) - A jurat is used when the document signer appears before the notary at the time of notarization, swear an oath or affirmation to the notary regarding the truthfulness of the contents with the document and signs the document in front of the notary.​

Proof of Execution by Subscribing Witness - When the document signer cannot appear before a Notary, another person may appear on the principal signer's behalf to prove that the principal signer executed the document. (Does not apply to Grant Deeds; Quitclaim Deeds; Deeds of Trust; Mortgages; Security agreements; Powers of Attorney; Documents affecting Real Property.)

Copy Certification - (For Powers of Attorney or Journal Line Entries only) A certified copy is a document that has been verified as an accurate reproduction of an original document. ​

If you are not sure what type of notarization is needed, please contact the requiring agency. You may also seek advice from an attorney or choose the act yourself.  

​Pledge of Ethical Practice:

I am not an attorney and therefore, by law, I cannot explain or interpret the contents of any document for you, instruct you on how to complete a document or direct you on the advisability of signing a particular document. By doing so I would be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law and could face legal penalties that include the possibility of incarceration. Any important questions about your document should be addressed to the lender, title company or an attorney.