What Is An Acknowledgment? (As defined by National Notary Association)

The purpose of an acknowledgment is for a signer, whose identity has been verified, to declare to a Notary or notarial officer that he or she has willingly signed a document.

An acknowledgment requires the following steps:

1. The signer must appear in person before the Notary. 2. Notary must positively identify the signer according to California rules. 3. The signer may either sign the document before appearing before the notary, or in the notary's presence. 4. The signer must declare (acknowledge) signing the document for its intended purpose.

What Is A Jurat? (As defined by National Notary Association)

The purpose of a jurat — also known in some states as a “verification upon oath or affirmation” — is for a signer to swear to or affirm the truthfulness of the contents of a document to a Notary or notarial officer.

A jurat requires the following steps:

1. The signer must appear in person before the notary and sign the document in notary's presence. 2. Notary is required to positively identify the signer. 3. Notary must administer a spoken oath or an affirmation, and the signer must respond out loud. Silent answers such as a nod of the head are not acceptable.

Most common service:

Acknowledgement or Jurat?

Acknowledgement and Jurat certificates are the most common forms used when notarizing a document. Not sure which one to use? Most of the time it will specify on the document which one to use. If there is no specification, the safest bet is to ask the person who created the document and ask which certificate is acceptable. If you are unsure or you created your own document, described here is how the two are used. Keep in mind, California Notaries are NOT allowed to choose which one to use for you.