Notarial Certificate Wording and Required Elements
The notarial certificate is the written evidence of the act, and Arizona requires it to contain specific elements. Every certificate must identify the state and county where the act was performed, name the notary (or notarial officer), state the date of the act, and include the notary's title and, where required, the commission expiration. The certificate must also identify the signer and describe the act performed (acknowledged, sworn, affirmed, witnessed).
Different acts use different boilerplate. An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily. A jurat certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and swore or affirmed the contents in the notary's presence - a jurat requires administering an oath. A signature-witness certificate certifies only that the person appeared and signed in the notary's presence. Do not mix them: a jurat without an oath is defective, and an acknowledgment does not require the notary to administer an oath.
Traps: questions swap the acknowledgment and jurat language, omit the county, or present a certificate with a blank date. Another trap is a certificate that names the notary but omits the signer, or one that states the notary "certifies the document is true." Remember that if the certificate is defective, the notary should correct it rather than proceed.
Rule of thumb: every certificate answers where, when, who (notary and signer), and what act. If any of those four is missing, the certificate is deficient.