Notarial Acts, Certificates, and Records
The acts and their certificates
An acknowledgment certifies that the signer appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document voluntarily. A jurat certifies that the signer appeared, was identified, and swore or affirmed the truth of the contents in the notary's presence. An oath or affirmation is administered orally; a copy certification is allowed only for records in the notary's custody or as authorized by law. Each certificate must be completed with the notary's signature, the date, the county, and the seal, and the wording must match the act performed. A jurat wording on an acknowledgment form (or vice versa) is a classic trap.
Records
The notary must keep a journal of each act, recording the date, type of act, name of signer, identification method, and other required details. The journal is confidential but must be produced on lawful request (for example, by subpoena or to the commissioning authority). The notary must retain the journal for the statutory period after the commission ends. The seal must be kept secure and used only for official acts; a lost or stolen seal must be reported.
Traps
Questions test whether a notary may certify a copy of a driver's license (generally no, not in the notary's custody) and whether a notary may notarize a document with a blank certificate (no - never sign a blank certificate). Another trap is the date: the certificate date should reflect when the act occurred, not a backdated or future date. Also watch for questions about remote or electronic notarization; those require specific authorization and technology, and a notary should not assume general authority.
Rule of thumb
Match the certificate to the act: acknowledgment = "acknowledged"; jurat = "subscribed and sworn." If the wording doesn't match what happened, stop.