Notarial Acts and Certificate Wording
Certificate content
Every notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate that is signed and dated by the notary and bears the official stamp. Montana’s short-form certificates use a venue-“State of Montana, County of ____”-the date, the signer’s name, and the notary’s signature and stamp. An acknowledgment typically states that the record was acknowledged before the notary on a date by the named person. A jurat states that the record was signed and sworn to or affirmed before the notary. A witness or attestation certificate states that the record was signed before the notary.
Timing and truthfulness
The notary must complete the certificate at the time of the act. Never pre-sign, pre-date, or backdate a certificate. The certificate must describe what actually happened: do not use “sworn to” if no oath was administered. The signer must appear personally before the notary (or by an authorized remote process), be identified by satisfactory evidence, and appear willing and competent.
Traps
A common exam trap is a certificate with the notary’s signature already printed or a date filled in before the signer appears. Another is using the wrong short form-acknowledgment language for an oath, or jurat language for a mere acknowledgment. Also watch copy certification: a notary may certify a copy only where Montana law permits, and not for records that must be certified by a public official, such as vital records or court records.
Rule of thumb
Match the certificate to the ceremony: no oath, no jurat; no personal appearance, no notarial act. If the certificate cannot truthfully be completed, refuse.