Notarial Acts and Procedures
Core procedure
A Nebraska notarial act begins with personal appearance. The signer must be physically in the notary's presence; remote or video appearance is not a substitute unless a specific statute authorizes it. The notary then establishes identity through satisfactory evidence: personal knowledge, a government-issued photo ID, or a credible-witness procedure allowed by law.
Pick the right act
Distinguish the acknowledgment from the jurat. In an acknowledgment, the signer appears, is identified, and acknowledges that the signature is voluntary; the signer may have signed earlier. In a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence and swear or affirm the truth of the contents. Oaths and affirmations, signature witnessing, and copy certification are separate acts with separate certificate language.
Certificate discipline
Complete the certificate at the time of the act. Never sign, date, or seal a blank certificate. Record the venue (state and county), date, signer's name, the act performed, and the notary's signature and seal. If the signer does not appear, cannot be identified, or appears incompetent or under duress, refuse.
Trap to watch
Questions often swap acknowledgment and jurat facts. A signature already on the page does not automatically defeat an acknowledgment, but it does defeat a jurat.
Rule of thumb: appear, identify, intend, certify. Worked example: A signer brings a signed deed, appears before the notary, shows a valid driver's license, and says, 'I signed it voluntarily.' That supports an acknowledgment. If the certificate says 'subscribed and sworn,' the signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath.