Notary Forms

Below is a list of common questions regarding notary forms. If your question can't be found here, please return to the Frequently Asked Questions categories or .

1. What is an Acknowledgment?
2. What is a Jurat?
3. What is a Copy Certification?
4. What is a Copy Certification by document custodian?
5. What do I do if the document has no notarial wording?
6. What is a Subscribing witness?

What is an Acknowledgment?
An acknowledgment is a notarial act in which a Notary Public certifies having positively identified a document signer who personally appeared before the Notary and admitted having signed the document freely.

What is a Jurat?
A jurat is a notarial act in which a Notary Public certifies: having positively identified a document signer, watched the signing of the document and having administered an oath or affirmation in which the signer declares the document to be truthful and accurate.

What is a copy certification?
A copy certification is a notarial act in which a Notary Public certifies that a copy of a document is a true and accurate reproduction of the original. The certified copy itself must be a photostatic copy, not handwritten. California Notaries may only certify copies of "Power of Attorney"'s; and line items of their own journal when requested by an authorized government official.

What is a Copy Certification by document custodian?
A Copy Certification by document custodian is an alternative notarial act to a Notary certified copy. The custodian of a document signs a declaration that a copy of that document is identical to the original; the Notary, using a jurat, then notarizes the custodian's signature on the declaration. Documents that can never be Certified as copies by a notary or document custodian include: Naturalization certificates, recordable documents such as deeds, vital records such as birth and death certificates.

What do I do if the document has no notarial wording?
If there is no certificate wording pre-printed on your document, then you must find out the required wording from the office that issued the document, or the office where it is to be filed. Once you know the type of certificate needed, the Notary can either type in the required wording or staple a "Loose Certificate" to your document.

What is a Subscribing witness?
A subscribing witness is a person who either watches another (the principal) sign a document or takes that person's acknowledgment of an already signed document and appears before the Notary on behalf of the principle. The subscribing witness must sign the document in addition to the principal, must be personally known by the Notary, and must take an oath or affirmation stating he or she witnessed the principle sign or took the principal's acknowledgment. A subscribing witness cannot be used in conjunction with any Deed of Trust, Mortgage, Security Agreement, Quitclaim Deed, or Grant Deed document (per Government Code Section 27287).