In most cases, a verification does not need to be notarized. Federal law and more than 20 states let you sign a written declaration under penalty of perjury and give it the same legal weight as a notarized statement. Whether your particular verification needs a notary depends on the document type, the court or agency receiving it, and the procedural rules that govern the filing.
When You Can Sign Without a Notary
For federal filings, you can almost always skip the notary. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1746, any matter that would normally require a sworn, notarized statement can instead be supported by an unsworn written declaration signed under penalty of perjury.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1746 – Unsworn Declarations Under Penalty of Perjury The exceptions are depositions, oaths of office, and oaths that must be taken before a specific official other than a notary.
The statute is picky about the language. If you sign inside the United States, your declaration must read substantially: “I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [date].” followed by your signature.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1746 – Unsworn Declarations Under Penalty of Perjury If you sign outside the country, add “under the laws of the United States of America.” Getting the wording wrong can invalidate the declaration, so copy it carefully.
More than 20 states have adopted similar statutes for their own courts, including California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Virginia. The exact language requirements vary from state to state, so check your state’s version before assuming the federal wording is enough.
The most familiar everyday example is a tax return. Every Form 1040 carries a jurat that reads: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return including any accompanying statements and schedules and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true, correct, and complete.”2Internal Revenue Service. Publication 4164 – Modernized e-File Guide for Software Developers and Transmitters No notary. The penalty-of-perjury language does the same job.
When Notarization Is Still Required
Some categories of documents almost always need a notarized verification, regardless of where you are. The common thread is that these documents create or transfer significant legal rights, and the system wants extra assurance that the right person signed.
- Real estate deeds and mortgages. A deed transferring property ownership generally must be signed before a notary to be recorded with the county. An unrecorded deed can be treated as void against future buyers who don’t know about it.
- Family court petitions. Many courts require notarized verifications on divorce petitions, custody filings, and adoption papers.
- Certain court pleadings. Some state procedural rules require a notarized verification on an answer or complaint, particularly when the filing contains factual allegations the court wants sworn.
- Oaths of office. Federal law explicitly excludes these from the penalty-of-perjury alternative; they must be administered by an authorized official.
How to Tell Which Rule Applies to Your Filing
If you are working from a form provided by a court or agency, the form itself will tell you. Look at the signature block. A notary block with lines for the notary’s signature, seal, and commission expiration means notarization is required. A signature line preceded by penalty-of-perjury language means it is not.
If the form is ambiguous, or you drafted the document yourself, check the procedural rules that govern the filing or call the clerk’s office. Submitting a document without required notarization can get the filing rejected or stricken from the record. Notaries themselves cannot answer this question for you; advising on whether your document needs notarization falls into legal advice, which is outside a notary’s role. For a close call, ask an attorney or the clerk where you are filing.
What Happens If the Verification Is False
Notarized or not, lying on a verification carries the same weight. Federal perjury law reaches statements made under oath before a notary and declarations signed under penalty of perjury under 28 U.S.C. § 1746 alike, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1621 – Perjury Generally State perjury laws vary but generally follow the same pattern.
False statements in court filings also expose you to civil sanctions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11. Signing a court filing certifies that the factual claims have evidentiary support and that the legal arguments are not frivolous. A court that finds a violation can impose sanctions ranging from non-monetary directives to orders requiring payment of the other side’s attorney’s fees, and it can strike the filing or dismiss the case.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 11 – Signing Pleadings, Motions, and Other Papers
If You Do Need a Notary
For a verification, the notary performs a jurat, not an acknowledgment. The difference matters. An acknowledgment only confirms your identity and that you signed voluntarily, and you can sign the document before you appear. A jurat requires the notary to watch you sign and to administer an oath or affirmation that the contents are true. Because a verification is a sworn statement about truthfulness, it takes a jurat.
Bring the unsigned document and a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. Do not sign until you are in front of the notary. The notary will check your ID, watch you sign, ask you to swear or affirm that the statements are true, and complete the notarial certificate with a signature and seal.
If getting to a notary in person is inconvenient, remote online notarization is available in more than 45 states and the District of Columbia as of 2026. You connect over a live audio-video call, verify your identity through digital credential analysis, sign electronically, and the notary applies a digital seal. Remote notarization works for jurats as well as acknowledgments, so a verification can be handled online in states that permit it. Fee caps for remote notarizations are sometimes slightly higher than for in-person work.
Costs for a standard in-person notarization run roughly $2 to $25 per signature depending on the state, with some states setting a fixed cap and others leaving pricing to the notary subject to upfront disclosure. Mobile notaries who travel to you typically add a separate travel fee. Banks and credit unions often notarize documents free for their account holders, and UPS stores, FedEx locations, and law offices commonly have a notary on staff.