To write an attestation statement, identify yourself by full legal name, state the specific facts you know firsthand in numbered paragraphs, and close with the federal penalty-of-perjury declaration followed by your signature and the date. Done correctly, that unsworn written statement carries the same legal weight as testimony given under oath, without a notary administering anything. Done sloppily, it gets bounced back or, if the facts aren’t true, exposes you to federal perjury charges.
The Parts Every Attestation Needs
Requirements shift with context, but the same elements show up in nearly every valid attestation. Build your draft around this list:
- Your full legal name, and where relevant your address, title, or credentials.
- The person or document the attestation concerns, identified specifically. For a medical record, that means the patient’s name and ID number; for employment, the employee’s information.
- The specific facts you’re confirming. Each one has to be something you observed or know directly.
- The date of the event or record you’re attesting to, and the date you’re signing. These are usually different, and both matter.
- A penalty-of-perjury clause, if the attestation needs to carry the force of sworn testimony.
- Your personal signature. In most contexts, only the person with direct knowledge can sign.
One point worth stating plainly before you start writing: an attestation is for facts you know firsthand. It isn’t the place for opinions, interpretations, or anything you heard secondhand. Medicare reviewers, for example, throw out an attestation signed by anyone other than the original author of the record, no matter how clean the drafting is.
Drafting It Step by Step
Title and Opening
Give the document a clear title: “Attestation of [Subject]” or “Attestation Statement Regarding [Topic].” Then open with a single sentence identifying yourself: “I, [Your Full Legal Name], [role or address if relevant], attest and declare as follows.” Skip the preamble. Your reader already knows what the document is for.
Body: State the Facts
Use numbered paragraphs if you’re attesting to more than one fact, and keep each paragraph to a single discrete point. Write in the first person. Use plain language. “I personally examined the employee’s passport on June 3, 2026” works; “I do hereby attest to having reviewed documentation presented by the aforementioned individual” doesn’t.
Be specific. If you’re attesting to the authenticity of a signature, name whose signature it is, which document it appears on, and the date the document was signed. If you’re attesting to events, say what happened, when, and how you came to know. Vague language is the fastest way to a rejection. “I confirm that everything is accurate” tells the reader nothing.
Closing: The Penalty-of-Perjury Clause
This is where most of the legal weight sits. To give an unsworn written statement the same effect as testimony under oath, federal law prescribes the exact language. The statute is 28 U.S.C. § 1746, and the clause reads:
“I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [date].”
Put that language above your signature, then sign. If you’re signing from outside the United States, the statute requires you to add “under the laws of the United States of America” after “penalty of perjury.” Below the clause, print your name, your title or credentials if applicable, and the date. Some recipients want contact information in the signature block too, so check their format before you submit.
Do You Need a Witness or Notary?
Usually not. The purpose of the 28 U.S.C. § 1746 declaration is that it replaces the sworn oath a notary would otherwise administer, so a properly worded attestation generally stands on its own.
Some documents are exceptions. Wills typically require witnesses — the Uniform Probate Code calls for at least two — and powers of attorney in many states also require two witnesses. When witnesses are required, they should be disinterested, meaning they have no personal stake in the outcome. A beneficiary named in a will shouldn’t serve as an attesting witness. Witnesses need to be adults who are mentally competent at the time of signing.
Notarization is a separate question. Some recipients insist on it even when the law doesn’t, and certain documents like real estate deeds require it outright. If you need a notary, bring government-issued photo identification, sign in the notary’s presence, and let the notary affix the seal. As of early 2025, at least 45 states and the District of Columbia allow remote online notarization, so appearing in person isn’t the only option in most of the country.
Electronic signatures are generally valid under the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, provided the signer has consented to electronic delivery. Some agencies and courts still want wet ink on originals, so confirm with your recipient before you file an electronic version.
Mistakes That Get Attestations Rejected
The format is simple. The errors that bounce attestations back are predictable:
- Wrong signer. The person signing has to be the person with direct knowledge. In medical records, that means the original author of the entry, not a colleague.
- Missing or inconsistent dates. Leave either date blank, or list dates that don’t line up, and the recipient flags the whole document.
- Vague factual claims. Specify which document, which signature, which event.
- Omitting the perjury clause. Without the 28 U.S.C. § 1746 language, your attestation may be treated as a letter rather than a legal declaration.
- Name mismatches. Your printed name, your signature, and the name on any supporting identification should all match. Small spelling differences cause real delays.
- Using a free-form statement when a specific form is required. Medicare has its own attestation format. Employment verification uses Form I-9. HIPAA-related attestations follow a model published by the Department of Health and Human Services. Check what your recipient requires before you draft anything from scratch.
What a False Attestation Costs You
Signing an attestation under penalty of perjury commits you the same way sworn testimony does. If you include a statement you know to be false, you’ve committed federal perjury, and the maximum punishment is five years in prison, a fine, or both. It applies whether you sign inside or outside the United States.
A separate federal statute covers false statements made to any branch of the federal government. If your attestation goes to a federal agency and contains a materially false claim, you face up to five years in prison even without a penalty-of-perjury clause on the document. For false statements tied to certain serious offenses, the maximum rises to eight years. Most states have their own false-statement laws on top of that, with their own prison time and fines.
The practical rule is short. If you aren’t certain a fact is true, don’t attest to it.