A jurat is the notarial act in which you swear or affirm to a notary public that a document’s contents are true and then sign it in that notary’s presence. Federal regulations define it as “the written statement attesting to the administration of an oath or affirmation.”1eCFR. 22 CFR 92.21 – Notarial Certificate to Oath or Affirmation So when someone asks what a jurat means, the short answer is: it’s the notarization that puts you on the hook for the accuracy of what the document says, not just the authenticity of your signature. Lying on one can be prosecuted as perjury, which carries up to five years in federal prison.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1621 – Perjury Generally
How a Jurat Is Performed
The order of steps is fixed, and each one has to happen. You appear in person before the notary. The notary checks your identity using a government-issued ID or personal knowledge. The notary then administers a verbal oath or affirmation, asking you to confirm the document’s contents are truthful. Only after you answer “yes” do you sign the document in front of the notary. The notary completes the jurat certificate, signs it, and affixes the official seal.1eCFR. 22 CFR 92.21 – Notarial Certificate to Oath or Affirmation
Skipping any of these is a problem. If you signed the document the day before and brought it in already executed, that’s not a jurat. If the notary stamps without administering the oath, that’s not a jurat either, even if the paperwork looks complete.
Oath or Affirmation
You choose the form. An oath is a solemn pledge invoking a higher power, usually phrased as “Do you solemnly swear that the statements in this document are true, so help you God?” An affirmation does the same legal work without the religious reference: “Do you solemnly affirm that the statements in this document are true under penalty of perjury?” Both carry identical legal weight, and a notary must offer the affirmation if you prefer it.
What the Jurat Certificate Must Contain
After you sign, the notary completes a jurat certificate, either pre-printed on the document or attached as a separate page. The standard wording follows the pattern “Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on [date] by [name of signer].” Beyond that language, the certificate needs several specific pieces:3Notary Public Association. Understanding Notary Certificate Wording: A Guide to Acknowledgments and Jurats
- The venue — the state and county where the notarization actually took place. If the document pre-prints a venue that doesn’t match, the notary has to correct it.
- The date the oath or affirmation was administered and the document was signed.
- Your name as it appears on the document.
- The notary’s handwritten signature and official seal, showing their name, commission number, and expiration date.
A certificate missing any of these can be challenged and potentially rejected by a court or filing office.
Jurat vs. Acknowledgment
These are the two most common notarial acts and the pair people most often confuse. The core difference is simple: a jurat verifies that what the document says is true, while an acknowledgment verifies that you’re the person who signed it and did so voluntarily.
That difference changes how each one works in practice:
- Signing timing. For a jurat you must sign in the notary’s presence. For an acknowledgment you can sign beforehand and later confirm the signature is yours.
- Oath. A jurat always includes a verbal oath or affirmation. An acknowledgment does not.
- What’s being verified. A jurat certifies the truthfulness of the content. An acknowledgment certifies only that the signature is genuine and voluntary.
Acknowledgments fit agreements you’re entering into, like deeds and contracts. Jurats fit factual statements you’re swearing are accurate, like affidavits and sworn financial disclosures.
Figuring Out Which One Your Document Needs
Read the language of the document itself. Words like “sworn,” “under oath,” “affirmed,” “under penalty of perjury,” or “verified” point to a jurat. If the document carries a pre-printed notary block, check whether it says “subscribed and sworn” (jurat) or “acknowledged before me” (acknowledgment). When the document is silent, the requesting party or the court that will receive it can tell you which to use. A notary cannot make the choice for you; that would be giving legal advice.
Documents That Usually Need a Jurat
Any document in which you’re asserting facts under oath will typically require a jurat. Common examples:
- Affidavits — written statements of fact used in court proceedings. Every affidavit, by definition, needs a sworn oath, so the jurat is essential to validity.
- Depositions — transcribed testimony given outside court, where the witness swears to the accuracy of their statements before a notary or other authorized officer.
- Sworn financial statements, such as bankruptcy schedules or loan applications, where you certify that reported income, debts, and assets are accurate.
- Government applications, including certain immigration forms, permit applications, and benefit claims that require you to swear the information is true.
When the Notary Skips the Oath
This is where most jurat problems come from, and it happens more often than people expect. A notary who simply watches you sign and stamps the certificate without administering the verbal oath has not performed a valid jurat. The document looks notarized but isn’t. Courts have invalidated affidavits on exactly this basis. In one federal case, the Fifth Circuit held that a notary’s failure to certify witnessing the oath meant there was no valid jurat, even though the document itself began with standard “makes oath and says” language. The acknowledgment stamp the notary used in its place was not enough, and the court threw the document out.
If a notary doesn’t verbally pose the oath or affirmation and wait for your answer, the jurat is defective. Don’t let anyone treat that step as a formality.
Perjury Exposure for False Sworn Content
The oath isn’t ceremony. It creates real legal exposure. If you swear a document’s contents are true and they aren’t, you can be prosecuted for perjury. Federal law requires proof that you took an oath before a competent officer, made a false statement about something material, and did so knowingly. The penalty is a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1621 – Perjury Generally
State penalties vary, but perjury is treated seriously everywhere. Many states classify it as a felony, with sentences ranging from two to ten years for aggravated perjury tied to official proceedings. Even misdemeanor-level perjury can bring up to a year in jail and substantial fines. The statutory word that matters is “material”: the false statement has to bear on the outcome or purpose of the document. Trivial inaccuracies usually don’t clear that bar, but prosecutors read “material” broadly.
Remote Online Jurats
Most states now permit remote online notarization, which lets you appear before a notary through live audio-video technology instead of in person. Jurats can be performed remotely, but the substance of the act doesn’t change. The notary verifies your identity, administers the verbal oath or affirmation over the video connection, watches you sign, and completes the certificate. The main additions are that the session must be recorded as an audio-video file and retained by the notary, and the notary has to use identity verification technology, such as credential analysis, alongside the video feed.
The jurat certificate for a remote notarization reads slightly differently because it has to indicate you appeared remotely rather than in person. If the document is going to a court or government office, confirm with that office that it accepts remotely notarized jurats. Most do; some still require physical presence for certain sworn documents.