Notary glossary
The words on your form, explained
City permit and license forms borrow a lot of notary vocabulary: jurat, acknowledgment, affiant, venue. Here is what each one means, in plain English, and how it affects your online notarization.
- Acknowledgment
- A notarial act where you declare to the notary that you signed a document willingly. You can sign before the meeting; the notary confirms your identity and your acknowledgment, then completes the certificate. Deeds, powers of attorney and most agreements use an acknowledgment. Contrast a jurat, where you sign in front of the notary and swear the contents are true.
- Full explanation of acknowledgment →
- See also: Jurat, Notarial certificate, Affiant, Sworn statement
- Affiant
- The person who signs an affidavit and swears or affirms that its contents are true.
- Full explanation of affiant →
- See also: Affidavit, Jurat, Self-proving affidavit
- Affidavit
- A written statement of facts that the signer swears or affirms is true in front of a notary. City permit packets are full of them: owner-builder affidavits, roofing affidavits, survey affidavits. An affidavit needs a jurat, not an acknowledgment.
- See also: Jurat, Affiant, Sworn statement, Self-proving affidavit
- Affirmation
- A solemn declaration that a statement is true, made instead of an oath by people who prefer not to swear. It has the same legal effect as an oath.
- See also: Oath, Jurat
- Apostille
- A certificate issued by a designated government authority, in the United States usually a Secretary of State, that authenticates a notarized or official document for use in another country belonging to the Hague Apostille Convention. It confirms the signature, seal and authority of the official who signed, including a notary's commission. It does not certify the document's contents.
- Full explanation of apostille →
- See also: Authentication, Notary public, Commission, Notarial certificate
- Attorney-in-fact
- The person a power of attorney authorises to act for someone else. Despite the name, an attorney-in-fact does not have to be a lawyer, it is usually a spouse, an adult child or a trusted friend. The person granting the authority is the principal.
- Full explanation of attorney-in-fact →
- See also: Principal (signer), Acknowledgment, Notary public
- Authentication
- The equivalent of an apostille for countries that are not part of the Hague Convention. The document is certified by the state and then legalized by the destination country's embassy or consulate.
- See also: Apostille
- CMRA (commercial mail receiving agency)
- A private business authorised by the USPS to receive mail on someone else's behalf: a mailbox store or virtual mailbox provider. Appointing one requires USPS Form 1583, which needs a notarized signature, and the post office cannot provide the notary itself.
- See also: Notarization
- Certification of trust
- A short sworn summary a trustee gives a bank or title company instead of the full trust document: confirming the trust exists, who the trustee is and what they are authorised to do, without disclosing the beneficiaries or the terms. Most states require it to be signed under penalty of perjury, and institutions commonly ask for it to be notarized. What must appear in one, and whether notarization is required rather than merely customary, is set by state statute.
- See also: Affidavit, Sworn statement, Acknowledgment
- Commission
- The authorization a state gives a notary to perform notarial acts, for a fixed term. A notary's commission number and expiration date appear on every certificate they complete.
- Credential analysis
- Automated checking of a government ID (driver's license, passport) during a remote online notarization: security features, barcode data and expiration are verified before the video session.
- See also: Identity proofing, Remote online notarization (RON)
- Credible witness
- A person who knows the signer and vouches for their identity to the notary when the signer has no acceptable ID. Rules on who qualifies vary by state.
- Full explanation of credible witness →
- See also: Witness, Satisfactory evidence of identity, Personally known, Identity proofing
- Declaration
- An unsworn written statement signed under penalty of perjury. Federal law and most states let a declaration stand in for an affidavit in many filings, which means it usually needs no notary at all. An affidavit is the sworn version, and that one does.
- Full explanation of declaration →
- See also: Affidavit, Affiant, Sworn statement, Jurat
- Electronic notarization (e-notarization)
- Notarizing an electronic document with an electronic signature and seal. The signer may still appear in person; contrast with remote online notarization, where the signer appears by video.
- Full explanation of electronic notarization (e-notarization) →
- See also: Remote online notarization (RON)
- Electronic seal
- The digital equivalent of a notary's rubber stamp: the notary's name, commission number and expiration attached to an electronic document, usually protected by a digital certificate so any later change is detectable.
- Identity proofing
- The identity checks a remote notary performs before a video session: credential analysis of your ID plus knowledge-based questions drawn from public records. Both must pass.
- See also: Credential analysis, Knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
- Jurat
- A notarial act where you sign the document in the notary's presence and swear or affirm that its contents are true. The certificate reads "sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before me". Affidavits and sworn applications use a jurat.
- Full explanation of jurat →
- See also: Acknowledgment, Affidavit, Oath, Self-proving affidavit
- Knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
- A short quiz of personal-history questions (previous addresses, loans, vehicles) generated from public records, used in remote online notarization to confirm you are who your ID says.
- Full explanation of knowledge-based authentication (kba) →
- See also: Identity proofing
- Notarial certificate
- The wording the notary completes and signs on the document: the venue (state and county), the date, the type of act (jurat or acknowledgment), the signer's name, and the notary's signature and seal. If a form has no certificate, the notary attaches a loose one.
- Full explanation of notarial certificate →
- See also: Jurat, Acknowledgment, Venue
- Notarization
- The process by which a commissioned notary verifies a signer's identity and willingness, witnesses or takes an oath on the signature, and completes a certificate. It deters fraud; it does not make a document "legal" or check that its contents are correct.
- Notary public
- A person commissioned by a state to serve as an impartial witness to signatures, administer oaths and certify copies. Rush Notary's notaries perform these acts online by video.
- See also: Commission, Remote online notarization (RON)
- Oath
- A sworn promise that a statement is true, made to the notary before signing an affidavit or sworn application. An affirmation is the non-religious equivalent.
- See also: Affirmation, Jurat
- Owner-builder affidavit
- A sworn statement, required by many cities before a building permit is issued, in which a property owner declares they will do the work themselves (or supervise it) instead of hiring a licensed contractor, and accepts the responsibilities that come with it.
- See also: Affidavit
- Personally known
- One way a notary can identify a signer: the notary already knows the person well enough to be certain of their identity, so no ID is checked. Not available in remote online notarization, which always requires ID.
- Principal (signer)
- The person whose signature is being notarized. Also called the signer.
- Remote online notarization (RON)
- Notarization over a live audio-video call. The signer and notary are in different places; the signer's identity is verified with credential analysis and KBA, the session is recorded, and the document is signed and sealed electronically. This is how Rush Notary works.
- See also: Identity proofing, Electronic seal, Notary public
- Self-proving affidavit
- A sworn statement attached to a will, signed by the testator and the witnesses in front of a notary, confirming that the will was properly signed and witnessed. It lets a probate court accept the will without tracking the witnesses down years later.
- Full explanation of self-proving affidavit →
- See also: Affidavit, Affiant, Jurat, Notarial certificate
- Satisfactory evidence of identity
- The legal standard a notary must meet before notarizing: a current government-issued photo ID, a credible witness, or personal knowledge, depending on the state.
- See also: Credible witness, Personally known
- Sworn statement
- Any statement made under oath or affirmation. An affidavit is a sworn statement in writing.
- Full explanation of sworn statement →
- See also: Affidavit, Jurat, Acknowledgment, Oath, Declaration, Self-proving affidavit
- Venue
- The "State of ___, County of ___" line at the top of a notarial certificate. It records where the notarization took place, for an online notarization, where the notary is, not the signer.
- See also: Notarial certificate
- Witness
- A person who watches you sign and signs the document too. Some documents (wills, some deeds) need one or two witnesses in addition to the notary; the notary can sometimes act as one. Requirements are set by state law, so check the requirements page for your document.
- See also: Credible witness
State rules on ID, witnesses and which documents can be notarized online are on the requirements page. Still unsure what your form needs? Read the FAQs or ask us.
The notary guides answer the practical questions these terms sit behind: where to get a document notarized, whether a notary can certify a copy, and whether a notarization expires. The document guides cover specific paperwork.