OH Notary Acknowledgments and Jurats 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a jurat from an acknowledgment in Ohio notary practice?
- A jurat requires the signer to be a US citizen
- A jurat requires the document to be signed in the notary's presence (Correct answer)
- A jurat requires two witnesses to be present
- A jurat only applies to real estate documents
Correct answer: A jurat requires the document to be signed in the notary's presence
In a jurat, the signer must physically sign the document in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation, unlike an acknowledgment where prior signing is permitted.
Question 2: In an Ohio acknowledgment, what must the signer do when appearing before the notary?
- Sign the document in the notary's immediate presence
- Provide two forms of government-issued identification
- Acknowledge that they previously signed the document freely and voluntarily (Correct answer)
- Pay the notary fee before the act is performed
Correct answer: Acknowledge that they previously signed the document freely and voluntarily
In an acknowledgment, the signer acknowledges to the notary that they signed the document of their own free will, which may have occurred prior to appearing before the notary.
Question 3: Which notarial act requires the signer to take an oath or affirmation?
- Acknowledgment
- Copy certification
- Jurat (Correct answer)
- Protest
Correct answer: Jurat
A jurat requires the signer to swear or affirm under oath that the statements in the document are true.
Question 4: What is the written language on a document that describes the notarial act performed called?
- Notarial statement
- Attestation clause
- Notarial certificate (Correct answer)
- Affidavit header
Correct answer: Notarial certificate
The notarial certificate is the written language that records and describes the notarial act performed by the notary.
Question 5: If a document presented to an Ohio notary has no notarial certificate, what is the correct course of action?
- Refuse to notarize the document under any circumstances
- Attach a separate loose certificate with the appropriate notarial language (Correct answer)
- Write available certificate language on the back of the document
- Ask the signer to find a different notary
Correct answer: Attach a separate loose certificate with the appropriate notarial language
When a document lacks a notarial certificate, the notary should attach a separate loose certificate page containing the appropriate notarial language.
Question 6: For an acknowledgment, is the signer required to sign the document in the notary's physical presence?
- Yes, the signer must always sign in the notary's presence
- No, the signer may have signed previously and acknowledge the signature to the notary (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only for legal and real estate documents
- No, an email or phone confirmation is sufficient
Correct answer: No, the signer may have signed previously and acknowledge the signature to the notary
Unlike a jurat, an acknowledgment only requires the signer to acknowledge the prior signature, meaning they do not need to sign in the notary's presence.
Question 7: What information must typically appear in an Ohio notarial certificate?
- The signer's social security number and date of birth
- The venue, notary's signature, commission expiration date, and official seal (Correct answer)
- The property address and county tax identification number
- The signer's employer and annual income
Correct answer: The venue, notary's signature, commission expiration date, and official seal
An Ohio notarial certificate must include the venue (state and county), the notary's signature, commission expiration date, and official notary seal.
OH Notary Acknowledgments and Jurats 1
What distinguishes a jurat from an acknowledgment in Ohio notary practice?