VA Notary Notarial Acts and Certificates 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a notarial act that a Virginia notary is authorized to perform?
- Drafting legal documents
- Taking an acknowledgment (Correct answer)
- Providing legal advice
- Certifying business records
Correct answer: Taking an acknowledgment
Taking acknowledgments is one of the core notarial acts authorized under Virginia law.
Question 2: What does a Virginia notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?
- The truth of the document's contents
- The identity of the signer and that they signed voluntarily (Correct answer)
- The legal validity of the document
- The financial value of the transaction
Correct answer: The identity of the signer and that they signed voluntarily
In an acknowledgment, the notary certifies that they identified the signer and that the signer acknowledged executing the document voluntarily.
Question 3: A jurat requires the signer to:
- Acknowledge a previously signed document
- Sign and swear or affirm to the truth of the document contents in the notary's presence (Correct answer)
- Provide two forms of ID
- Have the document witnessed by two people
Correct answer: Sign and swear or affirm to the truth of the document contents in the notary's presence
A jurat requires the signer to sign the document and take an oath or affirmation before the notary.
Question 4: Which certificate wording is associated with a Virginia jurat?
- Acknowledged before me
- Subscribed and sworn (or affirmed) before me (Correct answer)
- Witness my hand and seal
- Known to me personally
Correct answer: Subscribed and sworn (or affirmed) before me
Jurat certificates include language indicating the document was subscribed and sworn or affirmed before the notary.
Question 5: When may a Virginia notary certify a copy of a document?
- For any original document presented
- Only for documents that are not recordable originals, such as passports (Correct answer)
- For all government-issued documents
- Only for documents fewer than 10 pages
Correct answer: Only for documents that are not recordable originals, such as passports
Virginia notaries may certify copies of documents that are not recordable originals, such as personal IDs and passports.
Question 6: A Virginia notary performing a verbal ceremony for an oath must:
- Have the signer hold a Bible
- Administer the oath audibly and have the signer respond aloud (Correct answer)
- Record the ceremony on audio
- Obtain a witness signature
Correct answer: Administer the oath audibly and have the signer respond aloud
The notary must administer the oath verbally and the person must respond aloud, making it a true verbal ceremony.
VA Notary Notarial Acts and Certificates 1
Which of the following is a notarial act that a Virginia notary is authorized to perform?