Colorado Notary Public — All Questions

What does a Colorado notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?

• a.That the statements in the document are true
• b.That the identified individual appeared and acknowledged signing the record voluntarily✓
• c.That the document complies with all applicable laws
• d.That the notary drafted the document

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the record for its stated purpose. It does not certify the truth of the contents (that is a jurat) or the document's legality.Colorado RULONA (C.R.S. Title 24, Art. 21, Part 5); Colorado Notary Handbook

What does a Colorado jurat require beyond an acknowledgment?

• a.The document must be recorded first
• b.A second notary must co-sign
• c.The signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation as to the truth of the statement✓
• d.The signer must waive the right to counsel

A jurat, or verification on oath or affirmation, requires the signer to sign before the notary and swear or affirm the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence.Colorado RULONA (C.R.S. Title 24, Art. 21, Part 5); Colorado Notary Handbook

A signer asks a Colorado notary which type of notarial certificate the document needs. What should the notary do?

• a.Ask the signer or the receiving agency which act is required, since choosing it is the unauthorized practice of law✓
• b.Choose a jurat because it is more thorough
• c.Decline all service
• d.Choose whichever act is faster

A non-attorney notary may not select the notarial act for a signer; that is legal advice. The notary asks the signer, or the agency that will receive the document, which act is needed and completes that certificate.Colorado Notary Handbook (Colorado Secretary of State)

Which notarial act may a Colorado notary perform?

• a.Certifying a copy of a vital record such as a birth certificate
• b.Issuing an apostille
• c.Granting a name change
• d.Certifying a copy of a record the custodian presents that is not a vital or publicly recorded record✓

Colorado notaries may take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, perform jurats, witness signatures, and certify copies of records the custodian presents. They may not certify vital records, issue apostilles (a Secretary of State function), or handle name changes.Colorado RULONA (C.R.S. Title 24, Art. 21, Part 5); Colorado Notary Handbook

For a standard Colorado notarization, when may the notary act if the signer is not physically present?

• a.If the signer texts a photo of their ID
• b.Never; personal appearance is required, and remote acts require an approved audio-video platform under Colorado's remote notarization rules✓
• c.If a neighbor confirms the signer by phone
• d.If the notary has notarized for the signer before

Personal appearance is required for every notarization. Colorado authorizes remote notarization only through an approved audio-video communication platform with identity verification. A text, phone vouch, or prior acquaintance does not satisfy the appearance requirement.Colorado RULONA (C.R.S. Title 24, Art. 21, Part 5); Colorado Notary Handbook

What must a completed Colorado notarial certificate include?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the official stamp with the commission ID number and expiration✓
• b.The signer's thumbprint
• c.The notary's home phone number
• d.A statement that the document is legally valid

A Colorado certificate shows the venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the official stamp, which includes the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public, State of Colorado,' the commission ID number, and the expiration date. Colorado does not require a thumbprint.Colorado RULONA (C.R.S. Title 24, Art. 21, Part 5); Colorado Notary Handbook