Notarial Acts & Their Differences
A Hawaii notary may take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, take depositions and affidavits (jurats), certify or attest copies where authorized, and witness signatures, always completing the required certificate with the notary's certification.
Notarial acts and the certification statement
Hawaii notaries take acknowledgments, administer oaths/affirmations, execute jurats, and witness signatures. Every notarial certificate in Hawaii must include a specific certification statement—date, the parties, the act performed—plus the notary's signature, seal, and certification/identification number. Hawaii's emphasis on a complete certification statement is a distinctive, tested feature.
Acknowledgment vs. jurat
In an acknowledgment the signer declares they signed willingly; in a jurat the signer signs before the notary and swears the contents are true. The Hawaii notary applies the certificate the document specifies and records the act. A non-attorney notary must not choose the act for the signer, which is unauthorized practice of law.