Notarial Acts and Certificates
The acts a Montana notary is authorized to perform under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (MCA Title 1, ch. 5), how they differ, and what every certificate must contain.
The acts a Montana notary may perform
Montana notaries take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, perform verifications on oath or affirmation (jurats), witness or attest signatures, and certify or attest copies. Each act has its own purpose, and the notary must know which one a document calls for without choosing it for the signer.
Acknowledgment vs. jurat
Confusing these two is the most common notarial error. The oath and the presence-at-signing requirement are what set them apart.
Copy certifications and refusals
Montana notaries can certify copies, but not of records another official is charged with keeping. Knowing when to refuse protects the public and the notary.
The notarial certificate
The certificate is the notary's official statement of what was done. Montana law fixes its required elements.