Nebraska Notary Public — All Questions

What does a Nebraska notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?

• a.That the document's contents are true
• b.That the identified individual appeared and acknowledged signing the document voluntarily✓
• c.That the notary reviewed the document for legal accuracy
• d.That the document is now recorded

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the document for its stated purpose. It does not certify that the contents are true (that is a jurat) or that the notary reviewed the document's legality.Nebraska Revised Statutes Ch. 64; Nebraska Notary Public Handbook

What does a Nebraska jurat require that an acknowledgment does not?

• a.The document must be about property
• b.The notary must sign the document as a party
• c.The signer must sign in the notary's presence and swear or affirm the statement is true✓
• d.The signer must provide a passport specifically

A jurat requires the signer to sign in front of the notary and to take an oath or affirmation that the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence.Nebraska Revised Statutes Ch. 64; Nebraska Notary Public Handbook

A signer asks a Nebraska notary which certificate the document needs. What should the notary do?

• a.Ask the signer or the receiving agency which act is required, because choosing it is the unauthorized practice of law✓
• b.Pick an acknowledgment automatically
• c.Refuse to help the signer
• d.Use both an acknowledgment and a jurat to be safe

A non-attorney notary may not decide which notarial act a document needs; that is legal advice. The notary asks the signer, or the agency requiring the document, which act is needed and completes only that certificate.Nebraska Notary Public Handbook (Nebraska Secretary of State)

Which act may a Nebraska notary perform?

• a.Certify a copy of a birth certificate
• b.Grant a divorce
• c.Record a deed with the register of deeds
• d.Administer an oath or affirmation✓

Nebraska notaries take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, and perform jurats. They may not certify vital records, grant divorces, or record documents, which are functions of other offices.Nebraska Revised Statutes Ch. 64; Nebraska Notary Public Handbook

For a standard Nebraska notarization, when may the notary act without the signer physically present?

• a.When the signer emails a scan of the signed page
• b.Never; personal appearance is required, and any remote act must use an approved audio-video platform under Nebraska's online notarization rules✓
• c.When a friend confirms the signer over the phone
• d.When the notary trusts the signer

Personal appearance is required for every notarization. Nebraska authorizes online notarization only through an approved audio-video platform with identity verification. An email scan, phone vouch, or personal trust does not satisfy the appearance requirement.Nebraska Revised Statutes Ch. 64; Nebraska Notary Public Handbook

What must a complete Nebraska notarial certificate include?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the official seal or stamp✓
• b.The signer's thumbprint
• c.The notary's home address
• d.An opinion on the document's validity

A Nebraska certificate shows the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature as commissioned, and the official seal or stamp. Nebraska does not require a thumbprint, and the notary never opines on the document's validity.Nebraska Revised Statutes Ch. 64; Nebraska Notary Public Handbook