Chapter 1 of 526% of exam
Notarial Acts and Certificates
The acts an Oregon notary performs under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (ORS Chapter 194), how acknowledgments and jurats differ, and what a valid certificate must contain.
The authorized acts
Oregon notaries take acknowledgments, administer oaths and affirmations, perform jurats, witness signatures, and certify copies of records the custodian presents. Each act is distinct, and the notary must not choose the act for the signer.
An acknowledgment certifies the identified signer appeared and acknowledged signing voluntarily.
A jurat certifies the signer signed in the notary's presence and swore or affirmed the statement is true.
A notary may certify a copy the custodian presents, but not vital records or already-recorded public documents.
Choosing the notarial act for a signer is the unauthorized practice of law.
Acknowledgment vs. jurat
The oath and the presence-at-signing requirement separate the two most common acts.
A jurat requires an oath or affirmation; an acknowledgment does not.
For a jurat the signer must sign in front of the notary.
An oath and affirmation carry equal legal weight.
Both acts require identifying the signer.
Personal appearance and remote acts
Every act requires personal appearance. Oregon authorizes remote notarization under set conditions.
Personal appearance is required for every notarization.
Remote acts require an approved audio-video platform with identity verification.
Mailing a document, a phone vouch, or reputation never satisfies personal appearance.
The certificate
The certificate is the notary's official record of the act.
State the venue and the date of the act.
Sign as commissioned and affix the official stamp.
Oregon does not require a thumbprint; never record a Social Security number.
Never include a legal opinion in the certificate.