Oregon Notary Public — All Questions

What does an Oregon notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?

• a.That the document is recorded
• b.That the notary approves the document's terms
• c.That the identified individual appeared and acknowledged signing the record voluntarily✓
• d.That the statements in the document are true

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 approve the document's terms.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What does an Oregon jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) require that an acknowledgment does not?

• a.The signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation as to the truth of the statement✓
• b.The document must be about real estate
• c.The document must be notarized twice
• d.The signer must be an Oregon resident

A jurat requires the signer to sign in front of the notary and to swear or affirm that the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

A signer asks an Oregon notary which notarial 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.Refuse to serve the signer
• c.Choose a jurat because it is more formal
• d.Notarize with no certificate

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.Oregon Notary Public Guide (Oregon Secretary of State)

Which act may an Oregon notary perform?

• a.Record a deed in county records
• b.Certify a copy of a record the custodian presents that is not a vital or publicly recorded record✓
• c.Certify a copy of a birth certificate
• d.Issue an apostille

Oregon notaries 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 record documents.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

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

• a.Never; personal appearance is required, and remote acts require an approved audio-video platform under Oregon's remote notarization rules✓
• b.When the signer is well known in the community
• c.When the signer mails the signed document
• d.When a family member vouches by phone

Personal appearance is required for every notarization. Oregon authorizes remote notarization only through an approved audio-video platform with identity verification. Mailing a document, a phone vouch, or community reputation does not satisfy the appearance requirement.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide

What must a complete Oregon notarial certificate include?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the official stamp✓
• b.A legal opinion about the document
• c.The signer's thumbprint
• d.The notary's date of birth

An Oregon certificate shows the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature as commissioned, and the official stamp. Oregon does not require a thumbprint, and the notary never includes a legal opinion.ORS Chapter 194 (Oregon RULONA); Oregon Notary Public Guide