Glossary of terms

A notarial act whereby the signer of a document admits to an officer of the state, such as a  notary public, that he/she/they signed the document; that he/she/they understands the contents of the document and that he/she/they are aware of the consequences of executing the document by will and was not coerced into signing a document that he/she/they did not want to sign.

A document in which the affiant (the person making the affidavit) makes a statement and swears or affirms under penalty of perjury that the information in the statement is the truth. The affidavit will contain a jurat notarial certificate. The affiant must sign the statement in the presence of a notary.

A solemn statement of truth made under penalty of perjury, equivalent by law to an oath, but without religious significance or reference to a Supreme Being.

A copy of a document or record, signed and certified as a true copy by the public official who has custody of the original record (for example, the local clerk of courts or state department of vital statistics). The term "certified copy" sometimes is used interchangeably with "attested copy", even though these are two different things.

The process in which the notary takes an affidavit from the document custodian (person who has charge or custody of the document) stating that the document to which the affidavit is attached is a true and complete copy of a document that is neither a vital record or publicly recordable document.

An individual that provides a way to positively identify a signer who lacks satisfactory identification documents. The credible witness must be able to truthfully swear an oath/affirmation that: he/she/they personally knows the signer; the signer has no other form of acceptable ID; such ID would be difficult or impossible for the signer to obtain; and the credible witness has no connection to the underlying transaction.

A document that requires a signature and a notarial act to be fully executed.

The written notarial certificate found on an affidavit, application or other document, indicating that the signer swore or affirmed to the notary under penalty of perjury that the information in the document is the truth. It also certifies that the signer signed the document in the presence of the notary on the date indicated in the jurat.

A written statement signed and sealed by the notary public certifying the facts of the notarial act performed immediately prior to filling out the notarial certificate.

Any form of attestation or pledge by which a person signifies that he/she/they are bound in conscience and out of a sense of responsibility to a Supreme Being to the truthfulness of some statement. Willingly swearing to untrue statements constitutes perjury.

Making a false statement under oath or affirmation. Perjury is a crime punishable by a fine and/or prison term.

A document that the recording authority (clerk of the county court, for example) is authorized to record, usually by state statute. Certified copies of a recordable document may not be made by a notary public. A certified copy of a recordable document must be obtained from the recording authority.

An original document held by a state agency (or sometimes also held by the county of record) having to do with the birth, marriage, divorce, or death of an individual. Some states will include adoption documents and codicils made to correct mistakes on an original record as vital records. A certified copy of a vital record must be obtained from the agency that holds the original vital record. A notary may not certify a copy of a vital record.

To observe the execution of, as that of an instrument, or to sign one's name to an instrument, to authenticate it (attest it).