To fill out a New York notary jurat form, you complete the body of your affidavit or sworn statement in advance, appear before the notary with valid ID, take an oath that the contents are true, sign in the notary’s presence, and let the notary complete the certificate block with the venue, date, your name, their signature, and the commission details required by state law. The jurat is the short paragraph at the end of a sworn document that proves all of that happened.
What the Jurat Certificate Has to Say
New York does not have a single statute spelling out the exact jurat wording the way Real Property Law Section 309-a prescribes the acknowledgment form.1New York State Senate. New York Code RPP 309-A – Uniform Forms of Certificates of Acknowledgment or Proof Within This State The format is a longstanding convention, printed on standard forms by the Secretary of State and legal stationery suppliers. A typical certificate reads:
State of New York, County of [county name]. Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me this [day] day of [month], [year], by [name of signer]. Followed by the notary’s signature, stamp, and commission details.
Every piece matters. The venue block identifies the county where you and the notary are physically located at the moment of the oath. The “subscribed and sworn to before me” phrase confirms two things happened in front of the notary: you signed, and you swore the contents were true. The date fixes when, and your printed name fixes who. If the county in the venue doesn’t match where the notarization actually took place, a court or agency can reject the document.
What You Fill In and What the Notary Fills In
You are responsible for the body of the document above the jurat and for your printed name if the form asks for it. You leave the signature line blank until you are in front of the notary.
The notary fills in the venue county, the date of the oath, your name as the person who appeared, and their own signature. Executive Law Section 137 then requires the notary to print, typewrite, or stamp the following beneath their signature in black ink:2New York State Senate. New York Code EXC 137 – Statement as to Authority of Notaries Public
- Their full name as it appears on their commission.
- The exact phrase “Notary Public State of New York.”
- The county where they originally qualified, which is not necessarily the county where the jurat is being performed.
- Their commission expiration date.
- Any additional county where they have filed a certificate of official character.
Most notaries use a pre-inked stamp that covers all of this. If any of it is missing, a court clerk may bounce the filing even though the statute says an act is not automatically invalid for the omission.
Preparing the Document and Your ID
Fill in every blank in the document before the appointment. Empty fields above the signature line invite later tampering, and most notaries will refuse to proceed with a half-completed form. Leave the signature line itself blank. The whole point of a jurat is that the notary watches you sign, so arriving with the document already signed defeats the process and may force an awkward workaround like signing again or initialing under oath.
Make sure the name on your ID matches the name on the document. A middle initial versus a full middle name is usually workable; two different names will stop the process. If you have recently changed your name, bring the marriage certificate or court order that supports it.3Department of State. Notary Public – Frequently Asked Questions
For identification, the most common method is a current government-issued photo ID card that includes your signature. A New York driver’s license, a U.S. passport, or a DMV non-driver ID all qualify.4Legal Information Institute. New York Code 19 NYCRR 182.5 – Satisfactory Evidence of Identity If you don’t have one, the regulations allow alternatives:
- Two current documents bearing your signature from an institution, business, or federal or state government. Neither needs a photo, but both must be current.
- Personal knowledge, if the notary already knows you.
- One credible witness who personally knows both you and the notary and will take an oath vouching for your identity.
- Two credible witnesses who know you but not the notary, each presenting their own government photo ID.
An expired license will get you turned away. So will a document that doesn’t match your ID.
Taking the Oath and Signing
Once the notary is satisfied with your identity, they administer a verbal oath or affirmation. Under CPLR 2309, the oath must be “in a form calculated to awaken the conscience and impress the mind of the person taking it in accordance with his religious or ethical beliefs.”5New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Section 2309 – Oaths and Affirmations In practice the notary asks something close to: “Do you swear or affirm that the statements in this document are true?” You answer yes.
If swearing conflicts with your beliefs, you have the right to affirm instead, and the affirmation carries the same legal weight. The notary should offer the choice without requiring an explanation.
After the oath, you sign the document while the notary watches. The notary then completes the jurat certificate and applies their stamp. Once the fee is paid, the document is ready for filing.
Remote Online Jurats
You can complete a jurat remotely in New York. Executive Law Section 135-c authorizes electronic notarization, and a notary who has registered their electronic capability with the Secretary of State can administer oaths and take affidavits through audio-video communication technology.6New York State Senate. New York Code EXC 135-C – Electronic Notarization
The conditions are specific. The notary must be physically located in New York at the time of the act, though you can be anywhere. The video connection must be live, not a recording. The notary must use at least two different methods to verify your identity. The jurat certificate itself must state that you appeared through communication technology rather than in person, and the notary must retain a recording of the session for at least ten years.7New York State Senate. New York Executive Law Section 135-C – Electronic Notarization Not every notary is registered for this, so confirm the capability before scheduling. You will sign electronically rather than with pen and ink.
What the Notary Can Charge
Executive Law Section 136 caps the notary fee for administering an oath or affirmation and certifying it at $2.00.8New York State Department of State. Notary Public License Law That is the maximum for the notarial act itself, whether the document is a court affidavit or a personal sworn statement. Mobile notaries who travel to you may charge an additional, unregulated travel fee.
Jurat or Acknowledgment: Make Sure You Need a Jurat
The document you are signing dictates which notarial act you need, and the two are not interchangeable. If the certificate reads “subscribed and sworn to before me,” you need a jurat and the process above applies. If it reads “acknowledged before me,” you need an acknowledgment under Real Property Law Section 309-a instead; the notary does not put you under oath and does not need to watch you sign.1New York State Senate. New York Code RPP 309-A – Uniform Forms of Certificates of Acknowledgment or Proof Within This State Acknowledgments are the standard act for deeds, mortgages, and powers of attorney. Attaching the wrong certificate can mean refiling the whole document.
Why the Oath Is Not a Formality
Signing under a jurat puts you under oath, and lying in a sworn document is perjury under New York Penal Law Article 210. Third-degree perjury is a class A misdemeanor that can carry up to a year in jail; the higher degrees are felonies with substantially longer exposure. That is the reason the notary administers the oath before you sign rather than after. The moment you say yes, you have acknowledged, on the record, that the statements you are about to put your name on are true.