To fill out a California jurat form, download the official certificate from the Secretary of State, bring valid photo ID and your unsigned document to a notary, swear under oath that the contents are true, and sign the document in the notary’s presence so the notary can complete and seal the certificate. The signer does not fill in the jurat language itself; the notary does. Your job is to show up with the right ID, the right document, and an understanding that you cannot sign ahead of time.
Get the Official Form
The California Secretary of State publishes the jurat certificate as a free PDF on its notary page.1California Secretary of State. Jurats The layout has to match what Government Code Section 8202 prescribes, so printing the official version is safer than retyping one from a template.2California Legislative Information. California Code, Government Code GOV 8202 – Notary Public Duties Small differences in wording can get the whole document bounced by a court clerk or recorder.
Most notaries keep their own pre-printed jurat certificates on hand, so you may not need to bring one at all. Ask when you book the appointment. If the notary wants you to supply it, pull it from the Secretary of State’s site rather than a third-party form bank.
What the Form Contains and Who Fills In What
The jurat certificate has a predictable layout, and almost every blank on it is the notary’s to complete. Knowing what each piece is for helps you spot problems before you leave the appointment.
At the top sits a boxed disclaimer stating that the notary is verifying only the identity of the signer, not the truth or validity of the document. Section 8202 requires that language to be legible and enclosed in a box.1California Secretary of State. Jurats You do not touch this section.
Below the disclaimer is a venue line reading “State of California, County of ___.” The notary fills in the county where the notarization is physically happening, not the county where you live or where the document will be filed.
The core certificate language reads: “Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this ___ day of ___, 20___, by ___,” followed by a line confirming that the signer proved their identity through satisfactory evidence.2California Legislative Information. California Code, Government Code GOV 8202 – Notary Public Duties The notary writes in the date and your name exactly as it appears on your ID. The notary then signs the certificate and applies the official seal in the space at the bottom.
Your only piece of writing on the whole page is the signature on the document itself, which is attached to or precedes the jurat certificate. That signature happens in front of the notary, not before.
Make Sure Your Name Matches Your ID
The name the notary writes on the jurat has to match the identification you present. If your license says “Michael James Rivera” and you’ve signed the document “Mike Rivera,” the notary may ask you to redo the signature or amend the document before proceeding. Check both before you arrive.
What To Bring for Identification
California’s definition of satisfactory evidence sits in Civil Code Section 1185. Any single document from the list below is enough on its own, provided it is current or was issued within the past five years:
- California driver’s license or ID card issued by the DMV
- U.S. passport issued by the Department of State
- Out-of-state driver’s license or ID card from another U.S. state, or from a Canadian or Mexican public agency authorized to issue driver’s licenses
- U.S. military ID from any branch of the Armed Forces
- Valid consular identification document or foreign passport from your country of citizenship
- California state, city, or county government employee ID
- Federally recognized tribal government ID
- Inmate ID issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or by a sheriff’s department for inmates in local detention
Every document on this list other than the California DMV card and U.S. passport must carry a photograph, a physical description, your signature, and a serial or identifying number to qualify.3California Secretary of State. California Notary Public Handbook
If you have none of these, California allows one or two credible witnesses to vouch for you instead. One witness is enough if the notary personally knows that witness; otherwise you need two. Each witness presents their own valid ID and swears that they personally know you, that you are the person named in the document, and that your circumstances make acceptable ID very difficult or impossible to obtain. A witness cannot be named in the document or have a financial stake in it.3California Secretary of State. California Notary Public Handbook
What Happens at the Appointment
A jurat has three parts that must all happen in a single in-person session: you appear, you swear, and you sign while the notary watches. Doing them out of order invalidates the jurat.
You hand over your ID. The notary checks it is current or within the five-year window and that you match the person on it. Credible witness procedures, if any, happen at this point.
Then the notary administers an oath or affirmation. This is a verbal exchange. The notary asks you to swear, or affirm if you prefer a non-religious version, that the contents of the document are true. This oral step is the whole point of a jurat and is what separates it from an acknowledgment.
You then sign the document while the notary watches. If you already signed before arriving, the notary will have you sign again.2California Legislative Information. California Code, Government Code GOV 8202 – Notary Public Duties
Finally, the notary fills in the date, your name, and the county on the certificate, signs it, and applies the official seal.
What It Costs
The fee for the notarial act is capped at $15 per signature.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8211 – Notaries Public Multiple signatures on the same document mean multiple $15 charges. Mobile notaries who come to your home or office can add a separate travel fee on top; the $15 cap covers only the notarial act itself.
Make Sure You Actually Need a Jurat
Jurats and acknowledgments get mixed up often, and bringing the wrong certificate is a common reason documents get rejected. A jurat requires a sworn oath about the truth of the document and requires you to sign in front of the notary. An acknowledgment has no oath about truthfulness; you confirm only that you signed voluntarily and understand what the document does, and you can sign an acknowledgment ahead of time.5California Secretary of State. Acknowledgments
Affidavits and sworn declarations almost always call for a jurat. Deeds, contracts, and powers of attorney usually call for an acknowledgment. If the document itself does not say, check with the court or agency that will receive it before you book the notary.
What a False Oath Can Cost You
The oath is not a formality. Signing a document you know contains false statements after swearing to it is perjury, which California treats as a felony punishable by two, three, or four years in state prison.6Justia Law. California Penal Code 118-131 Federal proceedings bring their own perjury exposure under 18 U.S.C. ยง 1621, with penalties of up to five years in federal prison.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1621 – Perjury Generally A court can also throw the document out, which can gut whatever legal position it was supporting.
You Still Have To Show Up In Person
California does not yet permit remote online notarization. Every notarial act, jurat included, requires the signer to appear physically before the notary; a video call does not count. Senate Bill 696, the Online Notarization Act, has been signed but is not set to take effect until January 1, 2030 at the earliest, and only once the Secretary of State certifies the supporting technology infrastructure is in place.3California Secretary of State. California Notary Public Handbook Until then, plan on going to a notary or having a mobile notary come to you.