District of Columbia Jurat Certificate Form: Wording and the Notary's Limits

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect the District of Columbia Code and the DC Notary Public Handbook, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia before relying on this.

Open the free fillable certificate ↓

Fillable District of Columbia jurat certificate

Enter the date and the signer, and the certificate updates live with the DC wording. Copy or print it and attach it to your affidavit; the seal goes on every notarization.

What is the DC jurat wording?

The handbook states plainly that jurats will contain the words "subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me," and the venue names the District without a county line.

Does a DC notary read the document?

No, and the handbook says so explicitly: District of Columbia notaries public do not read the document presented for notarization, nor are they required to understand or possess knowledge of its contents. District notaries may notarize only the signature of the person personally appearing before them. This is the clearest statement of the notary's limited role anywhere in the country, and it sets a different tone from states such as Colorado, whose handbook asks the notary to check the signer has basic comprehension of what they are signing. In DC, the notary's business is the signature and the identity behind it.

Why is there no county on a DC jurat?

Because the District is not divided into counties, so the venue names the District of Columbia alone rather than a state and county pair. Out-of-state forms often arrive with "State of ______, County of ______" printed on them, and the usual practice is to write "District of Columbia" across the state line and strike the county line rather than invent a jurisdiction. Alaska faces a similar problem from the other direction, since it has boroughs instead of counties and its statutory jurat names a place.

Does the DC seal have to be used every time?

Yes. The jurat, acknowledgment, or other appropriate language and the seal or embosser must be used on each notarization, without exception. The Office of the Secretary publishes short-form certificates covering the common acts, including certifying a true copy, notarizing in a representative capacity, and attesting to a signature, so a notary faced with an unfamiliar request has a starting point. A certificate carrying wording but no seal, or a seal but no wording, is incomplete either way.

What if a DC notary stamp is lost or stolen?

Notify the Office of the Secretary immediately, and the same applies if the stamp, certificate, or sealer is damaged. Two documents are easy to confuse here, and the handbook separates them: the notarial stamp is not the same as the certificate you receive upon taking your oath of office. That certificate is the official document stating you have been appointed a notary public in the District, and it is the only credential the District provides. Losing control of the stamp is what creates fraud risk, which is why the notification is immediate rather than at renewal.

What does a DC jurat actually certify?

That a named person appeared in person, signed in the notary's presence, and swore or affirmed that the contents are true, with the notary having identified them. Nothing in that list touches whether the document is accurate, well drafted, or legally effective, which is precisely why the handbook stresses that notaries do not read it. If someone tells you a DC notarization means the District has approved their paperwork, they have misunderstood what the seal represents.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: District of Columbia Code section 1-1231.18; the DC Notary Public Handbook, Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.