How do you fill out a jurat?

Enter the venue, the date of the oath and the signer's name, then the notary signs, stamps and adds the commission expiration after the signer swears and signs in person.

What is the most common jurat mistake?

Letting the signer sign the document before the appointment. A jurat requires the signature to be made in front of the notary, along with the oath.

Who fills in the jurat, the signer or the notary?

The notary completes the certificate. The signer provides the statement and takes the oath, but the venue, date and notary block are the notary's to fill.

Does a jurat example change by state?

Yes. The blanks are similar everywhere, but the exact wording follows each state's law, so use the certificate for the state where the document is used.

Jurat Example, Filled Out Step by Step

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The example uses common uniform-law wording; your state may differ and the law can change. Confirm your state's certificate before relying on this.

Quick answer: A filled-out jurat shows the state and county, then "Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on July 24, 2026 by John Smith," followed by the notary's signature, stamp and commission expiration. The signer swears the statement is true and signs in front of the notary; the notary completes the certificate. Below is a worked sample and a tool that fills one for you.

Open the free fillable certificate ↓

Jurat example, filled out

Type your own details and the tool rebuilds the certificate live. The static sample beneath it shows every blank completed so you can see where each entry goes.

What does a completed jurat look like?

A completed jurat, in statute a verification on oath or affirmation, looks like a short block naming the place and date of the oath, the person who swore it, and the notary who took it. You meet this filled-in certificate at the foot of an affidavit or any sworn statement. Here is the same certificate filled in with sample details, so the empty version on your document stops being abstract. Notice there is no space for the signer to sign inside the certificate: the signer signs the statement above, and the notary's block only records that the oath happened.

State of Florida
County of Miami-Dade

Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on July 24, 2026 by John Smith.

Jane A. Doe___________________________
Signature of notary public
(Official stamp)
My commission expires: January 1, 2030

How do you fill out each blank on a jurat?

You fill the venue, the date and the signer's name, and the notary supplies the rest. Work through it in order so nothing is missed.

State and county: the place where the oath is taken, not where the document was written.
Date: the day the signer appears and swears, which the notary fills at the appointment.
Name of signer: the person making the statement, spelled as on their identification.
Notary signature and stamp: added by the notary after the oath and after the signer signs in person.
Commission expiration: the date the notary's commission ends, from their stamp or records.

What is a common mistake when filling out a jurat?

The most common mistake is letting the signer sign the document before the appointment, which a jurat does not allow. In a jurat the signature must be made in the notary's presence, together with the oath, so a pre-signed page forces the notary to either watch the signer sign again or decline. The second frequent error is using a jurat when the document actually needed an acknowledgment, or the reverse; the two are not interchangeable, and the receiving office decides which it wants. A notary cannot choose the act for you, so confirm it before the appointment rather than at the counter.

Does the jurat example change by state?

Yes, the blanks stay similar but the wording follows each state's law, so match the certificate to where the document will be used. A uniform-law state prints "Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me," while Virginia uses "Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me," and a few states add a residence line or a registration number. The worked example above uses the common uniform-law form; for the exact certificate and a fillable tool by state, use our state jurat pages.

Jurat example: frequently asked questions

What does a completed jurat look like?: It shows the state and county, the line "signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me" on a date by a named signer, then the notary's signature, stamp and commission expiration.
How do you fill out a jurat?: Enter the venue, the date of the oath and the signer's name, then the notary signs, stamps and adds the commission expiration after the signer swears and signs in person.
What is the most common jurat mistake?: Letting the signer sign the document before the appointment. A jurat requires the signature to be made in front of the notary, along with the oath.
Who fills in the jurat, the signer or the notary?: The notary completes the certificate. The signer provides the statement and takes the oath, but the venue, date and notary block are the notary's to fill.
Does a jurat example change by state?: Yes. The blanks are similar everywhere, but the exact wording follows each state's law, so use the certificate for the state where the document is used.

Published July 24, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts short-form certificates and the state notary statutes cited on our state pages. Confirm your state's wording before relying on this.