Michigan Jurat Certificate Form: Wording and the Acting in the County Line
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts, Act 238 of 2003, particularly MCL 55.287, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Michigan Department of State before relying on this.
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Fillable Michigan jurat certificate
Enter your commission county and the county where the act takes place. If they differ, the tool adds the "Acting in the County of" line automatically, which is exactly where Michigan certificates go wrong.
What is the Michigan jurat wording?
The sworn sentence is short; the statutory block underneath it is what Michigan cares about.
State of Michigan
County of ______
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ____________ (date) by ____________ (name of individual).
Signature of notary public
____________ (name exactly as on the application for commission)
Notary public, State of Michigan, County of ______.
My commission expires ______.
Acting in the County of ______. (only if different from the county of commission)
Does Michigan require a notary seal?
No embossed seal is required, which surprises notaries moving in from other states. Instead, MCL 55.287 requires the notary to print, type, stamp, or otherwise imprint the required statements mechanically or electronically, immediately near the signature as is practical. That is why a Michigan notarial block looks like a paragraph of text rather than a stamped impression. A rubber stamp is a convenience for producing that text, not a legal seal in the sense other states use the word.
| Required near the signature | Exact statement |
|---|---|
| Name | The notary's name exactly as on the application for commission |
| Office | "Notary public, State of Michigan, County of ______." |
| Expiration | "My commission expires ______." |
| Out of county | "Acting in the County of ______." when applicable |
| Technology | Whether an electronic or remote electronic notarization system was used |
When do you write "Acting in the County of"?
Whenever you perform the notarial act in a county other than your county of commission. The statute makes it conditional, so it does not appear on most certificates, and that is precisely why it gets missed. Leave it off after driving one county over and your block still names your commission county, quietly asserting that the act happened somewhere it did not. A mobile notary crossing county lines during the day changes this line with each stop, so it is worth checking before every signing rather than at the end of the day.
What does "photographically reproducible" mean in Michigan?
That the statements must be sufficiently clear and legible to be read by the Secretary of State and to survive being copied. Michigan writes the standard into the statute because these documents are routinely scanned into land records and lender files, where a faint or smudged block becomes unreadable. Practically, it means a good ink pad, a clean imprint, and a block placed on white space rather than over existing text. The section itself addresses the effect of an illegible statement, so this is not a cosmetic concern.
How must a Michigan notary sign?
Exactly as the name appears on the application for commission, on every record on which the notary performs a notarial act. Michigan states both halves of that: the signature goes on every record, and it matches the application. A notary who applied as "Jennifer A. Brown" signs that way, not "Jenny Brown," and prints the same version in the statement block. Name consistency across the signature, the printed name, and the commission is what lets the Department of State verify the act later.
How does a Michigan jurat differ from an acknowledgment?
By the oath and by when you sign. A jurat requires the signer to sign the document in front of you and then swear or affirm that its contents are true, so a document signed at home cannot receive one. An acknowledgment only requires the signer to appear and confirm the signature is theirs. The statutory block underneath is identical for both, which is why the sentence above it is the only thing distinguishing them on a Michigan page. Read that sentence before completing anything.
Michigan jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the Michigan jurat wording?
- "Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on" the date "by" the named individual, followed by the statements MCL 55.287 requires near the notary's signature.
- Does Michigan require a notary seal?
- No embossed seal is required. The required statements are printed, typed, stamped or imprinted immediately near the notary's signature instead.
- When do you write "Acting in the County of"?
- Whenever you perform the act in a county other than your county of commission. Omitting it leaves the block naming the wrong county.
- What does "photographically reproducible" mean in Michigan?
- The statements must be clear and legible enough to be read by the Secretary of State and to survive copying, since Michigan documents are routinely scanned.
- How must a Michigan notary sign?
- Exactly as the name appears on the application for commission, on every record on which the notary performs a notarial act.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Michigan Compiled Laws section 55.287, Michigan Law on Notarial Acts, Act 238 of 2003 (Michigan Legislature). Confirm current requirements before relying on this.