Nebraska Jurat Certificate Form: Wording and the General Notary Seal
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect chapter 64 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes and the Official Notary Public Handbook, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Nebraska Secretary of State before relying on this.
Open the free fillable certificate ↓
Fillable Nebraska jurat certificate
Enter the county, the date, and the signer, choose whether they swore or affirmed, and the certificate updates live with the Nebraska attestation clause and the General Notary seal block.
What is the Nebraska jurat wording?
Nebraska prints the parenthetical form on its own Secretary of State registration documents, so it is as official as wording gets.
State of Nebraska
County of ______
Subscribed and (sworn) (affirmed) before me this ______ day of ____________, 20____, by ____________.
Notary Public
(Seal: State of Nebraska, General Notary, name as commissioned, expiration date)
My commission expires: ______
Why does a Nebraska seal say "General Notary"?
Because Nebraska has only one class of notary appointment, valid across the entire state, and the law calls it a general notary public. The commission itself must show that the person is authorized to act anywhere within Nebraska, or contain the word "general," or refer to the office as general notary public. The official ink stamp then carries the words "State of Nebraska, General Notary" or "State of Nebraska, General Notarial," the notary's name as commissioned, and the commission expiration date. Recipients in other states sometimes query the phrase, assuming it names a lesser tier. It does not; it is simply Nebraska's only tier.
Can a Nebraska notary just sign and seal?
No, and the handbook says so bluntly: there must be an attestation clause each and every time a notarial act is performed, and simply signing as a notary public and affixing the notary seal is not a proper notarial act. That single line resolves the most common request a notary receives, which is to "just stamp it." If a document arrives with no notarial wording, the wording has to be added before anything is signed or sealed. Nebraska also expects the notary to insert names and dates carefully into the clause rather than leaving blanks.
| Element | What Nebraska requires |
|---|---|
| Attestation clause | Present on every notarial act, without exception |
| Venue | State of Nebraska and the county |
| Seal | Ink stamp reading "State of Nebraska, General Notary" or "General Notarial" |
| Signature | The notary's name, signed consistently with the signature on file |
| Expiration | The commission expiration date included with the act |
Can a Nebraska notary act for family?
No. Notaries may not perform a notarial act for anyone in the same immediate family, and Nebraska draws the line generously: the ban includes in-laws and step or half relatives. The reason given in the handbook is the point of the office itself, that a notary is meant to be a disinterested witness to a transaction and should not stand to gain personally or financially from the outcome. A notary also may not notarize their own signature. When a relative asks, the correct answer is to send them to a different notary.
Can the signer use a signature stamp in Nebraska?
No. The principal's signature may not be a rubber stamp, which comes up more often than you would expect with executives and medical practices that keep signature stamps for routine paperwork. A jurat needs a real signature made in front of you, since you are certifying that the person subscribed the document before you. Nebraska adds a related rule on corrections: correction fluid should never be used to correct or remove an error on a notarized document. If something is wrong, start again rather than paint over it.
What weight does a Nebraska notarial certificate carry?
More than in many states. Through signature and official seal, a Nebraska notary certifies the performance of their duties, and the certificate issued is received in all courts of Nebraska as presumptive evidence of the facts certified. That standing cuts both ways. A person damaged or injured by the unlawful act, negligence, or misconduct of a notary in their official capacity may maintain a civil action on the official bond against the notary and their sureties. Nebraska notaries serve four-year terms and are appointed by the Secretary of State, and their powers include administering oaths and affirmations in all cases.
Nebraska jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the Nebraska jurat wording?
- "Subscribed and (sworn) (affirmed) before me this ______ day of ______, 20____," under a State of Nebraska and county venue, with the notary's signature, seal and expiration date.
- Why does a Nebraska seal say "General Notary"?
- Nebraska has one class of notary, valid statewide. The ink stamp must bear "State of Nebraska, General Notary" or "General Notarial," the name as commissioned and the expiration date.
- Can a Nebraska notary just sign and seal?
- No. There must be an attestation clause every time a notarial act is performed. Simply signing as a notary and affixing the seal is not a proper notarial act.
- Can a Nebraska notary act for family?
- No. Notaries may not perform a notarial act for someone in the same immediate family, and that includes in-laws and step or half relatives.
- Can the signer use a signature stamp in Nebraska?
- No. The principal's signature may not be a rubber stamp, and correction fluid must never be used to fix an error on a notarized document.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Nebraska Revised Statutes chapter 64, including sections 64-101, 64-105, 64-107, 64-109 and 64-309 (Nebraska Legislature); the Official Notary Public Handbook and notary registration forms, Nebraska Secretary of State. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.