Arkansas Jurat Certificate Form: Wording and Which County Goes in the Blank

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect Arkansas Code title 21, chapter 14 and Arkansas Secretary of State guidance, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Secretary of State before relying on this.

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Fillable Arkansas jurat certificate

Enter your commission county, the date, and the signer, and the certificate updates live with the Arkansas wording. Copy or print it and attach it to your affidavit or sworn statement.

What is the Arkansas jurat wording?

Arkansas uses a longer sentence than most states, folding the notary's credentials into the certificate itself.

Which county goes in the Arkansas jurat blank?

Your county of commission, not the county where the document was signed. The Secretary of State addresses this directly: in wording such as "within and for the State of Arkansas and County of ______", you list your county of commission, because that statement is where you set out your credentials as a notary. It runs against the instinct every notary is trained on, since a venue normally names the place the act occurred. Read the sentence carefully before filling it, because Arkansas certificates that also carry a separate venue line will want the act's location there instead.

Must an Arkansas notarial certificate be in English?

Yes. For a notarial act involving a document, an Arkansas notary must complete a notarial certificate that is worded in English, under section 21-14-107. The rule addresses the certificate, not the document, so a contract in Spanish or Marshallese can still be notarized with an English certificate attached. The certificate itself must also carry the notary's official signature, the official seal, the venue including the state and county, and the date of the notarial act. Missing any of those four leaves the certificate short of what the statute requires.

When should an Arkansas notary complete the certificate?

Before signing and sealing it, and the Secretary of State explains why in plain terms: completing the certificate first prevents somebody from inserting false material into it after it has left the notary's possession. A signed and sealed certificate with empty lines is an invitation, since it carries the notary's authority while still being editable by anyone holding the page. Fill every blank, then sign, then apply the seal, in that order. Arkansas also requires a notary to attach to any certificate of acknowledgment or jurat a statement of the date on which the commission expires.

What are the Arkansas notary seal rules?

Arkansas is specific about what a seal may not contain. It cannot include the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas or an outline of the state, and abbreviations are not permitted, so "AR" or "Ark." in place of "Arkansas" makes the seal non-compliant. Every seal must be capable of being photocopied and must use blue or black ink, and that applies to embossers as well as rubber stamps, meaning an embosser needs ink behind it. If you smear an impression, the guidance is practical: make a clear impression near the smeared one rather than starting the document over.

How long is an Arkansas notary commission?

Ten years, which is the longest notary term in the United States, and the Secretary of State appoints notaries to act anywhere in the state. Since January 1, 2006 the office issues a commission number to each new notary and to each notary who renews. One more Arkansas rule is worth knowing if you notarize at work: the seal and the certificate of commission are the exclusive property of the notary and must stay in the notary's exclusive control, and they may not be surrendered to an employer when employment ends, regardless of whether the employer paid for them.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Arkansas Code sections 21-14-101 and 21-14-107; the Arkansas Secretary of State notary public frequently asked questions. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.