North Dakota Jurat Certificate: Wording, Remote Ink and the Translation Rule

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect North Dakota Century Code chapter 44-06.1 and section 44-06-13.1, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the North Dakota Secretary of State before relying on this.

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Fillable North Dakota jurat certificate

Enter the county, the date, and the signer, and choose whether the act was in person or by remote ink. The certificate updates live with the statutory North Dakota wording.

What is the North Dakota jurat wording?

North Dakota follows the uniform short form, since chapter 44-06.1 is the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.

Can a North Dakota notary take a jurat on a foreign-language document?

Only when a permanently affixed and accurate written English translation is attached, otherwise the notary must refuse. That rule bites harder on a jurat than on any other act, because the signer is swearing under penalty of perjury that contents are true while the notary cannot read a word of them. The translation has to be attached to the document itself, not handed over loose or explained verbally. If you are bringing a Spanish, Somali, or other non-English affidavit, arrange the written translation and affix it before the appointment rather than at the counter.

Does North Dakota allow remote ink notarization for a jurat?

Yes, for paper documents, and it fits a jurat unusually well. Under remote ink notarization the signer signs the paper document on camera during a live audio-video session, then mails the signed original to the notary, who must receive it within three days before completing the certificate. That sequence satisfies the core jurat requirement, since the notary genuinely watches the signature happen. It is different from full remote online notarization, which uses an electronic document and an electronic signature. Both require the notary to notify the Secretary of State first and to identify the signer during the session.

Can a North Dakota notary notarize for a spouse?

No. A North Dakota notary may not perform a notarial act for their spouse, or in any transaction where the notary has a direct beneficial interest. That goes beyond the universal ban on notarizing your own signature and protects the impartiality that gives the act its value. A jurat completed for a spouse can be challenged later, and the notary faces a disciplinary question on top of it. When family or the notary's own finances are involved, the answer is to find a different, disinterested notary.

When must a North Dakota certificate be completed?

At the time of the act, never before and never after. The notary also signs each certificate in the same manner as the signature on file with the Secretary of State, which is why consistency matters more than flourish. Completing a certificate after the signer has left means certifying an appearance you did not observe at the moment described. If your name changes, notify the Secretary of State within sixty days and file a bond rider showing the new name before you begin using an updated stamp.

What else does a North Dakota jurat require?

The usual four elements, each of which the certificate quietly asserts: the signer appeared, was identified, signed in your presence, and swore or affirmed that the contents are true, under penalty of perjury. North Dakota notaries are commissioned by the Secretary of State for a four-year term after filing a surety bond. A person who makes a false statement under oath may face criminal charges, which is exactly why the oath has to be administered aloud and answered rather than assumed from a signature.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: North Dakota Century Code chapter 44-06.1, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, and section 44-06-13.1; the North Dakota Secretary of State guidance on performing notarial acts. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.