Pennsylvania Jurat Certificate: Wording and the Oath the State Scripts for You
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect 57 Pa.C.S., the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, and Pennsylvania Department of State guidance, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Department of State before relying on this.
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Fillable Pennsylvania jurat certificate
Enter the county, the date, and the signer, and the certificate updates live with the statutory Pennsylvania wording. The second tab holds the oath dialogue the Department of State publishes, ready to read aloud.
What is the Pennsylvania jurat wording?
The short form is compact, and the venue names the Commonwealth rather than a state.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
County of ______
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ____________ (date) by ____________ (name(s) of individual(s)).
Signature of notarial officer
(Stamp)
Title of office: ______
What oath does a Pennsylvania notary say?
The Department of State scripts it, and unusually it prints the exchange as a dialogue rather than a sentence. For an affidavit the notary asks: "Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that the statements contained in this affidavit are true to the best of your knowledge and belief?" and the affiant answers "I do." For testimony there is a second script: "Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that the testimony that you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" with the witness answering "I do." Publishing it as a two-line exchange makes the point that the oath is not something the notary recites into the air; the signer has to answer.
When is an oath given, and what makes it an affirmation?
Pennsylvania sets out three purposes. An oath may be given so that a statement is the truth, so that testimony about to be given will be the truth, or so that a person will faithfully perform the duties of a public office. An oath that is not based on an appeal to a higher power or supreme being is called an affirmation, and individuals who prefer not to swear may make one instead. One more detail worth knowing: Pennsylvania states that oaths may be spoken or written, so the form the declaration takes is not always a spoken exchange, although for a jurat on an affidavit it is.
| Purpose of the oath | Typical setting |
|---|---|
| That a statement is the truth | An affidavit or sworn statement, taken on a jurat |
| That testimony will be the truth | A deposition or hearing, sworn before testifying |
| That duties will be faithfully performed | An oath of office for a public officer |
Is a verification on oath the same as an affidavit?
Pennsylvania treats the term as including one. A verification on oath or affirmation is defined as a declaration, made by an individual on oath or affirmation before a notarial officer, that a statement in a record is true, and the definition expressly says the term includes an affidavit. That resolves a common confusion, because people arrive asking for "an affidavit" when what they need is the notarial act that turns their written statement into one. The notarial officer taking the verification must determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of identity, that the individual appearing and making the verification is the person whose signature is on the statement.
Can a Pennsylvania notary just sign and seal?
No, and the Department of State says so without hedging: it is never acceptable to place only a signature and seal on a document with no notarial language. That answers the request every notary hears, which is to "just stamp it." If your document arrives with no certificate, the wording has to be added before anything is signed or sealed, and choosing between a jurat and an acknowledgment is a decision for you or the agency receiving the document rather than for the notary.
What must a Pennsylvania notary seal look like?
A rubber stamp seal, no larger than one inch by three and a half inches, carrying the required elements in a fixed order. That order includes the words "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" and "Notary Seal," the notary's name and the office held, the county, the commission expiration date, and the seven-digit commission number. Abbreviations are not permitted except for name suffixes, which rules out shortening a county or the Commonwealth to fit. Order the stamp to those specifications rather than adapting a template from another state.
Pennsylvania jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the Pennsylvania jurat wording?
- "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of ______. Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on" the date "by" the named individual, with the signature, stamp and title of office.
- What oath does a Pennsylvania notary say?
- The Department of State publishes it as a dialogue: "Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that the statements contained in this affidavit are true to the best of your knowledge and belief?" The affiant answers "I do."
- Is a verification on oath the same as an affidavit?
- Pennsylvania treats the term as including an affidavit. It is a declaration made on oath or affirmation before a notarial officer that a statement in a record is true.
- Can a Pennsylvania notary just sign and seal?
- No. The Department of State says it is never acceptable to place only a signature and seal on a document with no notarial language.
- What must a Pennsylvania notary seal look like?
- A rubber stamp no larger than one inch by three and a half inches, with the required elements in a fixed order including the seven-digit commission number, and no abbreviations.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: 57 Pa.C.S., the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, including sections 307, 315 and 316; the Sample Notary Public Statements and notary resources published by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.