South Carolina Jurat Certificate: Wording, the Oath Script and a Permanent Bar
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect Title 26 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and the Notary Public Reference Manual, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the South Carolina Secretary of State before relying on this.
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Fillable South Carolina jurat certificate
Enter the county, the date, and the signer, and choose whether they swore or affirmed. The second tab holds the exact oath and affirmation wording the state manual publishes, ready to read aloud.
What is the South Carolina jurat wording?
Short, and the state defines the act itself in the code before giving the wording.
State of South Carolina
County of ______
Sworn and subscribed before me this ______ day of ____________, 20____, by ____________.
Notary Public for South Carolina
____________ (printed name)
My commission expires: ______
What oath does a South Carolina notary say?
The Notary Public Online Manual publishes both versions, and there is a phrase in them worth noticing. The oath asks: "Do you solemnly swear that the contents of this affidavit (or other document) are known to you and that the information is true and correct, so help you God?" The affirmation asks: "Do you solemnly affirm that the contents of this affidavit (or other document) are known to you and that the information is true and correct, under the pains and penalties of perjury?" Most state scripts ask only whether the contents are true. South Carolina first asks whether the signer knows them, which quietly closes the gap where someone swears to a document they never read.
| Oath | Affirmation | |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | Solemnly swear | Solemnly affirm |
| Closing phrase | "So help you God" | "Under the pains and penalties of perjury" |
| Both ask | That the contents are known to the signer and are true and correct | |
Why does "subscribed" matter in South Carolina?
Because it tells the notary to watch the signature happen. The manual's jurat certificate reads "Sworn and subscribed before me," and the state's own guidance reads that wording as indicating the notary must witness the signer execute the signature on the affidavit. That is the practical difference from an acknowledgment, where the document may already be signed when the signer arrives. Bring your affidavit unsigned, complete every other blank in it, and leave only the signature line empty.
Can a South Carolina notary perform a marriage?
Yes, and this surprises almost everyone. Under South Carolina law a person authorized to administer oaths in the state may perform marriage ceremonies, and that includes notaries public. The state manual goes further and sets out the procedure for notarizing a marriage licence, with sample wedding vows in an appendix. Very few states grant notaries this power. It also explains why South Carolina notary practice feels broader than elsewhere: the same commission that lets you take an affidavit lets you officiate a wedding.
What can a South Carolina notary not do?
The manual lists the prohibitions plainly, and several come up weekly. A notary may not notarize a document that is blank or incomplete, may not notarize a document without notarial certificate wording, may not certify or authenticate a photograph or photocopy, and may not notarize outside the state of South Carolina. The photocopy rule has a workaround worth knowing: the holder of the document may sign an affidavit certifying the authenticity of a photocopy, which is then notarized, except where a certified copy is available from the office that issued the original. A non-attorney notary is also barred from anything amounting to the unauthorized practice of law.
What happens if a South Carolina notary falsely certifies?
The penalty is unusually final. Under Section 26-1-95, a notary who in an official capacity falsely certifies to affirming, swearing, or acknowledging of a person or that person's signature to an instrument, affidavit, or writing is guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. The fine is small; the rest is not. A notary convicted under that section forfeits the commission and shall not be issued another commission. That is a permanent bar, which few states impose, and it is the reason a South Carolina notary should refuse rather than accommodate.
South Carolina jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the South Carolina jurat wording?
- The state manual's jurat certificate reads "Sworn and subscribed before me," which means the notary must witness the signer execute the signature on the document.
- What oath does a South Carolina notary say?
- "Do you solemnly swear that the contents of this affidavit are known to you and that the information is true and correct, so help you God?" An affirmation version is also published.
- Can a South Carolina notary perform a marriage?
- Yes. A person authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina may perform marriage ceremonies, and that includes notaries public.
- What can a South Carolina notary not do?
- Notarize a blank or incomplete document, notarize without certificate wording, certify a photograph or photocopy, or notarize outside the state.
- What happens if a South Carolina notary falsely certifies?
- It is a misdemeanor with a fine or jail, and the notary forfeits the commission and may never be issued another one.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: South Carolina Code of Laws Title 26, sections 26-1-5, 26-1-90, 26-1-95 and 26-1-120, and Section 20-1-20; the Notary Public Reference Manual and Notary Public Online Manual, South Carolina Secretary of State. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.