Tennessee Jurat Certificate: Wording and the Four Parts of an Affidavit

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect Tennessee Code Annotated title 8, chapter 16, and the Notary Public Handbook published by the County Technical Assistance Service, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with your county clerk or the Tennessee Secretary of State before relying on this.

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Fillable Tennessee jurat certificate

Enter the county, the date, and the affiant, and the certificate updates live. Copy or print it and place it at the foot of the affidavit, after the affiant's signature.

What is the Tennessee jurat wording?

Tennessee uses the sworn-and-subscribed formula, and older Tennessee forms often close with the phrase "Witness my hand, at office."

What are the four parts of a Tennessee affidavit?

The venue, the body, the affiant's signature, and the jurat. Tennessee's handbook names all four and defines each, which is more structure than most states offer. The venue indicates the place where the affidavit is made or taken, and it must be a place where the notary is empowered to act. The body is preceded by an introductory sentence, contains a short description of the affiant and the capacity in which the affiant is taking the oath, and then contains the facts the affiant swears are true. The jurat, also known as the notary's certificate, is the concluding statement that the affidavit was sworn to before the notary on a given date.

Must the signature match the opening of the affidavit?

Yes, and this is the detail that quietly causes rejections. Tennessee's handbook states that the affiant's signature is subscribed at the end of the affidavit and should appear exactly as it appears in the introduction. So if the opening sentence reads "Personally appeared before me Maria Elena Gonzalez," the signature should not read "Maria Gonzalez." The two have to agree. Read the introductory sentence before you sign, and if the drafter used a different form of your name, fix the introduction rather than adjusting your signature.

Can a Tennessee notary notarize for a nonresident?

Yes, provided the person is physically present within the state. Tennessee's handbook is explicit that a notary public can take an acknowledgment or affidavit of a nonresident of Tennessee if that person is physically present within this state. Residency of the signer is irrelevant; presence is what matters. That makes Tennessee straightforward for travellers, out-of-state parties closing a transaction, and anyone visiting family who needs a sworn statement. The notary should still not acknowledge their own signature, nor notarize where they have an interest in the matter.

Can a Tennessee notary work outside their county?

Yes. Under Tennessee Code Annotated 8-16-112, a Tennessee notary public is authorized to act in any county in the state, and the same section sets out the powers: to administer oaths, take depositions, qualify parties to bills in chancery, and take affidavits. There is a historical wrinkle worth knowing if you are reading older paperwork. Before July 1, 1993, Tennessee had two kinds of notary, at-large notaries with statewide powers and notaries with only countywide authority. Certificates from before that date may be limited in a way modern ones are not.

How is a Tennessee notary commissioned?

Through the county, and there is a step that catches people checking a notary's status. Under Tennessee Code Annotated 8-16-105, the notary must take and subscribe an oath before the county clerk or a deputy county clerk, promising to support the Constitutions of Tennessee and the United States and to discharge the duties of the office without favor or partiality, honestly, faithfully, and diligently. The Secretary of State's online database shows commissions that have been issued, but it does not show whether the person has since taken that oath and executed the required bond. To confirm a Tennessee notary is actually active, contact the county clerk rather than relying on the state database.

Does a Tennessee electronic notarization need a seal image?

No. Tennessee adopted its own version of the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, effective July 1, 2007, and it provides that a requirement for a document or signature to be notarized, acknowledged, verified, witnessed, or made under oath is satisfied if the electronic signature, or a digitized image of a wet signature, together with all other required information, is attached to or logically associated with the document. The provision then adds that a physical or electronic image of a stamp, impression, or seal need not accompany an electronic signature. That surprises people used to seeing a seal image on every electronic notarization.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Tennessee Code Annotated sections 8-16-105, 8-16-112, 66-22-102 and 66-24-203; the Notary Public Handbook published by the County Technical Assistance Service, University of Tennessee. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.