Utah Jurat Certificate: The Oath Written Into the Statute

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect Utah Code sections 46-1-6.5 and 46-1-16 under the Notaries Public Reform Act, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Utah Lieutenant Governor's office before relying on this.

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Fillable Utah jurat certificate

Enter the details and the certificate updates live with the statutory Utah wording. The second tab carries the oath exactly as the statute words it, so you can read it aloud rather than improvise.

What oath does Utah require for a jurat?

A specific one, written into section 46-1-6.5: a notary shall ensure that a signer takes the following oath or makes the following affirmation before the notary witnesses the signature for a jurat, and the question is "Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the statements in your document are true?" Most states either prescribe nothing, leaving notaries to improvise, or bury a suggestion in a handbook. Utah puts the words in the code. Two details are doing work in that sentence: the phrase "swear or affirm" covers both routes in one question, and "under penalty of perjury" makes the consequence explicit to the signer.

What is the Utah jurat wording?

The certificate names the notary inside the sentence and spells the date out in three parts.

In what order does a Utah jurat happen?

The oath comes first. The statute says the signer takes the oath or makes the affirmation before the notary witnesses the signature, which fixes a sequence that most states leave to habit. So the encounter runs: identify the signer, ask the statutory question, hear the answer, watch the signature, then complete the certificate. Notaries who watch the signing and then remember the oath have done the steps in the wrong order under Utah law, even if every element eventually happened.

What four acts does Utah print forms for?

Jurat, acknowledgment, copy certification, and signature witnessing, each with its own statutory form in section 46-1-6.5. That fourth act is worth knowing because it fills the gap between the other two: signature witnessing certifies that a voluntary signature was made in the notary's presence, with no oath at all. The Lieutenant Governor's study guide names confusing these acts as one of the most common notary errors in the state. If your signer needs someone to watch them sign but is not vouching for the contents, the witnessing form is the right one, not a jurat.

Does a Utah notary seal have to be purple?

Yes, for in-person notarizations Utah requires the official seal to appear in purple ink, and no other state imposes a colour rule like it. The purple imprint makes an original notarization instantly distinguishable from a photocopy, which is the practical reason behind it. Section 46-1-16 adds a second rule that matters just as much: a notary may not use a notarial seal independent of a notarial certificate. So the wording has to be on the page before the seal goes anywhere near it, which rules out stamping a bare document or pre-stamping blank forms.

What does a Utah journal entry have to record?

Among other items, an indication that the notary administered the oath or affirmation, where one was given. That single requirement is a useful discipline: you cannot complete the journal honestly for a jurat unless you actually asked the question. Utah also protects sensitive material collected during remote work, providing that where a portion of a remote notarization includes biometric information or an image of the identification used, the notary may not allow inspection or release of that portion. Utah notaries are commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor, who issues the Certificate of Authority of Notary Public.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Utah Code sections 46-1-2, 46-1-6.5 and 46-1-16 (Utah State Legislature); the Utah Notary Public Study Guide and Handbook, Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.