Vermont Jurat Certificate: Wording, and Why the Stamp Is Optional
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect chapter 103 of Title 26 (the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts), but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation before relying on this.
Open the free fillable certificate ↓
Fillable Vermont jurat certificate
Pick the sworn verification or the plain attestation, type in the details, and the certificate rebuilds itself with the statutory wording. The stamp line reflects Vermont's optional-stamp rule.
What is the Vermont jurat wording?
The Vermont jurat wording, set out as a short form in 26 V.S.A. 5368, is "Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on (date) by (name(s) of individuals making statement)," followed by the notary's signature and title of office. The "(or affirmed)" is not decorative: a signer with a conscientious objection to swearing may affirm instead, and both carry the same weight and the same exposure to perjury. The word "statement" matters too, because a jurat certifies the truth of what the record says, not merely that a signature is genuine.
State of Vermont
County of ______
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ____________ (date) by ____________ (name(s) of individuals making statement).
Signature of notary public
(Official stamp) or printed name and commission number
Title of office: Notary Public
My commission expires: ______
Does a Vermont jurat need a stamp?
No, a Vermont jurat does not strictly need a stamp. For a tangible record the notary either affixes or embosses the official stamp on the certificate, or, in the alternative, clearly prints or types their name and commission number. Vermont repealed the general seal requirement decades ago and the current law keeps that flexibility, which is why you sometimes see a typed name and number where another state would show an inked seal. If you do use a stamp, it has to include the notary's name, jurisdiction and the other details the Office of Professional Regulation requires, and it must be reproducible when the document is copied. Out-of-state recipients occasionally query a stamp-free certificate, so where a receiving agency insists on a visible seal it is easier to use one than to argue the point.
What is the difference between a jurat and an acknowledgment in Vermont?
A jurat certifies that the signer swore the contents are true, while an acknowledgment certifies only that the signer admitted signing. In a verification the individual takes an oath or affirmation and signs in the notary's presence; in an acknowledgment the signature can be made beforehand and the signer simply confirms it is theirs. That single difference decides which certificate a document needs, and choosing wrong is a common reason recording offices bounce paperwork. A Vermont notary may hand you either form, but may not tell you which one your document requires, because selecting the certificate would edge into legal advice.
| Vermont jurat | Vermont acknowledgment |
|---|---|
| Signer swears the contents are true | Signer confirms the signature is theirs |
| Must sign in front of the notary | May have signed earlier |
| Used for affidavits and sworn statements | Used for deeds and powers of attorney |
Can a Vermont notary act if a relative is involved?
A Vermont notary may not perform a notarial act on a record to which the notary or the notary's spouse is a party, or in which either has a direct beneficial interest. Note the limit: Vermont draws the line at a spouse, where several states now also bar acts involving a domestic partner. An act performed in violation is voidable, which the statute states plainly rather than leaving to a court to infer later. The safe practice, and what careful notaries do, is to decline anything touching their own household and send the signer to a neutral notary, since a voidable jurat can unravel the whole document it sits on.
When can a Vermont notary refuse?
A Vermont notary may refuse when not satisfied that the signer is competent or has the capacity to execute the record, or that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made. These are two separate tests. Capacity is about whether the person understands the act; voluntariness is about whether anyone is pressuring them. A signer who grasps the document perfectly but is being pushed by a relative fails the second test even while passing the first, and a notary who senses that pressure may, and generally should, stop. The notary may also require additional identification before being satisfied of who the signer is.
Vermont jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the Vermont jurat wording?
- Under 26 V.S.A. 5368 the short form reads "Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on" the date "by" the name(s) of the individuals making the statement.
- Does a Vermont notary need an official stamp?
- Not necessarily. For a tangible record the notary either affixes an official stamp or clearly prints or types their name and commission number on the certificate.
- What is a verification on oath or affirmation in Vermont?
- It is a declaration made by an individual on oath or affirmation before a notary that a statement in a record is true, which is the act a jurat certifies.
- Can a Vermont notary notarize for a spouse?
- No. A notary may not act on a record to which the notary or the notary's spouse is a party or has a direct beneficial interest, and such an act is voidable.
- When can a Vermont notary refuse a jurat?
- When not satisfied that the signer is competent or has capacity to execute the record, or that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made.
Published July 24, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: 26 V.S.A. 5304, 5362, 5363, 5364, 5367, 5368 and 5372 (Vermont Statutes Online, Vermont General Assembly). Confirm current requirements before relying on this.