Notary Public Training Module 3 Flashcards

Study Notes

Notary Powers

Notaries hold four primary powers: administering oaths and affirmations, performing acknowledgments, witnessing signatures, and certifying copies of documents.

Jurats

A jurat indicates that the signer has sworn to or affirmed the contents of the document in the presence of the notary.

Oaths and Affirmations

An oath is a solemn statement sworn to a deity, while an affirmation is a secular equivalent.

Certification of Jurats

When executing a jurat, the notary verifies that the signer appeared before them, signed in their presence, and took an oath or made an affirmation regarding the document's content.

Required Language for Oaths

Trigger phrases include "So help me God" and "Under penalty of perjury," which confirm the seriousness of the oath.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgment involves confirming that a signer has already signed the document, whereas witnessing relates to the notary's role in observing the signature being executed.
Notaries must positively identify the signer to ensure they match the name on the document and verify that the provided signature belongs to them.

Required Language for Acknowledgments

Common phrases include "acknowledged before me" and "acknowledged on this date," indicating that the signer recognized their signature in the notary's presence.

Copy Certifications

Notaries can create exact and true copies of originals but are restricted from certifying certain documents that can be obtained from official government sources.

Restrictions on Copy Certification

Notaries in Colorado cannot copy certify documents such as birth, death, or marriage certificates available through state offices, as those entities have their own certification methods.

Permitted Copy Certifications

Allowed documents for copy certification include Colorado driver licenses, U.S. passports, and diplomas from Colorado universities among others, provided that reproduction complies with laws.

Sovereign Documents

The Colorado Secretary of State cannot issue apostilles for notarized sovereign documents, which typically assert individual freedom from government jurisdiction. These often contain terms such as "affidavit" or "notice."

Description

Test your knowledge of the powers and functions of a notary public with these flashcards. This quiz covers essential terminology and definitions crucial for understanding notarial practices, including oaths, acknowledgments, and jurats. Perfect for those in the Colorado notary training program.