A Notary Public can NOT suggest what type of Notarial Certificate is needed for your document. The Notary Public can explain the different types of Notarial Certifcations to you, and YOU can then decide which certificate you may need.
COMMON TYPES OF NOTARIZATIONS
An acknowledgement is to ensure that the signer of a document has appeared personally in front of the Notary, is who they claim to be, and has voluntarily signed the document.
A Jurat is for a signer to swear or affirm that the contents of a document are true. It can also be known as an affidavit or a verification on oath or affirmation.
For a jurat, the signer must personally appear before, and sign in the presence of, the Notary. The signer must speak aloud his/her promise that the statements in the document are true. The choice between an oath or affirmation should be made by the signer.
A Copy Certification confirms that a reproduction of an original document is a full, true, and accurate transcription or reproduction of the original. Documents requiring copy certification often include diplomas, driver’s licenses, leases, contracts, vehicle titles, Social Security cards, medical records and bills of sale. To perform a copy certification, the person in possession of an original document (known also as the "document custodian") takes the original document to a Notary. The Notary will make a photocopy of the document and complete a certificate for the copy certification to confirm that the photocopy is a true, accurate and complete copy of the original.
A Signature Witnessing is used when it is important to establish that a document was signed on an exact date. A Signature Witnessing requires the signer to physically appear before a Notary and be identified as required by state law. For a signature witnessing, the signer must always sign the document in the Notary’s presence.