Documents we notarize → Contracts & Affidavits
Contract & Affidavit Notarization in Your Area
Affidavits, sworn statements, declarations and general legal documents. If it carries a notarial block, we can handle it — at your home, office or anywhere else.
What you need to know
Acknowledgment or jurat?
This is the distinction that decides whether your document is accepted, and almost nobody outside the profession knows it exists. Two notarial acts, two very different meanings.
An acknowledgment confirms that you appeared, were identified, and acknowledged signing the document willingly. It says nothing about whether the contents are true. It is what most contracts and deeds use.
A jurat is different. You sign in front of the notary and swear or affirm that the contents are true. That oath carries penalty of perjury. Affidavits and sworn statements use a jurat, which is why they must be signed in our presence and never beforehand.
Your document usually specifies which one it needs, in the block near the signature line. If it does not, ask whoever is receiving it — a notary cannot choose for you, because choosing is a legal decision.
Affidavits and sworn statements
Written statements of fact sworn under oath, for courts, agencies and insurers.
Declarations
Statements made under penalty of perjury, often for court filings and claims.
General contracts
Settlement agreements, promissory notes, releases and private agreements between parties.
Oaths and affirmations
Administered on their own, where an office or role requires one.
Custody and family documents
Separation agreements, support arrangements and related declarations.
Financial declarations
Statements of assets, gift letters and proof-of-funds declarations for lenders.
Worth knowing
What a notary cannot do with your contract
Notarization does not make an agreement legal, fair or enforceable. It confirms who signed it. A contract that is unenforceable stays unenforceable with a seal on it.
- We cannot draft, edit or explain the terms of your agreement
- We cannot tell you whether an acknowledgment or a jurat is correct for your purpose
- We cannot notarize a document with blank spaces meant to be completed later
- We cannot notarize a signature that was applied before the appointment, if the document needs a jurat
- We cannot certify that the statements in an affidavit are true — only that you swore they were
What we will do is check the document for the things that get it rejected — an incomplete notarial block, a missing date, a blank field — before the seal goes on, rather than after.
Before we arrive
What to have ready
Have ready
- Valid government-issued photo ID for every signer
- The document complete and unsigned, including the notarial block
- Confirmation of which notarial act the receiving party expects
- All parties present, if more than one signature is being notarized
- Any witnesses the document requires in addition to the notary
Common mistakes
- Signing an affidavit in advance — a jurat requires signing in front of the notary
- A document with no notarial wording at all, so there is nothing to complete
- Blank lines left to be filled in after signing
- Assuming the notary will decide which act applies
- Expecting notarization to make a weak agreement enforceable
Contract and affidavit questions
Frequently asked
My document has no notary section. What now?
A loose notarial certificate can usually be attached, where state law allows it. Tell us when you book so the notary brings the right form.
Can I sign my affidavit before you arrive?
No. An affidavit uses a jurat, which requires you to sign in the notary’s presence and swear to the contents. A pre-signed affidavit has to be reprinted.
Do both parties to a contract need to be present?
Only those whose signatures are being notarized. Parties can be notarized separately at different times and places if that is easier.
Can you notarize a document written in another language?
Yes. The notary certifies the signature, not the contents. The requirement is that you can communicate directly with the notary and understand what you are signing.
Do you provide witnesses?
Yes, on request, where a document requires witnesses in addition to the notary. Say so when you book — it changes who we send.
Related services
Our notaries are not attorneys. We cannot give legal advice, or help you choose, prepare or complete a document.
Have something that needs swearing to?
We come to you anywhere in Your Area and administer the oath properly, so the document is not sent back.