Affidavits are the workhorse of notarial acts: residency affidavits for school, lost-title affidavits, name-change statements, small-estate affidavits, employment and identity verifications, court filings. Most take five minutes once you're in front of me.
The one rule people miss: an affidavit is signed in the notary's presence, after taking an oath. A pre-signed affidavit can't be fixed with a stamp; you'll sign again.
What it is
An affidavit is a written statement of facts that the person making it (the affiant) swears or affirms is true. The notary administers the oath or affirmation, watches the affiant sign, and completes a jurat certificate, the block that reads 'sworn to and subscribed before me.'
Who signs, and who has to be there
Only the affiant, in my presence, after swearing or affirming. If a form has multiple affiants, each takes the oath and signs; each is a separate act. Photo ID is required for every affiant.
The notarial act
A jurat, which includes an oath or affirmation. You'll be asked something like 'Do you swear or affirm that the statements in this document are true?' and you answer aloud. One affiant, one signature, one certificate is one act. A document with both an acknowledgment and a jurat is two acts. I can't tell you whether this is the right document for your situation or what it does legally; that's for an attorney. I can tell you what the law requires for the notarization itself.
Online or in person?
Yes. The oath is administered on live video and the signature is applied electronically, which satisfies Pennsylvania's requirement that the affiant appear before the notary. Courts and agencies in every state accept Pennsylvania jurats; if the affidavit is going to a court, check the court's rules on electronic signatures first.
Pennsylvania notes
- The jurat certificate must state that the signer appeared before me, was identified, and took the oath or affirmation; Pennsylvania's short-form certificates are in 57 Pa.C.S. § 316.
- You may affirm instead of swear; an affirmation has the same legal effect and no religious content.
- Making a false statement in a sworn affidavit can carry criminal penalties; the oath is not a formality.
- For a translated affidavit, the affiant and I must be able to communicate directly, and the certificate must be in English.
Common mistakes
- Signing before the appointment.
- Blank spaces left in the statement. Fill or strike every blank before we start.
- A certificate that says 'acknowledged' when the recipient wants 'sworn.' The document or the recipient decides; I can't choose for you.
- Dating the affidavit for a different day than the oath.
A notary public is not an attorney and cannot give legal advice, choose your certificate, or complete the document for you. This guide is preparation, not advice; your attorney or the recipient decides what the document must contain.