AZ Notary Notarial Acts and Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a notarial act that an Arizona notary is authorized to perform?
- Drafting legal documents
- Performing acknowledgments (Correct answer)
- Providing legal advice
- Certifying translations
Correct answer: Performing acknowledgments
Acknowledgments are one of the primary notarial acts Arizona notaries are authorized to perform, along with jurats, oaths/affirmations, and copy certifications.
Question 2: What is the key difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat?
- Acknowledgments are for real estate only
- In a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence and swear to the content (Correct answer)
- Acknowledgments cost more than jurats
- Jurats do not require identification
Correct answer: In a jurat, the signer must sign in the notary's presence and swear to the content
In a jurat, the signer must both sign the document in the notary's presence AND take an oath or affirmation swearing the content is true. For acknowledgments, the signer only needs to acknowledge their signature.
Question 3: An Arizona notary is asked to certify a copy of a passport. Can they do this?
- Yes, notaries can certify copies of any document
- No, notaries cannot certify copies of vital records or government IDs (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only if the original is present
- Only with permission from the issuing agency
Correct answer: No, notaries cannot certify copies of vital records or government IDs
Arizona notaries generally cannot certify copies of vital records (birth/death certificates) or government-issued identification documents like passports. Only the issuing agency can certify these.
Question 4: What must an Arizona notary verify before performing an acknowledgment?
- That the document is legally valid
- That the signer personally appeared and is identified (Correct answer)
- That the document has been notarized before
- That the signer has legal representation
Correct answer: That the signer personally appeared and is identified
For an acknowledgment, the notary must verify that the signer has personally appeared before them, that their identity has been verified, and that they are acknowledging the signature voluntarily.
Question 5: During a jurat, when must the signer sign the document?
- Before appearing before the notary
- In the notary's physical presence (Correct answer)
- Within 24 hours of the notarization
- At any time, as long as they acknowledge it later
Correct answer: In the notary's physical presence
A jurat specifically requires that the document be signed in the physical presence of the notary. This is a key distinction from an acknowledgment, where the document may have been signed earlier.
Question 6: An Arizona notary is presented with a document that has no notarial certificate. What should they do?
- Refuse to notarize it
- Create and attach an appropriate loose certificate (Correct answer)
- Choose any certificate type and add it
- Ask the signer to write a certificate
Correct answer: Create and attach an appropriate loose certificate
If a document lacks a notarial certificate, the notary may attach a loose certificate for the appropriate act (acknowledgment, jurat, etc.). The signer or document preparer should indicate which type of notarization is needed.
AZ Notary Notarial Acts and Procedures 2
Which of the following is a notarial act that an Arizona notary is authorized to perform?