RI Notary Performing Core Notarial Acts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When taking an acknowledgment in Rhode Island, what must the individual do in the notary's presence?
- Appear personally and declare the signature was made voluntarily for its stated purpose (Correct answer)
- Sign the document a second time on a duplicate copy
- Recite the entire document aloud
- Provide two witnesses to the signing
Correct answer: Appear personally and declare the signature was made voluntarily for its stated purpose
An acknowledgment requires personal appearance and a declaration that the record was signed voluntarily for the purposes stated in it.
Question 2: A signer brings a document that was already signed last week and asks for a jurat. What should the Rhode Island notary do?
- Require the signer to re-sign the document in the notary's presence after taking the oath (Correct answer)
- Complete the jurat since the signature looks genuine
- Change the certificate to an acknowledgment without asking
- Notarize but note the earlier signing date
Correct answer: Require the signer to re-sign the document in the notary's presence after taking the oath
A jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) requires the signature to be made in the notary's presence, so the signer must re-sign.
Question 3: Which of the following is a proper way for a Rhode Island notary to identify a signer who has no identification documents?
- Rely on the oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally known to the notary who knows the signer (Correct answer)
- Accept the signer's verbal statement of identity
- Compare the signature to one on the document
- Ask a family member to vouch by phone
Correct answer: Rely on the oath or affirmation of a credible witness personally known to the notary who knows the signer
RULONA permits identification through a credible witness under oath who is known to the notary and personally knows the individual.
Question 4: What is the essential difference between an oath and an affirmation?
- An oath invokes a deity while an affirmation is a solemn pledge on personal honor (Correct answer)
- An oath is written and an affirmation is verbal
- An oath applies only to court documents
- An affirmation carries no penalty for false statements
Correct answer: An oath invokes a deity while an affirmation is a solemn pledge on personal honor
An oath appeals to a Supreme Being, while an affirmation is an equally binding secular pledge, and both carry perjury penalties.
Question 5: A Rhode Island notary is asked to certify a copy of a birth certificate. What should the notary do?
- Decline, because copies of vital records must be certified by the issuing agency (Correct answer)
- Certify the copy after comparing it to the original
- Certify it only if the requester signs an affidavit
- Certify it but stamp it 'informational only'
Correct answer: Decline, because copies of vital records must be certified by the issuing agency
Vital records such as birth certificates are publicly recorded documents whose copies must come from the official custodian, not a notary.
Question 6: When performing a signature witnessing, what does the Rhode Island notary certify?
- That the individual appeared, was identified, and signed the record in the notary's presence (Correct answer)
- That the contents of the document are true
- That the document is legally enforceable
- That the signer read and understood every provision
Correct answer: That the individual appeared, was identified, and signed the record in the notary's presence
Witnessing a signature certifies personal appearance, identification, and signing in the notary's presence, not the truth of the content.
Question 7: Which element must ALWAYS be true for any notarial act performed by a Rhode Island notary?
- The signer appears in person before the notary at the time of notarization (Correct answer)
- The document is written in English
- The signer pays a fee before the act
- The document was drafted by an attorney
Correct answer: The signer appears in person before the notary at the time of notarization
Personal appearance before the notary at the time of the act is a universal requirement for traditional notarizations.
RI Notary Performing Core Notarial Acts 2
When taking an acknowledgment in Rhode Island, what must the individual do in the notary's presence?