Quick answer. Oregon's law sets the wording below. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification and remote or electronic act statement. The remote-act statement is in ORS 194.277(5)(b).
Which Oregon certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Oregon source |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment (individual) | The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it. | ORS 194.285(1) |
| Acknowledgment (representative capacity) | Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented. | ORS 194.285(2) |
| Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) | The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it. | ORS 194.285(3) |
| Signature witnessing | You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true. | ORS 194.285(4) |
| Copy certification | You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded). | ORS 194.285(5) |
| Remote or electronic act statement | The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so. | ORS 194.277(5)(b) |
Oregon certificate wording
Acknowledgment (individual) Statutory wording
The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it.
State of _________
County of _________
This record was acknowledged before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) _________.
Signature of notarial officer: ____________
Stamp (if required):
Title of office: ____________
My commission expires: _________
Acknowledgment (representative capacity) Statutory wording
Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented.
State of _________
County of _________
This record was acknowledged before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) _________ as (type of authority, such as officer or trustee) _________ of (name of party on behalf of whom record was executed) ____________.
Signature of notarial officer: ____________
Stamp (if required):
Title of office: ____________
My commission expires: _________
Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) Statutory wording
The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it.
State of _________
County of _________
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) making statement _________.
Signature of notarial officer: ____________
Stamp (if required):
Title of office: ____________
My commission expires: _________
Signature witnessing Statutory wording
You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true.
State of _________
County of _________
Signed (or attested) before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) _________.
Signature of notarial officer: ____________
Stamp (if required):
Title of office: ____________
My commission expires: _________
Copy certification Statutory wording
You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded).
State of _________
County of _________
I certify (or attest) that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ____________.
Dated ______
Signature of notarial officer: ____________
Stamp (if required):
Title of office: ____________
My commission expires: _________
Remote or electronic act statement Statutory wording
The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so.
This notarial act involved the use of communication technology.
ORS 194.277(4) says the certificate and the short form must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology. The ORS 194.285 forms don't include this sentence, so it is added for a remote act.
What an Oregon certificate must contain
- Every notarial act is evidenced by a certificate signed and dated by you, in the same manner as your signature on file with the Secretary of State. The short forms are sufficient when completed with the information ORS 194.280(1) to (3) requires. (ORS 194.280, 194.285; ORS chapter 194 (2025 Edition), Oregon State Legislature)
- On a paper record your official stamp must be affixed to the certificate. (ORS 194.280(3); ORS chapter 194 (2025 Edition), Oregon State Legislature)
- A complete certificate has the venue (state and county), who appeared, the date, what they did (acknowledged or swore), and your signature and stamp imprint. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- On a loose (attached) certificate the full stamp imprint must appear on the attachment; a second imprint overlapping the document and certificate can serve as a protection. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Copy certification: determine that the copy is a full, true and accurate transcription or reproduction. You may also certify that a paper copy of an electronic record is accurate. (ORS 194.225(3), 194.230(4); ORS chapter 194 (2025 Edition), Oregon State Legislature)
Common Oregon certificate mistakes
Each item is our summary of an official source, named beside it.
- Selecting or substituting a certificate for the signer; the guide cites an Attorney General opinion on the risk of practicing law. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Just stamping and signing a document that has no certificate; the guide lists this as a common form of misconduct. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Leaving out required information, such as the county in the venue. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Pre-dating or post-dating, even when the signer asks. The date is the actual date of the act. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Correcting a certificate without the signer present, or without noting the correction in your journal. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
- Notarizing a document with blank spaces; ask the signer to complete or initial them, note it in the journal, or refuse. (Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State)
The Oregon certificate wording pack
$15 one time. The wording on this page is public law and stays free here; the pack is the fill-in files and the organizing.
- A one-page "which certificate do I use?" chart for Oregon: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Oregon wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what an Oregon certificate must contain (venue, seal, commission details).
- Fill-in certificates in Word, one per page, with matching PDFs, so you can attach a loose certificate when a document needs one.
- A common-mistakes checklist from the official sources: six items for Oregon, each with its source.
See the Oregon certificate wording pack
Sources
- ORS chapter 194 (2025 Edition), Oregon State Legislature (checked November 7, 2026)
- Oregon Notary Public Guide, Oregon Secretary of State (checked November 7, 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Notaries follow their own state's law and the official handbook, and the receiving office decides what it accepts, so nothing here guarantees a document will be accepted. Questions about a particular document go to the Oregon Secretary of State, notary public program or an attorney.
Oregon certificate questions
What is the Oregon acknowledgment certificate wording?
ORS 194.285(1) gives: "State of _________ County of _________ This record was acknowledged before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) _________." It closes with Signature of notarial officer:, Stamp (if required): and Title of office:.
What is the Oregon jurat wording?
ORS 194.285(3) gives: "State of _________ County of _________ Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on (date) ______ by (name(s) of individual(s)) making statement _________." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can an Oregon notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. ORS 194.285(5) gives: "State of _________ County of _________ I certify (or attest) that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ____________. Dated ______"
What else must an Oregon notarial certificate show?
Every notarial act is evidenced by a certificate signed and dated by you, in the same manner as your signature on file with the Secretary of State. The short forms are sufficient when completed with the information ORS 194.280(1) to (3) requires. On a paper record your official stamp must be affixed to the certificate.
Is there an Oregon remote notarization statement?
Yes. ORS 194.277(5)(b): "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology." ORS 194.277(4) says the certificate and the short form must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology. The ORS 194.285 forms don't include this sentence, so it is added for a remote act.
Who decides which Oregon certificate to use?
The person asking for the notarization, or whoever drafted the document, tells you which notarial act they need; a notary who isn't an attorney shouldn't choose it for them. If a document has no certificate, follow the Oregon Secretary of State, notary public program's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
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