Administering an Oath, Affirmation, or Affidavit
To administer an oath or affirmation a notary must ask the affiant to swear or affirm that the statements they are giving is true and accurate. In both an oath or affirmation the notary should require the affiant to raise the affiants right hand before administering the oath or affirmation. The words “sworn” and “affirmed” can be interchanged depending on the individual’s religious beliefs and would respectively be an oath or affirmation.
• Oath Example: “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
o The affiant should answer with “I do.”
• Affirmation Example: “Do you solemnly affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
o The affiant should answer with “I do.”
To administer an affidavit a notary must ask the affiant to swear or affirm that the statements they are giving in writing are true and accurate. Since an affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation the notary should require the affiant to raise the their right hand before administering an oath or affirmation. The words “sworn” and “affirmed” can be interchanged depending on the individual’s religious beliefs.
• Affidavit Example: “Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that the statements recorded above are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
o The affiant should respond with “I do.”
There are five key parts to every affidavit. These key parts are listed below and must be present for every affidavit.
Key parts:
- Venue: The State, City and County in which the acknowledgement was taken.
- Body: This is the sworn statement of the affiant
- The signature of the affiant
- The jurat, also known as the “Subscribed and sworn to” clause
- Signature, seal, and commission expiration of the notary
Example Jurat:
State of Hawaii
City and County SS
of Honolulu
I, John Doe, the affiant herein, hereby affirm that I currently reside at 123 Nowhere Street in Somewhere, Arkansas and that I have resided at this address since January of 2010. Further sayeth not.
John Doe
John Doe
Subscribed and sworn to or affirmed to before me this ____ day of ________ 20__.
_____________________
Notary Signature
_____________________
Notary Printed Name
My Commission Expires: ___________
