What form should a notary use when notarizing an affidavit or sworn declaration?

When notarizing an affidavit or sworn declaration, a notary should use a jurat certificate. A jurat is a specific type of notarial act where the notary verifies that the signer has sworn or affirmed the contents of the document to be true. This is particularly important for affidavits, which require the individual to make a formal declaration under oath.

The jurat certificate not only confirms the identity of the signer but also indicates that the signer has personally appeared before the notary and taken an oath regarding the truthfulness of the statements made in the document. It typically includes the verbiage about the oath and the date it was administered, as well as the notary's signature and seal.

While other types of certificates like a general acknowledgment or a certified copy certificate serve different purposes, they do not fulfill the specific requirement of confirming that the signer has sworn to the truth of the content of an affidavit or sworn declaration. The witness statement certificate is also not applicable in this context, as it pertains to a different type of notarial act involving witnesses rather than the affirmations required in sworn declarations.