Notary certifies that the signer personally appeared, signed the document in the notary's presence, and swore to or affirmed the truth of the statement.

• A. Acknowledgement
• B. Jurat
• C. Notarization
• D. Verification on Oath or Affirmation

Answer: (C)

The essential idea here is the notary’s act of certifying a sworn statement. When the signer personally appears, signs the document in the notary’s presence, and swears to or affirms the truth of its contents, the notary is performing a sworn notarization. In Maryland practice, that overall certification—witnessing the appearance, the signing, and the oath or affirmation and then issuing the certificate—is called notarization.

An acknowledgment would involve only verifying the signature (without an oath or affirmation). The jurat term refers specifically to the oath component, but the act described encompasses the entire certification process, which is why notarization is the best fit. Verification on oath or affirmation is another phrasing for sworn statements but typically used in different contexts; it still centers on the sworn aspect, not the full notarization of the document.