Which role is authorized to complete the notarial certificate?

• A. The signer
• B. Only the notary
• C. A witness
• D. The signer’s attorney

Answer: (B)

The notarial certificate is the notary’s official attestation that the notarization was performed correctly. Only the notary public has the authority to complete this part, because the certificate records the steps the notary must take—verifying the signer’s identity, witnessing the signing or administering an oath, and then signing and affixing the seal with the date and place. The signer may sign the document and present identification, but they do not fill out the certificate. A witness or the signer’s attorney cannot complete the notarial certificate unless they are also a commissioned notary. In both common forms of notarization—acknowledgment and jurat—the notary is responsible for completing the certificate.