Which two notarial acts are most commonly performed by Maryland notaries?

• A. Protests and certified copies
• B. Acknowledgments and jurats
• C. Oaths and affirmations only
• D. Apostilles and acknowledgments

Answer: (B)

In Maryland, the two notarial acts you’ll encounter most often are an acknowledgment and a jurat. An acknowledgment is when the signer appears before you, acknowledges that they signed the document, and does so willingly. You verify the signer’s identity, witness the signature, and record the act, but you don’t swear to the document’s contents. A jurat, on the other hand, is when you administer an oath or affirmation to the signer and witness the signing, then you certify that the signer swore to the truth of the document’s contents and signed in your presence.

These two cover the main everyday needs: proving a signature (acknowledgment) and ensuring the truth of the statements under oath (jurat). The other options involve more specialized duties or misrepresent a standard notarial role. Protests and certified copies are not routine for most Maryland notaries, and apostilles are official federal/state-authenticated steps for international use rather than a standard notarial act. Oaths and affirmations alone describe the sworn part of a jurat, not a separate, common practice on its own.