When a person signing a legal document such as an affidavit (known as the affiant) is required to swear to or affirm the affiant’s personal knowledge of the facts stated in the affidavit and their truthfulness, the affiant’s spoken statement swearing to or affirming the facts must be made in the presence of a licensed person known as a notary public (notary).

Affidavits are required to support legal documents ranging from a search warrant, to a self-proving will, to certain documents filed with the court in litigation.

A jurat is a brief statement that usually appears at the end of a legal document such as an affidavit and serves as certification that the notary administered an oath or affirmation to the affiant; that the affiant swore to or affirmed the affiant’s personal knowledge of the facts stated in the affidavit and that the facts are true and correct; that the affiant signed the affidavit in the presence of the notary; and that the affiant signed the affidavit on the date indicated in the jurat.

The jurat typically identifies the state and county in which the affidavit is signed and includes words such as “Sworn to and subscribed before me, the undersigned notary public, by __________(affiant) on this ______ (date) day of ______ (month), _______ (year).” This statement is followed by the notary public’s signature and official stamp or seal.

In Maryland, when an individual (affiant) signs a legal document such as an affidavit, they must swear to or affirm their personal knowledge of the facts stated within the document, and the truthfulness of those facts, in the presence of a notary public. This process is essential for various legal documents, including search warrants, self-proving wills, and certain court filings. The affirmation or oath is part of a jurat, which is a statement at the end of the affidavit certifying that the notary public has administered an oath or affirmation, that the affiant has acknowledged the truth of the facts under penalty of perjury, that the affiant signed the document in the notary's presence, and that the signing occurred on the date specified in the jurat. The jurat must identify the state and county of execution and include a clause similar to 'Sworn to and subscribed before me, the undersigned notary public, by (affiant) on this (date) day of (month), (year),' followed by the notary's signature and official stamp or seal. Maryland law requires notaries to follow specific procedures to ensure the integrity of the notarization process, including verifying the identity of the affiant and maintaining a notary journal.