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 Minnesota, 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 attest to their truthfulness. This process must occur in the presence of a notary public. The notary public is a licensed individual authorized to perform various legal formalities, including administering oaths and affirmations. Affidavits are utilized in various legal contexts, including but not limited to supporting search warrants, self-proving wills, and court documents in litigation. A jurat is the portion of the affidavit that certifies the notary public has witnessed the affiant's oath or affirmation, the affiant's signature, and the date of signing. The jurat confirms the location where the affidavit was signed and includes a prescribed wording that acknowledges the notary's role in the process. It concludes with the notary public's signature and their official stamp or seal, which is a requirement for the document to be considered legally valid in the state of Minnesota.