Utah Notary Practice Test

What must be included in or attached to an executed document?

1. A notarial certificate

2. A personal note from the notary

3. Another identical document

4. A witness statement

The correct answer is: A notarial certificate

The inclusion of a notarial certificate in or attached to an executed document is essential for various reasons. A notarial certificate serves as official evidence that a notarization has taken place and provides important details about the notarial act itself. This includes information such as the date of the notarization, the location where it occurred, the signature of the notary, and, in many cases, the seal. The notarial certificate is crucial for establishing the authenticity of the document and ensuring that it can be legally recognized. When a notary public performs a notarization, they are verifying the identity of the signer and their willingness to sign the document. The certificate indicates that these steps have been correctly executed, thus giving the document legal validity and helping to prevent fraud. In contrast, a personal note from the notary, another identical document, or a witness statement are not required components of a notarized document. These items may hold some value in certain contexts, but they do not fulfill the legal requirements for a notarization in the same way that a notarial certificate does. Thus, the necessity of a notarial certificate is clear in the context of executing documents that require notarization.