Glossary

Definitions for Pennsylvania notary vocabulary, cross-linked to the guides that explain them in context.

A

Acknowledgment: A notarial act in which the signer personally appears before the notary, is identified, and declares that they signed the document willingly and for the purposes stated. The most common notarial act in Pennsylvania.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(a) — Acknowledgments
Affiant: A person who makes an affidavit — a written statement sworn to (or affirmed) as true before a notary. The affiant personally appears, is identified, takes an oath or affirmation, and signs the document in the notary's presence, which the notary then completes with a jurat.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(b) — Verifications upon oath or affirmation
Affirmation: A solemn, non-religious promise to tell the truth, administered by a notary in place of an oath. Under Pennsylvania law, an affirmation has the same legal force as an oath, including exposure to perjury charges for falsehood.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(b); 42 Pa.C.S. § 5901 (oath or affirmation)
Apostille: A certificate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of State authenticating a PA notary's signature and commission for use in a foreign country that is party to the 1961 Hague Convention. An apostille makes further consular legalization unnecessary between Convention member states.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 314(e) — Hague Convention apostille
Attorney-in-Fact: The person granted authority to act on behalf of a principal under a power of attorney. Despite the title, an attorney-in-fact is **not** an attorney at law and has no authority to practice law or give legal advice.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 302 — Definition of 'in a representative capacity'

B

Bond: A surety instrument required as a condition of receiving a Pennsylvania notary commission. Under the March 28, 2026 final rule (56 Pa.B. 1672), the bond amount is **$25,000** for new and renewing commissions (raised from $10,000).; 4 Pa. Code § 167.16 — Notary bond (as amended by 56 Pa.B. 1672, March 28 2026)

C

Commission: The official authorization from the Pennsylvania Department of State that allows a person to act as a notary public. Runs for four years from the date of appointment.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 321 — Appointment, commissioning, and renewal
Commission ID: The seven-digit unique identifier assigned to each PA notary by the Department of State. Under the 2026 final rule, this ID must appear on every stamp impression the notary makes.; 4 Pa. Code §§ 167.21–167.24 (official stamp under the 2026 final rule)
Credential Analysis: Automated or algorithmic verification of a government-issued photo identification document — checking its security features, issuer, format, and (often) comparing the ID photo to a live selfie. One of the two identity-proofing pillars required for Remote Online Notarization in Pennsylvania.; 4 Pa. Code §§ 167.81–167.86 (RON identity proofing, 2026 final rule)
Credible Witness: An individual personally known to both the notary and the signer who swears under oath, before the notary, that the signer is the person named in the document. A fallback identity-verification method under RULONA § 314 when the signer lacks a qualifying photo ID.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 307(b)(2) — Identification by credible witness

D

Declarant: A person who signs a written declaration under penalty of perjury. Unlike an affiant, a declarant is not sworn by a notary — the perjury penalty flows from the statute authorizing the declaration rather than from a notarial oath.; 42 Pa.C.S. § 5744 — Unsworn declarations (state); 28 U.S.C. § 1746 (federal)
Deposition: Sworn out-of-court testimony taken under oath, typically as part of pretrial discovery in civil litigation. A notary's role in a deposition is to administer the oath to the witness and — in the traditional paper model — certify the transcript.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(b), § 306(b)(3); Pa.R.C.P. 4017

E

E-Notarization: A notarial act performed on an electronic record while the signer is physically present before the notary. The signer, notary, and document are all in the same room; only the paper is replaced with an electronic file signed using tamper-evident technology.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 320 — Selection of technology for electronic records
Errors & Omissions Insurance: Professional liability insurance covering a notary's clerical mistakes, failure to follow procedure, and legal defense costs. Not required by PA law, but universally recommended because the mandatory $25,000 surety bond protects the **public**, not the notary.; Not statutory — industry best practice

G

Grantee: The party receiving a property interest in a deed or similar instrument. In a real-estate closing the grantee is the buyer; in a trust the grantee is the trustee taking title on behalf of beneficiaries.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(a) — Acknowledgments
Grantor: The party conveying a property interest in a deed or similar instrument. In a real-estate closing, the grantor is the seller; in a trust, the grantor is the person creating the trust and transferring property into it.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(a) — Acknowledgments

J

Journal: The permanent chronological record of every notarial act performed by a notary public. Required under RULONA (57 Pa.C.S. § 319), with specific content and retention requirements set by 4 Pa. Code Chapter 167.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 319 — Journal
Jurat: A notarial act in which the signer personally appears, is identified, and swears (or affirms) before the notary that the statements in the signed document are true. The notary's certificate confirms both the oath and the signature.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(b) — Verifications upon oath or affirmation

K

KBA: An identity-proofing technology used in Remote Online Notarization. The signer answers a dynamic set of multiple-choice questions drawn from public records (prior addresses, vehicles, etc.). The signer must answer at least four of five questions correctly within two minutes to pass.; 4 Pa. Code §§ 167.81–167.86 (RON identity proofing, 2026 final rule)

N

Negotiable Instrument: A signed writing — typically a check, promissory note, draft, or bill of exchange — that contains an unconditional promise or order to pay a fixed amount of money and meets the form requirements of UCC Article 3 (13 Pa.C.S. § 3104). This is the document type subject to a notarial protest.; 13 Pa.C.S. § 3104 — Negotiable instrument
Notario Público: A Spanish-language term for a legal officer with attorney-like authority in many Latin American legal systems. Using "notario público" or "notario" to advertise a Pennsylvania notary public is **explicitly prohibited** under § 325(c) because it misleads Spanish-speaking clients into believing the notary has legal authority they do not.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 325(c)

O

Oath: A solemn promise to tell the truth, invoking a divine or moral authority, administered by a notary as part of a verification on oath or affirmation. Legally equivalent to an affirmation; the signer chooses which form to take.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(b) — Verifications upon oath or affirmation
Oath of Office: The sworn declaration a new Pennsylvania notary must take — and file with the county Prothonotary — within 45 days of the Department of State's appointment. Missing the 45-day deadline voids the commission.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 321(c)

P

Personal Appearance: The RULONA requirement that the signer of a document be physically (or, for RON, via qualified audio-video) in the notary's presence at the moment of notarization. No exceptions — a signed document left at the notary's desk cannot be notarized later.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 306 — Personal appearance required
Power of Attorney: A written authorization by which one person (the principal) grants another (the attorney-in-fact or agent) authority to act on the principal's behalf in financial, legal, or medical matters. Pennsylvania POAs must be signed, notarized, and witnessed to be effective.; 20 Pa.C.S. § 5601(b) — Execution of power of attorney
Principal: The individual who personally appears before a notary and signs — or acknowledges — the document being notarized. In power-of-attorney law, "principal" also means the person who grants authority to an attorney-in-fact, which is a different role than the notarial-act signer.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 306 — Personal appearance required
Protest: A formal, notarized certificate that a negotiable instrument — usually a check, promissory note, or bill of exchange — has been presented and dishonored. Protests are governed by 13 Pa.C.S. § 3505 and are one of the six notarial acts enumerated in RULONA.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(e); 13 Pa.C.S. § 3505(b)
Prothonotary: The elected county official who maintains the civil records of the Court of Common Pleas. In Pennsylvania notary practice, the Prothonotary is the officer with whom a newly appointed notary files the oath of office within 45 days of appointment.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 321(c)

R

RON: A notarial act performed for a remotely located signer using audio-video communication, identity-proofing technology (KBA + credential analysis), and a tamper-evident electronic document. Authorized in Pennsylvania under 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1 and governed by 4 Pa. Code Chapter 167.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1 — Notarial act performed for remotely located individual
RULONA: The Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts — Pennsylvania's current notary statute, codified at 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 301–331. Enacted as Act 73 of 2013, amended by Act 154 of 2022, and implemented by final regulations published at 56 Pa.B. 1672 (March 28, 2026).; 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 301–331

S

Satisfactory Evidence: The standard for identifying a signer under RULONA when the notary does not personally know them. Satisfied by a current government-issued photo identification, or (rarely) the oath of a credible witness personally known to both notary and signer.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 307 — Identification of individual
Signature Witnessing: A notarial act in which the signer personally appears before the notary, is identified, and signs the document in the notary's presence. Distinct from acknowledgment (where the signer confirms a signature already made) and from jurat (which requires an oath).; 57 Pa.C.S. § 305(c) — Signature witnessing
Signing Agent: A notary public who specializes in notarizing loan and mortgage documents at real-estate closings. Signing agent is an industry role, not a separate commission — in Pennsylvania, any commissioned notary can act as one without additional state credentialing.; Industry practice — not defined in RULONA
Stamp: The rubber or inked device a Pennsylvania notary uses to emboss or mark their name, commission ID, and expiration date onto a notarial certificate. Required by RULONA § 317 on every notarized document; format governed by 4 Pa. Code Chapter 167 as amended March 2026.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 317 — Official stamp

U

Unauthorized Practice of Law: Conducting activities that constitute the practice of law without being a licensed attorney. For Pennsylvania notaries, UPL is one of the most common ethics pitfalls — drafting documents, giving legal advice, and explaining legal consequences of signing all qualify.; 57 Pa.C.S. § 325 — Prohibited advertising and unauthorized practice of law

V

Venue: The caption on a notarial certificate identifying the jurisdiction where the notarial act was performed — commonly formatted as "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania / County of [county]".; 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 315–316 (form and content of notarial certificates)